Sr. Applied Scientist, AppStar Data Analytics & Engineering

Amazon Science; New York (NY); On-site; USD 184,000 - 249,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Science’s DNA team seeks an Applied Scientist III to invent and build ML-driven systems that prioritize and mitigate application security risk at scale. You will work with large datasets spanning app metadata, code signals, and vulnerability findings to develop impactful models.

You will lead production ML pipelines on AWS, extend graph-based models, and collaborate with security engineers, data engineers, and TPMs to convert research into actionable intelligence for security reviews.

Qualifications

• 3+ years building ML models for business applications.
• PhD or master's with 6+ years of applied research.
• Experience programming in Java, C++, Python.
• Experience with neural deep learning methods.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of ML models for security prioritization and risk assessment.
• Frame ambiguous problems into well-defined scientific challenges and propose novel approaches.
• Architect production-grade ML pipelines on AWS services (S3, Glue, SageMaker).
• Develop graph-based models capturing relationships between apps, services, teams and findings.
• Drive scientific agenda with experiments and rigorous evaluation.
• Translate model outputs into actionable security insights with engineers and TPMs.
• Establish best practices for reproducibility and publish results when appropriate.

Skills

ML models

Java

Python

C++

Deep learning

Distributed systems

Education

PhD or Master’s + 6+ years applied research

Tools

TensorFlow

scikit-learn

Spark MLlib

MxNet

NumPy

SciPy

Job description

Description

Are you passionate about using science to make the digital world more secure? The AppStar Data Analytics & Engineering (DNA) team within Amazon's Application Security organization is looking for an Applied Scientist III to invent and build ML-driven systems that fundamentally change how Amazon identifies, prioritizes, and mitigates application security risk at scale.

Description

Are you passionate about using science to make the digital world more secure? The AppStar Data Analytics & Engineering (DNA) team within Amazon's Application Security organization is looking for an Applied Scientist III to invent and build ML-driven systems that fundamentally change how Amazon identifies, prioritizes, and mitigates application security risk at scale.

Our team sits at the intersection of data science, machine learning, and security operations. We build the intelligence layer that powers Amazon's application security programs: risk-scoring models that rank tens of thousands of applications, graph-based systems that map security context across architectures, and analytics platforms that drive data-informed decisions for security leadership. This is science with direct, measurable impact on Amazon's security posture.

As an Applied Scientist III, you will lead the invention and delivery of novel ML solutions for complex, ambiguous problems in the security domain. You will work with large-scale datasets spanning application metadata, code signals, vulnerability findings, and organizational context to develop models that help Amazon focus security resources where they matter most.

Key job responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of ML models and scientific solutions for application security prioritization, complexity scoring, and risk assessment
• Frame ambiguous security problems into well-defined scientific challenges, proposing novel approaches when existing methodologies are insufficient
• Architect and implement production-grade ML pipelines (feature extraction, model training, scoring, deployment) on AWS services (S3, Glue, SageMaker, Neptune)
• Develop and extend graph-based models that capture security-relevant relationships between applications, services, teams, and vulnerabilities
• Drive the team's scientific agenda by proposing new research initiatives, conducting experiments, and iterating on models using rigorous evaluation methodologies
• Partner with security engineers, data engineers, and TPMs to translate model outputs into actionable intelligence for security review programs
• Establish and raise the bar for scientific rigor: peer review code and designs, set best practices for experimentation, and document findings for reproducibility
• Publish results internally and externally at peer-reviewed venues when appropriate

About The Team

The Data Analytics & Engineering (DNA) team is a small, high-impact group within Amazon's Application Security organization. We build ML models, graph-based systems, and analytics platforms that determine how Amazon prioritizes security coverage across tens of thousands of applications. We're a hybrid team of scientists, data engineers, and security engineers who ship production science, embrace ambiguity, and operate with high ownership. If you want meaningful work that protects customers at Amazon's scale, this is the team.

Diverse Experiences

Amazon Security values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.

Why Amazon Security?

At Amazon, security is central to maintaining customer trust and delivering delightful customer experiences. Our organization is responsible for creating and maintaining a high bar for security across all of Amazon’s products and services. We offer talented security professionals the chance to accelerate their careers with opportunities to build experience in a wide variety of areas including cloud, devices, retail, entertainment, healthcare, operations, and physical stores.

Inclusive Team Culture

In Amazon Security, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Ongoing DEI events and learning experiences inspire us to continue learning and to embrace our uniqueness. Addressing the toughest security challenges requires that we seek out and celebrate a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and voices.

Training & Career Growth

We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, training, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.

Work/Life Balance

We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.

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 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.

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