Sr. Applied Scientist, Amazon Ads

Amazon Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 167,100 - 226,100; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm is seeking a Machine Learning Scientist to join their Amazon Ads team in Denver, Colorado. The role involves developing innovative machine learning solutions, impacting millions of customers while collaborating with talented engineers and scientists. Candidates should have a deep understanding of machine learning, programming expertise, and a Ph.D. or equivalent experience. The position offers opportunities for career progression and the ability to influence advertising technology innovations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building machine learning models for business.
• Ph.D. or Master's with 6+ years in applied research.
• Proficient in programming languages like Java, C++, or Python.

Responsibilities

• Research and implement innovative ML approaches with generative AI.
• Develop and deploy ML solutions across multiple disciplines.
• Drive projects tackling ambiguous problems with large data sets.
• Build ML models and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Design and run A/B tests to validate hypotheses using large-scale data.

Skills

Building machine learning models

Programming in Java, C++, Python

Working with deep learning methods

Education

Ph.D. or Master's plus 6+ years applied research

Tools

TensorFlow

scikit-learn

Spark

Job description

Job ID and other metadata removed. Application deadline: Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

Amazon Ads is re‑imagining advertising through cutting‑edge generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. We combine human creativity with AI to transform every aspect of the advertising life cycle—from ad creation and optimization to performance analysis and customer insights. Our solutions help advertisers grow their brands while enabling millions of customers to discover and purchase products through delightful experiences. We deliver billions of ad impressions and millions of clicks daily, breaking fresh ground in product and technical innovations. If you're energized by solving complex challenges and pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI, join us in shaping the future of advertising.

Why you’ll love this role: This role offers unprecedented breadth in ML applications and access to extensive computational resources and rich datasets that will enable you to build truly innovative solutions. You'll work on projects that span the full advertising life cycle, from sophisticated ranking algorithms and real‑time bidding systems to creative optimization and measurement solutions. You'll work alongside talented engineers, scientists, and product leaders in a culture that encourages innovation, experimentation, and bias for action, and you’ll directly influence business strategy through your scientific expertise. What makes this role unique is the combination of scientific rigor with real‑world impact. You’ll re‑imagine advertising through the lens of advanced ML while solving problems that balance the needs of advertisers, customers, and Amazon's business objectives.

Your impact and career growth: Amazon Ads is investing heavily in AI and ML capabilities, creating opportunities for scientists to innovate and make their marks. Your work will directly impact millions. Whether you see yourself growing as an individual contributor or moving into people management, there are clear paths for career progression. This role combines scientific leadership, organizational ability, technical strength, and business understanding. You'll have opportunities to lead technical initiatives, mentor other scientists, and collaborate with senior leadership to shape the future of advertising technology. Most importantly, you'll be part of a community that values scientific excellence and encourages you to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI.

Watch two Applied Scientists at Amazon Ads talk about their work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvHsURsIPEA

Learn more about Amazon Ads: https://advertising.amazon.com/

Key job responsibilities

• Research and implement cutting‑edge ML approaches, including applications of generative AI and large language models.
• Develop and deploy innovative ML solutions spanning multiple disciplines – from ranking and personalization to natural language processing, computer vision, recommender systems, and large language models.
• Drive end‑to‑end projects that tackle ambiguous problems at massive scale, often working with petabytes of data.
• Build and optimize models that balance multiple stakeholder needs—helping customers discover relevant products while enabling advertisers to achieve their goals efficiently.
• Build ML models, perform proof‑of‑concept, experiment, optimize, and deploy your models into production, working closely with cross‑functional teams including engineers, product managers, and other scientists.
• Design and run A/B experiments to validate hypotheses, gather insights from large‑scale data analysis, and measure business impact.
• Develop scalable, efficient processes for model development, validation, and deployment that optimize traffic monetization while maintaining customer experience.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of building machine learning models for business application experience.
• Ph.D., 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 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, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information.

Salary: Colorado $167,100 – $226,100 annually; National $150,400 – $260,000 annually.