Join the Worldwide Sustainability (WWS) organization where we capitalize on our size, scale, and inventive culture to build a more resilient and sustainable company. WWS manages our social and environmental impacts globally, driving solutions that enable our customers, businesses, and the world around us to become more sustainable.
Sustainability Science and Innovation is a multi-disciplinary team within the WW Sustainability organization that combines science, analytics, economics, statistics, machine learning, product development, and engineering expertise to identify, evaluate and/or develop new science, technologies, and innovations that aim to address long-term sustainability challenges.
We are seeking an exceptional scientific leader to join Amazon’s Sustainability Science and Innovation team as the Head of Sustainable Materials Science & Digital Innovation. This role will tackle complex sustainability challenges in critical industrial sectors through science-driven innovation and strategic partnerships. Leading a team of research scientists and engineers, you will drive breakthrough solutions in materials and energy sciences that can scale across Amazon and beyond.
As the leader of our Sustainability Materials Innovation Lab, you will shape the scientific foundation for next-generation sustainable technologies. Your work will focus on developing early-stage, cost-effective solutions across major industrial sectors that are fundamental to Amazon's operations but present significant technical and economic challenges. You will be responsible for setting and executing the vision for a laboratory facility that leverages data science and AI to accelerate innovation. You will also collaborate closely with partner labs across our Sustainability Innovation Lab Network.
This role requires deep scientific expertise combined with strategic vision to navigate complex trade-offs between short-term gains and long-term impact. You will work closely with partner teams across Amazon to translate scientific innovation into practical solutions, while building and managing strategic partnerships with universities, industry scientists, and government laboratories. Your team's work will be instrumental in developing disruptive concepts and mechanisms that can drive significant environmental impact through science and innovation.
Key job responsibilities
- Lead and manage a team of scientists and engineers
- Drive innovation in key focus areas including packaging materials (paper and plastics), building materials (concrete and steel), and alternative fuels (renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen)
- Lead research and development of cross-cutting technologies for industrial decarbonization, including building the data foundation and analytics for new AI models.
- Develop and manage strategic partnerships with universities, industry scientists, and government labs
- Write and manage research proposals with external partners
- Launch and execute multi-year projects in collaboration with internal and external partners
- Work cross-functionally across different business units and stakeholders
- Provide technical leadership and strategic guidance on materials and energy innovation projects
About the team
Diverse Experiences:
World Wide Sustainability (WWS) 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.
Inclusive Team Culture:
It’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empower us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon (gender diversity) conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.
Mentorship & 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, mentorship 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.
