Sr. Applied Scientist, Special Projects

Description

Innovators wanted! Are you an entrepreneur? A builder? A dreamer? This role is part of an Amazon Special Projects team that takes the company's Think Big leadership principle to the extreme. We focus on creating entirely new products and services with a goal of positively impacting the lives of our customers. No industries or subject areas are out of bounds. If you're interested in innovating at scale to address big challenges in the world, this is the team for you.

Here at Amazon, we embrace our differences. We are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. We have thirteen employee-led affinity groups, reaching 40,000 employees in over 190 chapters globally. We are constantly learning through programs that are local, regional, and global. Amazon's culture of inclusion is reinforced within our 16 Leadership Principles, which remind team members to seek diverse perspectives, learn and be curious, and earn trust.

Our team highly values work-life balance, mentorship and career growth. We believe striking the right balance between your personal and professional life is critical to life-long happiness and fulfillment. We care about your career growth and strive to assign projects and offer training that will challenge you to become your best.

Key job responsibilities

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  Lead and execute complex, ambiguous research projects from ideation to production deployment

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  Drive technical strategy and roadmap decisions for ML/AI initiatives

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  Collaborate cross-functionally with product, engineering, and business teams to translate research into scalable products

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  Publish research findings at top-tier conferences and contribute to the broader scientific community

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  Establish best practices for ML experimentation, evaluation, and deployment

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Basic Qualifications

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  PhD, or Master's degree and 6+ years of applied research experience

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  Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language

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  Demonstrated work on innovative R&D projects, particularly in early-stage development with measurable business impact

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  Hands-on experience with both Foundation Models/LLMs and traditional ML approaches

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  ML-Ops and scaled deployment experience in production environments

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Preferred Qualifications

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  Experience using Unix/Linux

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  Experience in professional software development

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  Publications at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences or journals, or equivalent patents

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  Experience with autonomous AI frameworks (e.g. Dreamer, PlaNet, JEPA, NVIDIA Cosmos)

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  Knowledge of decentralized optimization methods (e.g. swarm intelligence) Familiarity with advanced optimization and control methods (multi-objective optimization, constrained optimization, discrete optimization, model-based optimization, stochastic optimization, distributed control).

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  Experience developing and maintaining digital twins

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  Experience with multiscale geospatial modeling and forecasting

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  Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing technical direction

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  Track record of translating research into production systems at scale

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Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit for more information. If the country/region you're applying in isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $150,400/year in our lowest geographic market up to $260,000/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, equity, sign-on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. For more information, please visit . This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.