Amazon Fulfillment Technologies (AFT) Science seeks an exceptional Principal Applied Scientist to drive advanced scientific solutions for our FC’s Inbound Operations. The ideal candidate will possess advanced expertise in Operations Research, Machine Learning (ML), and Statistics, backed by a proven track record of implementing scalable business solutions. In this role, you will identify system improvement opportunities, lead the redesign of end-to-end stow operations by innovating Optimization and ML models, and develop scalable solutions that enhance business metrics and customer experience. You will partner with Technical, Operations, and Business leadership teams to drive significant improvements in associate and customer experiences as well as cost effectiveness. This position requires both technical excellence and strategic leadership to transform our Inbound operations, including inventory receiving and stowing processes. Success in this role demands strong analytical skills, and the ability to translate complex problems into practical solutions in ambiguous environments.
Key job responsibilities
As a Principal Applied Scientist, you will lead highly visible and large-scale technical initiatives that directly impact Amazon's Fulfillment operations, driving billions in annual revenue. You will design and develop Machine Learning (ML) and Optimization models using historical operations data, transform business requirements into innovative technical solutions, and build functional prototypes to implement new conceptual approaches. You will deploy solutions at scale while leading collaborations between scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders. In this role, you'll mentor team members and contribute to Amazon's scientific community, combining technical leadership with hands-on development to solve complex operational challenges within Amazon's global fulfillment network.
A day in the life
As a candidate, you must demonstrate proven analytical skills and cross-functional team experience. You will research, prototype, and analyze scientific solutions while developing automated solutions based on data-driven insights. You will strive for simplicity, demonstrate judgment backed by mathematical rigor, as you continually seek opportunities to innovate, build, and deliver. You should thrive in a fast-paced environment, adapt quickly to changing priorities, and collaborate effectively across teams. This role requires both technical expertise and entrepreneurial initiative.
About the team
AFT (Amazon Fulfillment Technology) Science Team creates science driven solutions to power the production systems running at Amazon's global Fulfillment Centers. Our solutions address critical operations such as labor planning, demand forecasting, inventory receive and stow execution, pick scheduling, and workflow control. We deliver solutions that run at frequencies from minutes to hours across Amazon's network. Our team combines Machine Learning, Statistics, Economics, and Operations Research to innovate solutions beyond the published state of the art. Our approach emphasizes data-driven decision making, rapid prototyping, and controlled experimentation. Each solution we build prioritizes network reliability and system scalability to serve Amazon's growing global operations.
