Applied Scientist II, Amazon Shipping

Amazon Inc.; Atlanta, Northern (GA, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Inc. is seeking an Applied Scientist II to lead a team and set scientific direction for ML solutions powering Amazon's forecasting and optimization systems.

You will mentor scientists, design production-grade models, and collaborate with Product, Ops, and Eng leaders to improve delivery reliability and customer experience.

This role emphasizes publication contributions and staying at the forefront of ML techniques, including deep learning, LLMs, and reinforcement learning.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS with 4+ years in CS/CE/ML
• Publications or patents in top-tier venues
• Proficient in Java, C++, Python
• Experience with algorithms and data structures
• Experience with parallel and distributed computing

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a team of Applied Scientists
• Define and own the scientific vision for ML solutions
• Guide model and system design for diverse techniques
• Ensure production-ready, scalable models with stakeholders
• Own end-to-end business metrics impacting cost and reliability
• Contribute to ML community via publications and talks

Skills

Model building

Publications

Java/C++/Python

Algorithms

Unix/Linux

Education

PhD

MS + 4+ yrs CS/CE/ML

Tools

Java

C++

Python

Job description

Work on ML teams building large-scale forecasting and optimization systems that power Amazon’s global transportation network and directly impact customer experience and cost.

As an Applied Scientist II, you will set scientific direction, mentor applied scientists, and partner with engineering and product leaders to deliver production-grade ML solutions at massive scale.

Key job responsibilities

• 1. Lead and grow a high-performing team of Applied Scientists, providing technical guidance, mentorship, and career development.
• 2. Define and own the scientific vision and roadmap for ML solutions powering large-scale transportation planning and execution.
• 3. Guide model and system design across a range of techniques, including tree-based models, deep learning (LSTMs, transformers), LLMs, and reinforcement learning.
• 4. Ensure models are production-ready, scalable, and robust through close partnership with stakeholders. Partner with Product, Operations, and Engineering leaders to enable proactive decision-making and corrective actions.
• 5. Own end-to-end business metrics, directly influencing customer experience, cost optimization, and network reliability.
• 6. Help contribute to the broader ML community through publications, conference submissions, and internal knowledge sharing.

A day in the life

Your day includes reviewing model performance and business metrics, guiding technical design and experimentation, mentoring scientists, and driving roadmap execution. You’ll balance near-term delivery with long-term innovation while ensuring solutions are robust, interpretable, and scalable. Ultimately, your work helps improve delivery reliability, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience at massive scale.

Basic Qualifications

• - 3+ years of building models for business application experience
• - PhD, or Master's degree and 4+ years of CS, CE, ML or related field experience
• - Experience in patents or publications at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences or journals
• - Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
• - Experience in any of the following areas: algorithms and data structures, parsing, numerical optimization, data mining, parallel and distributed computing, high-performance computing

Preferred Qualifications

• - Experience using Unix/Linux
• - Experience in professional software development

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.

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status. Veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.