Principal Applied Scientist, AWS Agentic AI

Amazon Web Services (AWS); Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 229,000 - 309,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seeking a Principal Applied Scientist to lead research and development in generative and agentic AI. You will guide building multi-modal foundation models, train and fine-tune top-tier LLMs, and design scalable systems that empower enterprise workflows.

This role blends science leadership with hands-on delivery in a collaborative environment. You will work with engineering teams to bring research into production, mentor junior scientists, and influence

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s with strong ML research or industry experience.
• Experience building and deploying ML models in real-world settings.
• Proficiency in Python and ML tooling.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and development in generative AI and Agentic AI.
• Build and optimize multi-modal foundation models and scale systems across domains.
• Train and fine-tune state-of-the-art LLMs and deploy research to production.

Skills

Generative AI

Agentic AI

Python

NLP/LLMs

Multi-modal models

Distributed training

Education

PhD in ML/CS/EE

Master's degree + 5 years experience

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Distributed training frameworks

Job description

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is looking for a Principal Applied Scientist to join the Quick Science team. Quick is AWS’s enterprise generative AI assistant that helps users answer questions, summarize documents, generate content, take actions, and automate workflows using information across enterprise systems. As a key member of this team, you will lead research and development efforts in generative AI and Agentic AI to enable intelligent agents that perform complex reasoning, automate multi-step workflows, and make enterprise users significantly more productive.

Key job responsibilities

You’ll work on building and optimizing multi-modal foundation models, training and fine-tuning state-of-the‑art LLMs, and architecting systems that scale efficiently across domains. This role blends science leadership, hands‑on innovation, and deep collaboration with engineering teams to bring research into production.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field OR a Master’s degree with 5+ years of relevant industry or research experience.
• Industry experience developing machine learning models for real‑world applications.
• Experience with generative AI, including model training or building systems with pre‑trained foundation models.
• Proven record of peer‑reviewed publications or granted patents in AI/ML.
• Proficiency in Python or similar programming languages.
• Experience in at least one of the following areas: natural language processing (NLP), large language models (LLMs), computer vision, or Agentic AI.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience applying generative AI to enterprise or multi‑modal tasks (e.g., code generation, document understanding, or task planning).
• Strong understanding of agentic architectures, autonomous systems, or task orchestration.
• Hands‑on experience with scalable ML infrastructure, distributed training, or optimization of large models.
• Deep knowledge of AI safety, hallucination mitigation, or retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG).
• Experience mentoring junior scientists and influencing cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Ability to think strategically and communicate complex technical topics to non‑experts, including senior leadership.
• Track record of shipping scientific innovations into customer‑facing products at scale.

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

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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 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.

Salary Range

• USA, CA, Santa Clara - 228,700.00 - 309,400.00 USD annually
• USA, NY, New York - 218,800.00 - 295,900.00 USD annually
• USA, WA, Seattle - 198,900.00 - 269,000.00 USD annually

Company - Amazon Development Center U.S., Inc.

Job ID: A10441249