Principal, Applied Scientist, Just Walk Out

Amazon; Reading (MA); On-site; USD 198,900 - 269,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

A leading e-commerce and technology company in Austin is seeking a Principal Applied Scientist to innovate in visual reasoning systems. The role requires overseeing research direction, architecting cutting-edge solutions, and applying generative AI techniques to real-world problems. Candidates must hold a PhD and have significant applied research experience with a strong publication record. This position includes a competitive salary, sign-on bonus, and comprehensive benefits package in a supportive work environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of applied research experience.
• Strong publication record in top-tier conferences such as CVPR, NeurIPS, and ICML.
• Deep expertise in architecting and training Vision-Language Models (VLMs) or Large Video Models (LVMs).

Responsibilities

• Direct the technical vision for next-gen visual reasoning.
• Design and implement novel algorithms for generative AI.
• Lead collaboration to translate research breakthroughs into production.

Skills

Expertise in computer science

Applied research experience

Deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)

Programming skills in Python

Education

PhD in computer science, machine learning, engineering, or related fields

Job description

Principal, Applied Scientist, Just Walk Out

Job ID: 3173173 | Amazon.com Services LLC

We are looking for a Principal Applied Scientist to drive technical innovation in visual reasoning systems across multiple domains. You will be a technical leader who sets the research direction, architects novel solutions, and delivers breakthrough results that advance the state of the art while solving real-world business problems.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the technical vision for next‑gen visual reasoning, pioneering the use of Large Video Models (LVMs) to solve high‑dimensional spatial‑temporal problems.
• Design and implement novel algorithms that push the boundaries of what’s possible with generative AI.
• Architect scalable solutions that deliver real‑time insights across diverse environments.
• Build agentic AI systems that autonomously execute end‑to‑end workflows, transforming visual data into actionable business intelligence.
• Lead cross‑functional collaboration to translate research breakthroughs into production systems.
• Publish research at top‑tier conferences (CVPR, NeurIPS, ICML) and establish technical thought leadership in visual reasoning and multi‑modal AI.
• Mentor scientists and engineers to elevate technical excellence across the organization.
• Influence product roadmaps through deep technical expertise and business acumen.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in computer science, machine learning, engineering, or related fields.
• 8+ years of applied research experience.
• Strong publication record in top‑tier conferences/journals (CVPR, NeurIPS, ICML, ICCV, ECCV).
• Deep expertise in architecting and training frontier Vision‑Language Models (VLMs) or Large Video Models (LVMs). Proven ability to design novel algorithms that advance the state of the art in spatiotemporal understanding.
• Experience translating research into production systems at scale.
• Excellent programming skills in Python and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow).

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep expertise in World Models, Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs/Gaussian Splatting), and long‑horizon spatiotemporal reasoning.
• Demonstrated leadership in building and scaling agentic AI applications in production.
• A history of building and scaling world‑class teams and mentoring senior ICs to achieve career breakthroughs.

About the Team

Just Walk Out (JWO) is a checkout‑free shopping experience where customers simply enter the store, take what they want, and leave—no lines, no scanning, no checkout. Our technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves, keeps track of them in a virtual cart, and charges customers’ accounts after they leave. We are expanding our visual reasoning expertise to build state‑of‑the‑art systems that work across domains in physical AI.

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.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this position is $198,900.00 – $269,000.00 annually. Your Amazon package will include sign‑on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Benefits include health insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.