Principal - Central/Eastern, AWS Economic Development

Amazon • Virginia Beach, VA

10d • $148,300 - $222,900 • Remote

About The Position

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Economic Development team is looking for a Principal to lead the Central and/or Eastern region of our Americas economic development portfolio. In this role, you will own the end-to-end economic development strategy for your region — from identifying expansion opportunities and structuring incentive agreements to building sustainable workforce development partnerships and communicating the transformative impact of AWS investments to stakeholders at every level. You will operate with significant autonomy, exercising high judgment in ambiguous and fast-moving environments while collaborating across business development, real estate, legal, tax, finance, and public relations teams to deliver results that matter to AWS and the communities we serve.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or above in a relevant discipline (e.g. Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Public Affairs, Economic Development)
• 10+ years of economic development or related business development experience
• Experience in in economic development, public policy, government affairs, or a related field
• Experience managing incentive negotiations, concessions, or economic development agreements for large-scale infrastructure or construction projects
• Ability to travel nationally on a recurring basis.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree or above in a relevant discipline (e.g. Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Public Affairs, Economic Development)
• Experience as an economic development practitioner, consultant, or corporate site selection professional, including recent data center or large-scale infrastructure transactional experience
• Demonstrated track record of building and maintaining partnerships with government officials, economic development agencies, and public-private stakeholder groups at the state and local level
• Experience developing and presenting business cases, economic impact analyses, and fiscal impact assessments to senior leadership and external audiences
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing third-party vendors, contractors, or advisors in support of expansion or capital investment projects
• Experience in tax-related incentives, abatements, or public financing structures
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience with public speaking, media engagement, or strategic communications

Responsibilities

• Lead regional economic development strategy for the Central and/or Eastern region, driving AWS's expansion goals by identifying, evaluating, and securing economic development opportunities aligned with the global infrastructure growth roadmap.
• Serve as the primary economic development liaison to state and local government officials, economic development agencies, utilities, and community stakeholders, building durable, trust-based relationships that advance AWS's long-term interests.
• Own the full lifecycle of incentive negotiations, including site identification, due diligence, business case development, infrastructure assessment, sustainability evaluation, and structuring of incentive-related deal terms and agreements.
• Manage and optimize a regional portfolio of economic development commitments, including forecasting benefits, articulating obligations, ensuring compliance, and tracking realization against agreed-upon milestones.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal partners across business development, real estate, legal, tax, finance, HR, public relations, and sustainability teams to ensure alignment and seamless execution of expansion projects.
• Develop and deliver compelling narratives that communicate the scope, economic impact, and community benefits of AWS investments to external stakeholders at all levels, including elected officials, regulators, and media.
• Facilitate workforce development and education initiatives in partnership with internal stakeholders, community colleges, workforce boards, and local organizations to create sustainable talent pipelines in host communities.
• Provide strategic counsel to AWS leadership on regional economic development trends, competitive landscape, policy risks, and opportunities that may impact expansion timelines or investment decisions.
• Establish and maintain mechanisms for tracking regulatory, legislative, and economic development policy changes across the region that could affect current or future AWS operations.

Benefits

• health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage)
• 401(k) matching
• paid time off
• parental leave
• sign-on payments
• restricted stock units (RSUs)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal