Senior Applied Scientist, Amazon Stores Economics & Science (SEAS)

Amazon; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 136,000 - 226,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon's Stores Economics and Science (SEAS) team in Seattle attracts top talent to push the boundaries of optimization and mechanism design. You will lead research from concept to production, transforming complex business problems into scalable algorithms and models.

You will publish results, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate with internal teams to deliver measurable improvements in marketplace efficiency, seller incentives, and inventory optimization.

Qualifications

• PhD, or Master's degree and 6+ years of applied research experience
• Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
• PhD in econometrics, statistics, industrial engineering, operations research, optimization, data mining, analytics, or equivalent quantitative field, or PhD and 5+ years of industry or academic research experience
• Experience in at least one of the related science disciplines (optimization - LP, MIP, statistics, machine learning, process control, combinatorial optimization)
• Experience leading the design, build and deployment of complex and performant (reliable and scalable) software solutions in production
• Experience effectively communicating complex concepts through written and verbal communication

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale science initiatives from research to production and translate complex business problems into mathematical frameworks
• Design and implement large-scale optimization algorithms for complex supply chain and marketplace problems
• Design incentive-compatible mechanisms for marketplace challenges including auction design, matching algorithms, and pricing strategies
• Mentor 2-4 junior scientists and foster team growth while collaborating effectively across functions
• Influence senior stakeholders and shape technical direction to deliver measurable business impact

Skills

Java

C++

Python

Communication skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Education

PhD in econometrics or statistics

Master's degree in quantitative field

Tools

R

scikit-learn

Spark MLlib

MxNet

TensorFlow

NumPy

SciPy

Hadoop

Spark

Job description

Description

Stores Economics and Science (SEAS) is an interdisciplinary science and engineering team in Amazon's Stores organization with a peak-jumping mission: we apply expertise in science and engineering to move from local to global optima in methods, models, and software. We pursue this mission by leveraging frontier science; collaborating with partner teams; and learning from the tools, experience, and perspective of others. We scale by solving problems, first in the small to prove concepts, and then in the large by building scalable solutions. We also help other teams within Amazon scale by hiring and developing the best and embedding them in other business units.

We are team of passionate Applied Scientists, Research Scientists, and Economists collaborating to uncover, formulate, and solve big bet issues for broader Stores organization, including marketplace efficiency, seller incentive design, and inventory optimization. We are seeking to add another member to our team who thrives in inter-disciplinary, ambiguous, and high visibility environments.

Key job responsibilities

The successful candidate will lead large-scale science initiatives from research to production and translate complex business problems into mathematical frameworks. They will design and implement large-scale optimization algorithms for complex supply chain and marketplace problems, and design incentive-compatible mechanisms for marketplace challenges including auction design, matching algorithms, and pricing strategies.

The ideal candidate will have a strong publication record in top-tier conferences/journals (INFORMS, EC, WINE, ICML, NeurIPS, etc.) and experience coordinating cross-functional projects. They should have hands-on experience building science solutions that apply optimization techniques to mechanism design problems (e.g., optimal auction design, welfare maximization under constraints), with expertise in statistical learning and algorithm development.

Leadership responsibilities include driving technical strategy and roadmap for complex initiatives, influencing senior stakeholders and shaping technical direction, mentoring 2-4 junior scientists and fostering team growth, and collaborating effectively across functions to deliver measurable business impact.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD, or Master's degree and 6+ years of applied research experience
• Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
• PhD in econometrics, statistics, industrial engineering, operations research, optimization, data mining, analytics, or equivalent quantitative field, or PhD and 5+ years of industry or academic research experience
• Experience in at least one of the related science disciplines (optimization - LP, MIP, statistics, machine learning, process control, combinatorial optimization)
• Experience leading the design, build and deployment of complex and performant (reliable and scalable) software solutions in production
• Experience effectively communicating complex concepts through written and verbal communication

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. 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.

USA, CA, Mountain View - 192,200.00 - 260,000.00 USD annually

USA, NY, New York - 183,800.00 - 248,700.00 USD annually

USA, WA, Seattle - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually

Company - Amazon.com Services LLC