Senior Applied Scientist , Amazon Ads

Amazon

Arlington (VA)

On-site

USD 167,000 - 226,000

Full time

31 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Amazon Ads is seeking a senior ML scientist to advance generative AI, LLMs, and real-world advertising applications at planet-scale. You will research and deploy end-to-end models, design experiments, and collaborate with engineers, PMs, and scientists to drive impact for advertisers and customers.

You’ll build scalable ML pipelines, balance customer experience with monetization, and move models from concept to production while tackling challenging, multi-domain problems across NLP, vision, and

Qualifications

5+ years building ML models for real business applications.
PhD, or Master’s degree + 6 years of applied research experience.
Strong programming in Python, Java, C++, or similar.

Responsibilities

Research and build next-gen ML solutions including generative AI and LLMs.
Own end-to-end projects from messy problems to production models.
Design experiments to validate hypotheses and measure business impact.
Build models balancing customer and advertiser needs while improving metrics.
Collaborate with engineers, PMs, and scientists to ship fast.

Skills

Machine learning

Python

Java

C++

Education

PhD

Master's degree

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Spark

Job description

Description

Your Next Big Challenge Starts Here
You've spent years mastering machine learning. Now imagine applying that expertise where it actually reaches billions of people — every single day.

At Amazon Ads, we're not just running ads. We're re-inventing the entire advertising experience using generative AI, large language models, and next-generation ML. From the moment a brand crafts a campaign to the instant a customer discovers something they love — your science powers it all.

Billions of impressions.
Millions of clicks.
Petabytes of data.
And you — at the center of it.

Why This Role Will Excite You

Unmatched scale and resources. You'll have access to computational power and datasets most scientists only dream about. Build solutions that don't just work in a notebook — they work at planet scale.

Breadth that keeps you sharp.
One quarter you might be optimizing real-time bidding systems.
The next, you're building creative AI that generates ad content.
Ranking, personalization, NLP, computer vision, LLMs — it's all on the table.

Your ideas ship. This isn't a research lab where papers collect dust. You'll take models from concept to production, run A/B experiments, and see your work move metrics that matter — for advertisers, customers, and the business.

People who push you forward. You'll collaborate with world‑class engineers, scientists, and product leaders who are just as passionate about solving hard problems as you are.

What You'll Actually Do

Research and build next‑generation ML solutions — including generative AI and LLM applications — that transform how advertising works
Own end‑to‑end projects: from messy, ambiguous problems to deployed, production‑grade models
Design experiments that validate your hypotheses and measure real business impact
Build models that balance what's best for customers and advertisers — because great advertising should feel helpful, not intrusive
Work cross‑functionally with engineers, PMs, and fellow scientists to ship fast and iterate faster
Develop scalable ML pipelines that optimize monetization without sacrificing customer experience

Where This Takes Your Career

Whether You Want To Go Deep As a Technical IC Or Grow Into People Leadership — Both Paths Are Real Here. You'll Have Opportunities To

Lead high‑visibility technical initiatives
Mentor and grow other scientists
Shape strategy alongside senior leadership
Build a reputation in a community that genuinely values scientific excellence

Your work won't just be seen internally — it'll impact millions of customers and advertisers worldwide.

Watch Scientists at Amazon Ads Talk About Their Work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvHsURsIPEA

Learn More About Amazon Ads

https://advertising.amazon.com/

Basic Qualifications

5+ years building ML models for real business applications
PhD, or Master's degree + 6 years of applied research experience
Strong programming skills in Python, Java, C++, or similar
Hands‑on experience with deep learning and neural network methods

Basic Qualifications

3+ years of building machine learning models for business application experience
PhD, or Master's degree and 6+ years of applied research experience
Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
Experience with neural deep learning methods and machine learning

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with tools like scikit‑learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Spark MLLib, MxNet, numpy, scipy
Experience with large‑scale distributed systems (Hadoop, Spark, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with modeling tools such as R, scikit‑learn, Spark MLLib, MxNet, Tensorflow, numpy, scipy etc.
Experience with large scale distributed systems such as Hadoop, Spark etc.

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.

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.

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
Parental leave

Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.