Applied Science Manager, Prime Air

Amazon Inc.; Omaha (NE); Hybrid; USD 184,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on payments and RSUs

Health insurance (medical, dental, etc

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Amazon.com Services LLC in Seattle seeks an Applied Science Manager to lead a team of scientists and engineers focusing on the brains of fleet orchestration. You will bridge Geospatial Intelligence and Machine Learning to transform path planning and scheduling algorithms, with the north star of increasing deliveries per hour through intelligent optimization.

You will mentor a cross-functional team, drive high-scale scheduling systems, and work with Hardware, Flight Safety, and Supply Chain teams

Qualifications

• Experience managing a team of scientists and/or engineers in a production environment.
• PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Operations Research, or a related field.
• Strong foundation in Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data analysis.
• Proven track record of applying Machine Learning (e.g., Reinforcement Learning, Graph Neural Networks) to optimization problems like path planning or vehicle routing.

Responsibilities

• Lead & Mentor: Manage a cross-functional team of Applied Scientists and Engineers, fostering a culture of scientific rigor and rapid iteration.
• Innovate Path Planning: Leverage ML/RL and heuristic search techniques to develop dynamic path-planning algorithms that navigate complex airspace and weather patterns.
• Optimize Orchestration: Drive the development of high-scale scheduling systems that manage battery life, maintenance cycles, and delivery windows to maximize fleet utilization.
• Geospatial Mastery: Utilize deep geospatial data (3D maps, urban topology, etc.) to improve situational awareness and mission safety.
• System Architecture: Define the long-term technical roadmap for mission orchestration, ensuring our systems are modular, scalable, and resilient.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Hardware, Flight Safety, and Supply Chain teams to translate business requirements into technical breakthroughs.

Skills

Team leadership

Geospatial analysis

Machine Learning

Reinforcement Learning

Graph Neural Networks

Education

PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

GIS software

Job description

Job ID: 10397305 | Amazon.com Services LLC

The Challenge

How do you orchestrate a fleet of autonomous drones to deliver packages safely in under an hour, while maximizing every minute of flight time? How do you scale a mission planning system to handle thousands of concurrent deliveries in complex, shifting environments?

The Role

As an Applied Science Manager, you will lead a high-caliber team of scientists and engineers focused on the "brains" of our fleet orchestration. You will bridge the gap between Geospatial Intelligence and Machine Learning to revolutionize our path planning and scheduling algorithms. Your primary north star? Increasing deliveries per hour (DPH) through intelligent, automated optimization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead & Mentor: Manage a cross-functional team of Applied Scientists and Engineers, fostering a culture of scientific rigor and rapid iteration.
• Innovate Path Planning: Leverage ML/RL and heuristic search techniques to develop dynamic path-planning algorithms that navigate complex airspace and weather patterns.
• Optimize Orchestration: Drive the development of high-scale scheduling systems that manage battery life, maintenance cycles, and delivery windows to maximize fleet utilization.
• Geospatial Mastery: Utilize deep geospatial data (3D maps, urban topology, etc.) to improve situational awareness and mission safety.
• System Architecture: Define the long-term technical roadmap for mission orchestration, ensuring our systems are modular, scalable, and resilient.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Hardware, Flight Safety, and Supply Chain teams to translate business requirements into technical breakthroughs.

Basic Qualifications

• Experience managing a team of scientists and/or engineers in a production environment.
• PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Operations Research, or a related field.
• Strong foundation in Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data analysis.
• Proven track record of applying Machine Learning (e.g., Reinforcement Learning, Graph Neural Networks) to optimization problems like path planning or vehicle routing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with autonomous systems, UAVs, or large-scale logistics networks.
• Knowledge of combinatorial optimization and real-time scheduling constraints.
• A knack for turning ambiguous "blue sky" research into deployed, high-impact features.

Export Control License: This position may require a deemed export control license for compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Placement is contingent on Amazon’s ability to apply for and obtain an export control license on your behalf.

Key job responsibilities

• Strategic Technical Leadership & Throughput: Lead the development of path planning and geospatial orchestration models to maximize deliveries per hour, ensuring complex algorithms are production-ready and integrated into the mission system.
• Team Management & Delivery: Build and scale a world-class science team by mentoring talent and fostering career growth, while maintaining a high bar for operational excellence to deliver mission-critical software on schedule.

A day in the life

In a typical day, you lead an agile squad through high-velocity sprints, starting with a stand-up to unblock path-planning prototypes and ensure the team is on track for mission-critical delivery milestones. You spend your time bridging the gap between research and reality, reviewing code and design docs to ensure algorithms for geospatial orchestration are production-ready and optimized for real-world drone throughput. Between deep-dive technical reviews, you focus heavily on people development—conducting 1:1s to mentor scientists and architecting career growth paths—while collaborating with cross-functional leads to ensure your team's innovations seamlessly integrate into the live mission planning system.

About the team

We’re a mix of software developers, applied and research scientists, and geospatial experts as well as system developers.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.

Benefits & Compensation

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 .

Location & Salary

USA, WA, Seattle - 183,800.00 - 248,700.00 USD annually