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About This Role
DESCRIPTION
Have you ever wondered how Amazon predicts when your order will arrive and how we ensure that it actually arrives on at the promised date/time? Have you wondered where all those Amazon semi-trucks on the road are headed? Are you passionate about increasing efficiency and reducing carbon footprint? Does the idea of having worldwide impact on Amazon's logistics network including our planes, trucks, and vans sound exciting to you? If so, then we want to talk with you! At Amazon's Supply Chain Optimization Technologies (SCOT), we are tasked with optimizing the fulfilment on customer orders so that we fulfil all orders worldwide in the most intelligent manner while ensuring Amazon customers get their orders on time.
Amazon Fulfillment Planning & Execution (FPX) Science team within SCOT- Fulfilment Optimization group is seeking a Senior Applied Scientist with expertise in Optimization and a proven record of solving business problems through scalable Optimization solutions. FPX Science tackles some of the most mathematically complex challenges in transportation planning and execution space to improve Amazon's operational efficiency worldwide. We own Amazon’s global fulfilment planning and execution. The team also owns the short and mid-term-term network planning and execution that determines the optimal flow of customer orders through Amazon fulfilment network. This includes developing sophisticated math models that assign orders to fulfilment centres to be picked and packed and then planning the optimal ship method in terms of cost, speed and carbon impact to deliver to the customer. These plans drive downstream decisions that are in the billions of dollars at Amazon Scale worldwide! The systems we build are entirely in-house, and are on the forefront of both academic and applied research in large scale supply chain planning, optimization, machine learning and statistics. These systems operate at various scales, from real-time decision system that completes thousands of transactions per seconds, to large scale distributed system that optimize Amazon’s fulfilment network. Your tech solution will have large impacts to the physical supply chain of Amazon, and play a key role in improving Amazon consumer business’s long-term profitability. If you are interested in diving into a multi-discipline, high impact space this is the team for you. We’re looking for a passionate, results-oriented, and inventive Senior Applied Scientist who can create and improve optimization models for our outbound transportation planning and execution systems. In addition, you will be working on design, development and evaluation of highly innovative Optimization models for solving complex business problems in the area of outbound transportation planning systems.
Watch http://bit.ly/amazon-scot to get the big picture.
Key job responsibilities
As a Senior Applied Scientist, you will propose and deploy solutions that will likely draw from a range of scientific areas such as Optimization, machine learning, advanced statistical modeling, and graph models. You will be on the forefront of supply chain thought leadership by working on some of the most difficult problems in the industry, with some of the best product managers, research scientists, statisticians, and software engineers to integrate scientific work into production systems. You will bring deep technical expertise in the area of Mathematical Optimization, and play an integral part in building Amazon's Fulfillment Optimization systems. Other responsibilities include:
- Design, development and evaluation of highly innovative Math models for solving complex business problems.
- Research and apply the latest Optimization techniques and best practices from both academia and industry.
- Think about customers and how to improve the customer delivery experience.
- Use and analytical techniques to create scalable solutions for business problems.
- Work closely with software engineering teams to build model implementations and integrate successful models and algorithms in production systems at very large scale.
- Technically lead and mentor other scientists in team.
- Establish scalable, efficient, automated processes for large scale data analyses, model development, model validation and model implementation.
A day in the life
This is a great role for someone who likes to learn new things. You will have the opportunity to learn all about how Amazon plans for and executes within its logistics network including Fulfillment Centres, Air Stations, Sort Centres, Delivery Stations, and more. You will need to meet with many internal customers to understand their business and their challenges as you develop an effective solution to enable us to collectively scale. Our leadership is very interested in this effort so you will find lots of opportunities to get your ideas and plans in front of them for evaluation and alignment. We are seeking someone who wants to lead projects that require innovative thinking and deep technical problem-solving skills to create production-ready mathematical optimization solutions. A successful candidate is able to quickly approach large ambiguous problems, turn high-level business requirements into mathematical models, identify the right solution approach, and contribute to the software development for production systems. Successful candidates must thrive in fast-paced environments, which encourage collaborative and creative problem solving, be able to measure and estimate risks, constructively critique peer research, and align research focuses with the Amazon's strategic needs. We look for individuals who know how to deliver results and show a desire to develop themselves, their colleagues, and their career.
About the team
Fulfillment Planning & Execution Science team contains a group of scientists with different technical backgrounds including Operations Research and Machine Learning who will collaborate closely with you on your projects. Our team directly supports critical functional areas across Fulfillment Optimization and the research needs of the corresponding product and engineering teams. We tackle some of the most mathematically complex challenges in facility and transportation planning and execution to improve Amazon's operational efficiency worldwide and at a scale that is unique to Amazon. We often seek the opportunity of applying hybrid techniques in the space of Operations Research and Machine Learning to tackle some of our biggest technical challenges. We disambiguate complex supply chain problems and create solutions to solve those problems at scale.BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of applied research experience
- Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
- 5+ years of industry or academic research experience
- Ph.D. in Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science or related field
- 5+ years of mathematics optimization such as linear programming and nonlinear optimization experience
- Experience hiring and leading experienced scientists as well as having a successful record of developing junior members from academia or industry to a successful career track
- Knowledge of problem solving, algorithm design and complexity analysis
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in building machine learning models for business application
- PhD in operations research, applied mathematics, theoretical computer science, or equivalent, or PhD or equivalent research experience and 10+ years of building machine learning models or developing algorithms for business application experience
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 https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including 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, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, WA, Bellevue - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually
Salary Context
This $167K-$226K range is below the median for Research Scientist roles in our dataset (median: $197K across 73 roles with salary data).
Role Details
About This Role
Research Scientists push the boundaries of what AI can do. They design experiments, develop novel architectures, publish papers, and translate research breakthroughs into production capabilities. This is where the fundamental advances happen, from attention mechanisms to diffusion models to reasoning chains.
The work is intellectually demanding and often ambiguous. You might spend months on an approach that doesn't pan out. The best research scientists combine deep mathematical intuition with engineering pragmatism. They know when to go deep on theory and when to run experiments. They read papers voraciously and can spot incremental contributions from genuine breakthroughs.
Across the 8,943 AI roles we're tracking, Research Scientist positions make up 2% of the market. At Amazon.com, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
Research Scientist roles are concentrated at major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR) and well-funded AI startups. The competition is intense. PhD is effectively required for most positions, and publication track record matters. Compensation is among the highest in AI, reflecting both the scarcity of talent and the strategic importance of research breakthroughs.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: reading and discussing recent papers with your team, designing and running experiments on multi-GPU clusters, analyzing results and iterating on hypotheses, writing up findings for internal review or publication, and collaborating with engineering teams to productionize promising results. The ratio of thinking to coding is higher than in engineering roles.
Research Scientist roles are concentrated at major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR) and well-funded AI startups. The competition is intense. PhD is effectively required for most positions, and publication track record matters. Compensation is among the highest in AI, reflecting both the scarcity of talent and the strategic importance of research breakthroughs.
Skills Required
PhD strongly preferred for most roles. Deep expertise in a specific area (NLP, computer vision, reinforcement learning, multimodal) is expected. PyTorch is the standard. Publication track record matters. Strong mathematical foundations in linear algebra, probability, optimization, and information theory are assumed.
Beyond the fundamentals, companies value experience with large-scale distributed training, novel architecture design, and the ability to bridge theory and practice. Understanding of current frontier topics (reasoning, multimodal, long-context, alignment) is essential. Code quality matters more than many researchers expect. Labs want researchers who can implement their ideas cleanly.
Strong research postings specify the research area, mention the team you'd join, and describe the problems they're working on. They often list recent publications from the team. Vague 'AI research' postings without specifics usually mean the company wants to sound impressive but doesn't have a real research agenda.
Compensation Benchmarks
Research Scientist roles pay a median of $222,200 based on 708 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $228,700. This role's midpoint ($196K) sits 12% below the category median. Disclosed range: $167K to $226K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $213,380. Top-quartile compensation starts at $264,148. The 90th percentile reaches $319,310. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($253,100) and Research Engineer ($252,000). By seniority level: Entry: $110,408; Mid: $193,200; Senior: $228,700; Director: $272,250; VP: $235,000.
Amazon.com AI Hiring
Amazon.com has 65 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI/ML Engineer, Research Scientist, Data Scientist, AI Product Manager. Positions span Seattle, WA, US, New York, NY, US, Bellevue, WA, US. Compensation range: $129K - $325K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 6% (521 positions) offer remote work, while 8,351 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (2,878 roles, $221,000 median); San Francisco (2,416 roles, $263,811 median); Los Angeles (1,340 roles, $210,000 median).
Career Path
Common paths into Research Scientist roles include PhD Student, Research Engineer, Postdoc.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Research Lead, Distinguished Scientist, VP of Research.
The PhD is the entry point for most paths. Choose your advisor and research area carefully since they'll define your first industry position. Publish consistently, contribute to open-source projects in your area, and build relationships at conferences. Industry research offers better compensation and compute resources than academia, but the pressure to show product impact is real.
What to Expect in Interviews
Research interviews are multi-stage: a research talk (present your best paper), technical deep-dives on your methodology, and often a 'research proposal' exercise where you design an experiment to test a hypothesis. Coding rounds test implementation ability alongside theoretical knowledge. Be prepared to implement a paper from scratch and discuss the design choices the authors made. Strong candidates can critique papers constructively and identify gaps in experimental methodology.
When evaluating opportunities: Strong research postings specify the research area, mention the team you'd join, and describe the problems they're working on. They often list recent publications from the team. Vague 'AI research' postings without specifics usually mean the company wants to sound impressive but doesn't have a real research agenda.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 8,943 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 175 entry-level, 4,132 mid-level, 3,268 senior, and 1,368 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 6% of the market (521 positions). The remaining 8,351 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $213,380. Top-quartile compensation starts at $264,148. The 90th percentile reaches $319,310. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($253,100 median, 57 roles); Research Engineer ($252,000 median, 419 roles); AI Engineering Manager ($251,622 median, 51 roles).
Research Scientist roles are concentrated at major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR) and well-funded AI startups. The competition is intense. PhD is effectively required for most positions, and publication track record matters. Compensation is among the highest in AI, reflecting both the scarcity of talent and the strategic importance of research breakthroughs.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 8,943 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (6,739), AI Product Manager (403), AI Software Engineer (402). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (175) are outnumbered by mid-level (4,132) and senior (3,268) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 1,368 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 6% of all AI roles (521 positions), with 8,351 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $213,380. Top-quartile roles start at $264,148, and the 90th percentile reaches $319,310. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $253,100 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $141,440. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,422 postings), Aws (808 postings), Azure (638 postings), Rag (555 postings), Gcp (457 postings), Pytorch (433 postings), Claude (341 postings), Kubernetes (337 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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