Sr. Research Scientist, Amazon Transportation Services (NEST) Science

Amazon.com Services LLC; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon's Network Engineering, Scheduling, and Technology (NEST) Science Team in Bellevue, WA seeks a Sr. Research Scientist to lead production-grade models for transportation planning, scheduling, and labor optimization across Amazon's Middle Mile network.

You will frame ill-defined business problems into tractable scientific formulations and publish where appropriate, while collaborating with engineers and product managers to drive real-world impact.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of investigating the feasibility of applying scientific principles and concepts to business problems and products experience
• PhD, or Master's degree and 5+ years of quantitative field research experience
• Experience with big data technologies such as AWS, Hadoop, Spark, Pig, Hive etc.
• Experience communicating qualitative research methods and findings to non-qualitative researchers

Responsibilities

• Invent and design new models and algorithms for scientifically complex problems in transportation network planning, scheduling, equipment selection, and labor optimization
• Frame ambiguous, poorly defined business problems into tractable scientific formulations, distinguishing problems that require novel research from those addressable with existing techniques
• Extend the state of the art in operations research, optimization, machine learning, and stochastic/discrete-event simulation as the problem demands
• Author internal and external peer-reviewed publications where appropriate and not precluded by business considerations
• Lead the design, implementation, and delivery of production-grade models for complex, system-level problems, working from concept through deployment with engineering partners
• Develop code (Python, Java, C++, Julia, or similar) to build, validate, and productionize models at Amazon Code Bar quality where models ship to production
• Build models that are maintainable, extensible, accurate, and cost-effective, making principled trade-offs between scientific rigor and speed of execution
• Design and run experiments and simulations to validate assumptions, quantify benefits, and gate rollouts on solution quality

Skills

Operations Research

Machine Learning

Stochastic Modeling

Simulation

Python

Java

C++

Julia

Education

PhD

Master's degree + 5+ years experience

Tools

AWS

Hadoop

Spark

Pig

Hive

Job description

Have you ever placed an order on Amazon and wondered how it got to you so fast? Behind that speed is one of the most complex transportation networks in the world, and the scientific problems it poses are hard, ambiguous, and largely unsolved. We are looking for a senior research scientist who wants to invent the models that run it.

Come join the Network Engineering, Scheduling and Technology (NEST) Science team within Amazon Transportation Services. We are looking for a Sr. Research Scientist to lead the design and development of novel mathematical models that govern how Amazon's Middle Mile network operates. You will work on scientifically complex, poorly structured problems in network planning, scheduling, and transportation operations, inventing and extending techniques from operations research, machine learning, stochastic modeling, and simulation to solve them. This is a modeling-first role: your primary output is rigorous, original scientific work that reduces transportation cost and improves customer experience at scale.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in at least one relevant scientific discipline and a track record of taking ambiguous business problems from formulation through to production-grade models. You are comfortable owning the scientific agenda for large problem areas, framing the right questions, inventing solutions where no textbook answer exists, and influencing scientists, engineers, and leaders across multiple teams.

Key job responsibilities

Invent

• Invent and design new models and algorithms for scientifically complex problems in transportation network planning, scheduling, equipment selection, and labor optimization
• Frame ambiguous, poorly defined business problems into tractable scientific formulations, distinguishing problems that require novel research from those addressable with existing techniques
• Extend the state of the art in operations research, optimization, machine learning, and stochastic/discrete-event simulation as the problem demands
• Author internal and external peer-reviewed publications where appropriate and not precluded by business considerations

Implement

• Lead the design, implementation, and delivery of production-grade models for complex, system-level problems, working from concept through deployment with engineering partners
• Develop code (Python, Java, C++, Julia, or similar) to build, validate, and productionize models at Amazon Code Bar quality where models ship to production
• Build models that are maintainable, extensible, accurate, and cost-effective, making principled trade-offs between scientific rigor and speed of execution
• Design and run experiments and simulations to validate assumptions, quantify benefits, and gate rollouts on solution quality

Influence

• Drive the scientific agenda for medium‑to‑large problem areas, proposing new initiatives and securing/
• Influence science and engineering strategy across multiple teams, building consensus and resolving contentious technical trade-offs
• Mentor and develop other scientists, raise the team's scientific bar, and participate actively in the hiring process
• Communicate complex scientific findings and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership

About the team

The Network Engineering, Scheduling, and Technology (NEST) Science Team prototypes, builds, and productionizes mathematical models that reduce transportation cost and improve customer experience in Amazon's Middle Mile network. Equipped with techniques from Operations Research, Machine Learning, and Simulation, these models govern scheduling and equipment selection of hundreds of thousands of truck movements, optimize network configurations, determine transit times between nodes, and simulate network flow under uncertainty for informed decision making. Our core team consists of Applied, Data, and Research Scientists along with technical Product Managers from diverse backgrounds.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3+ years of investigating the feasibility of applying scientific principles and concepts to business problems and products experience
• PhD, or Master's degree and 5+ years of quantitative field research experience
• Experience with big data technologies such as AWS, Hadoop, Spark, Pig, Hive etc.
• Experience communicating qualitative research methods and findings to non-qualitative researchers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience converting research studies into tangible real-world changes
• Experience with discrete and continuous optimization methodologies and algorithms

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