Entry-Level & Early-Career Software Engineer Jobs 2026 | Amazon, McKesson, Cisco, Santander Hiring Now
Latest entry-level and early-career software engineering, data analyst, backend, and full-stack job opportunities at top global companies including Amazon, McKesson, Cisco, and Santander. Explore roles, responsibilities, skills, salaries, and career growth paths for freshers and early professionals in 2026.
The global technology job market in 2026 is showing renewed momentum, especially for entry-level and early-career professionals who are equipped with modern programming skills, cloud knowledge, and a strong problem-solving mindset. Despite ongoing changes in automation and AI adoption, demand remains strong for software engineers, backend developers, full-stack engineers, data analysts, and systems developers who can build, scale, and maintain complex digital platforms.
High-quality early-career job opportunities from leading global organizations across software engineering, intelligent systems, data analytics, cloud platforms, and network engineering. These roles are particularly suitable for fresh graduates, junior developers, and professionals with up to five years of experience who want to build long-term careers with strong learning curves, competitive compensation, and global exposure.
1. Software Engineer I – Builder Role at Amazon
The Software Engineer I Builder role represents one of the most sought-after entry-level positions in modern tech. This role focuses on developer tooling, automation, and internal platforms that power large-scale systems.
Role Overview
This position centers on building and maintaining shared tools that improve the productivity and reliability of engineering teams. Engineers work on automation, service configuration, internal frameworks, and developer experience initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
• Build new internal tools and enhance existing shared platforms
• Develop automation to simplify service deployment and maintenance
• Support distributed systems used across large engineering organizations
• Contribute to company-wide engineering standards and architecture
• Mentor peers on tooling, best practices, and development workflows
Required Skills
• Experience with Go or TypeScript
• Understanding of cloud services and infrastructure concepts
• Familiarity with deployment pipelines and service orchestration
• Strong interest in improving developer productivity
Preferred Technical Exposure
• Go ecosystem and tooling
• GraphQL APIs
• Debugging production-grade systems
• Asynchronous and distributed services
Career Growth
This role offers exposure to large-scale systems and internal platforms, making it an excellent launchpad toward senior engineering, platform architecture, or developer productivity leadership roles.
Apply Here: https://amazon.jobs/en/jobs/3154041/software-engineer-i-builder
2. Software Developer – Intelligent Systems & Integrations at McKesson
This role is ideal for professionals with strong backend and integration experience who want to work on mission-critical healthcare systems.
Role Overview
The position focuses on microservices architecture, real-time data pipelines, AI-driven systems, and enterprise integrations that support healthcare supply chains.
Core Responsibilities
• Design and develop scalable microservices
• Implement real-time event streaming using Kafka
• Build integrations across enterprise platforms
• Develop ETL pipelines and manage structured data flows
• Collaborate with AI teams to embed intelligent features
• Optimize performance, reliability, and system scalability
Technical Skills Required
• Java, Python, JavaScript, or Go
• Microservices and containerization technologies
• Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
• SQL, PL/SQL, and enterprise data processing
• Event-driven architectures
Career Advantages
• Exposure to healthcare technology
• Work on systems that impact patient outcomes
• Strong enterprise engineering experience
• High compensation growth potential
3. Senior Associate Software Developer – Intelligent Systems & Integrations at McKesson
This role is tailored for early-career professionals with 2+ years of experience who want faster responsibility and system ownership.
Role Focus
• Microservices development
• Kafka-based event processing
• API-driven system integrations
• AI model integration and deployment
• High-availability distributed systems
Ideal Candidate Profile
• Strong fundamentals in backend development
• Hands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes
• Familiarity with cloud environments
• Interest in AI-enabled applications
Growth Path
This role often leads to senior engineering, technical lead, or system architect positions within enterprise technology teams.
4. Data Analyst – Cloud & Snowflake at Santander Holdings
Data analytics roles are becoming increasingly technical, blending SQL, cloud platforms, machine learning, and automation.
Role Overview
This position supports strategic banking initiatives through data analysis, governance, and regulatory compliance.
Responsibilities
• Develop complex SQL queries on large datasets
• Build dashboards and analytical reports
• Apply machine learning for fraud detection and segmentation
• Design automated data pipelines
• Ensure data quality and regulatory compliance
Required Expertise
• Strong SQL proficiency
• Experience with Snowflake or cloud data warehouses
• Python or R for analytics and modeling
• Familiarity with cloud services
• Understanding of banking or financial data
Career Outlook
Data analysts with cloud and ML exposure often progress into data engineering, analytics leadership, or applied AI roles.
Apply Here: https://www.santandercareers.com/job/quincy/data-analyst-cloud-and-snowflake/1771/85461759568
5. Backend Software Development Engineer at Cisco
This role focuses on large-scale backend systems that process billions of real-time events.
Key Responsibilities
• Build high-throughput backend services
• Design scalable APIs and microservices
• Work with real-time data pipelines
• Optimize distributed systems performance
• Improve platform reliability and observability
Core Technical Skills
• Advanced Java fundamentals
• Distributed systems concepts
• Kafka and event streaming
• Cloud-native architectures
• CI/CD and DevOps tooling
Why This Role Stands Out
• Exposure to global-scale platforms
• Strong systems engineering focus
• Excellent preparation for senior backend roles
Apply Here: https://careers.cisco.com/global/en/job/2001466/Backend-Software-Development-Engineer
6. Access Point Software Engineer at Cisco
This role is perfect for engineers interested in low-level systems, networking, and hardware-software integration.
Technical Focus
• C, C++, and Python development
• Linux kernel and driver programming
• Wireless networking protocols
• High-performance data paths
• Embedded and firmware systems
Ideal Career Track
Engineers in this role often move into principal engineering, systems architecture, or advanced networking research roles.
Apply Here: https://careers.cisco.com/global/en/job/2000322/AP-Software-Engineer
7. Full-Stack Software Engineer at Cisco
A balanced role combining frontend, backend, and DevOps exposure.
Responsibilities
• Build responsive web interfaces
• Develop backend APIs and services
• Manage databases and data models
• Implement CI/CD pipelines
• Optimize performance across the stack
Skills Profile
• JavaScript and modern frontend frameworks
• Backend development with Python or Node.js
• Database fundamentals
• Cloud and container basics
Career Flexibility
Full-stack engineers enjoy wide mobility across startups, enterprises, and product teams.
Apply Here: https://careers.cisco.com/global/en/job/1447511/Software-Engineer
Key Domains Covered Across These Roles
• Backend Engineering
• Full-Stack Development
• Data Analytics and Cloud Engineering
• Intelligent Systems and AI Integration
• Network and Systems Engineering
How to Prepare for Entry-Level and Early-Career Tech Roles
To maximize your chances in 2026:
• Strengthen core programming fundamentals
• Build real projects using cloud platforms
• Learn system design basics early
• Practice SQL and data modeling
• Gain familiarity with CI/CD workflows
• Use AI tools responsibly to enhance productivity.
