Amazon Employees Affected by Job Title Changes

A significant number of employees at Amazon are set to lose their traditional job titles amid the company’s annual review period.

Instead of penalizing underperformers, Amazon is eliminating conventional job titles for white-collar product managers in its Ring and Blink divisions. Starting next month, these roles will be rebranded as “Builders,” and their supervisors will be referred to as “Builder Leads.”

Jason Mitsura, the chief product officer overseeing this transition, outlined his reasoning in an internal memo that was reviewed by Reuters. He emphasized a commitment to transparency and adaptability in the organization’s future. “We are dedicated to evolving,” he wrote in an email confirmed by Amazon.

“We are shifting to a unified occupational family: builders,” he added. “As builders, our success hinges on one primary question: What customer value are you creating?” The Ring and Blink units develop internet-connected surveillance cameras and doorbells.

The term “Builder” has emerged in Silicon Valley to describe individuals who independently tackle challenges—often using AI—on projects that previously required large teams.

Other companies are exploring similar approaches; for example, Meta is trialing the title “AI builder” for certain jobs, while the payments company Block has started calling some managers “player-coaches.”

Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, has initiated a broad strategy aimed at reducing bureaucracy, which includes setting up an internal hotline for reporting excessive bureaucracy. Shares for Amazon rose slightly on Thursday, reflecting a 13% increase so far this year.

Mitsura explained that the new title system allows anyone to propose changes within the organization, indicating that ineffective processes can be revised or eliminated.

However, employees expressed concerns to Reuters about losing established titles like “senior” or “chief,” fearing this change could complicate the paths to promotions and salary increases. Amazon has set pay ranges and stock options that are influenced by both performance and employee level.

Some employees, who wished to remain anonymous due to confidentiality, were worried that these changes might spread throughout the company.

An Amazon representative claimed that these worker concerns are misplaced. “Compensation, growth, and advancement opportunities will stay the same,” she stated, adding that the title change would encourage a culture of experimentation and enhance customer service.

Zappos, the online shoe retailer acquired by Amazon in 2009 for nearly a billion dollars, had previously tried to eliminate its hierarchy through a system dubbed “holacracy,” which ultimately failed. Amazon acquired Ring for about $1 billion and Blink for around $90 million in 2018.

Interestingly, Mr. Mitsura may even see his title evolve, potentially becoming “Builder Leader,” according to the spokesperson.