Senior Principal Applied Scientist, Alexa AI
Apply NowCompany: Amazon
Location: Bellevue, WA 98006
Description:
Alexa+ is the groundbreaking cloud-based intelligent agent that powers Echo and other devices designed around your voice. Our mission is to push the envelope in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Multi-Modal Image/Video Understanding/Generation, Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Personalization, Agents, Dialog Management, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Text -to-Speech, in order to provide the best-possible experience for our customers. We're looking for a Sr. Principal Applied Scientist to help build industry-leading conversational systems and Generative AI technologies that customers love. You will partner with world-class technical leaders, engineers, scientists and data analysts across the organization, who have expertise in a wide range of disciplines.
Key job responsibilities
As a Sr. Principal Applied Scientist within the Alexa AI team, you will be responsible for driving Alexa-wide system architecture and design, science and algorithmic approaches, experimentation, metrics and evaluations. You will Serve as a technical lead on demanding and cross-team projects and partner with multiple engineering, science, program management teams build and deploy of scalable Multi-modal (speech/audio/text/image/video) understanding & generation and personalization services, models, data pipelines, metrics, tools and platform targeting first- and third-party developers. The effort will push the boundaries of machine intelligence combining cutting-edge AI techniques to make building and management of conversational and multi-modal scenarios substantially simpler. If you're as passionate as we are about making Alexa and Echo increasingly awesome for our customers all around the world, we'd love to chat with you! We're seeking highly talented, driven and motivated technical leaders with big ideas, who are also obsessed with finding new, intuitive, and engaging ways to interact with our customers.
You must have an established background in combining cutting-edge science with practical needs of customer facing solutions and product. You must have strong technical skills, great communication skills, ability to mentor and lead junior scientists, influence engineering teams to incorporate science approaches into design and solutions and a motivation to achieve results in a fast-paced environment. You are a strong leader who can prioritize well, communicate clearly and compellingly and who understands how to drive a high level of focus and excellence within a team.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
\tBachelor's degree and/or Master's degree and/or PhD in Computer Science or equivalent.
\t10+ of experience in state-of-the-art machine learning and statistical modeling techniques.
\tDeep knowledge of the LLMs (audio/text/image/vision), ML techniques and algorithms development.
\t10+ years of algorithmic development, model training/testing, and software engineering experience, including, Python, Java and/or C++.
\t10+ years of experience leading large-scale projects.
\tExperience in building high-performance, highly-available and scalable distributed systems.
\t3+ years of hands-on experience as a Principal-level Scientist or Engineer.
\tExperience building customer and developer facing products and services
\tKnowledge and experience with web-scale services, distributed systems and online learning systems.
\tExcellent written and verbal technical communication with an ability to present complex technical information in a clear and concise manner to a variety of audiences
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
\tExperience in building complex, real-time software systems involving AI, ML, NLU, and dialog algorithms that have been successfully delivered to customers
\tExperience with fine-tuning, evaluating, and deploying large-scale LLMs (e.g., GPT, Llama, Claude, etc.) in production environments.
\tExperience with large scale personalization and recommendation systems.
\tStrong project management experience desired for working on cross-functional projects
\tDemonstrated track record of project delivery for large, cross-functional projects with evolving requirements
\tLead, mentor, and grow a team of applied scientists and engineers focused on Generative AI, LLMs, and related technologies.
\tCollaborate with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to define and prioritize AI initiatives aligned with company goals.
\tGuide the design and architecture of scalable AI-powered systems for large online platforms.
\tStay at the forefront of AI research, evaluate emerging technologies, and incorporate cutting-edge advancements to maintain a competitive edge.
\tFoster a culture of innovation, scientific rigor, and collaboration across teams.
\tEnsure responsible AI practices, including ethical considerations, fairness, and transparency, are embedded in all stages of development.
\tPh.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
\tStrong expertise in Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), deep learning frameworks, and NLP techniques.
\tProven track record of delivering AI/ML products at scale in large online systems (e.g., e-commerce, social platforms, cloud services, or similar).
\tDeep understanding of system design, distributed systems, cloud platforms, and data pipelines.
\tStrong leadership and mentoring skills with a passion for developing talent.
\tExcellent communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.
\tAbility to work in a fast-paced environment with minimal process and maximum productivity
\tMost of all: enthusiasm, creativity, and inventiveness! You will be asked to find new ways to solve challenging problems every day
Amazon is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, 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.
Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $240,100/year in our lowest geographic market up to $350,000/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, equity, sign-on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. For more information, please visit https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits. This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.
Key job responsibilities
As a Sr. Principal Applied Scientist within the Alexa AI team, you will be responsible for driving Alexa-wide system architecture and design, science and algorithmic approaches, experimentation, metrics and evaluations. You will Serve as a technical lead on demanding and cross-team projects and partner with multiple engineering, science, program management teams build and deploy of scalable Multi-modal (speech/audio/text/image/video) understanding & generation and personalization services, models, data pipelines, metrics, tools and platform targeting first- and third-party developers. The effort will push the boundaries of machine intelligence combining cutting-edge AI techniques to make building and management of conversational and multi-modal scenarios substantially simpler. If you're as passionate as we are about making Alexa and Echo increasingly awesome for our customers all around the world, we'd love to chat with you! We're seeking highly talented, driven and motivated technical leaders with big ideas, who are also obsessed with finding new, intuitive, and engaging ways to interact with our customers.
You must have an established background in combining cutting-edge science with practical needs of customer facing solutions and product. You must have strong technical skills, great communication skills, ability to mentor and lead junior scientists, influence engineering teams to incorporate science approaches into design and solutions and a motivation to achieve results in a fast-paced environment. You are a strong leader who can prioritize well, communicate clearly and compellingly and who understands how to drive a high level of focus and excellence within a team.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
\tBachelor's degree and/or Master's degree and/or PhD in Computer Science or equivalent.
\t10+ of experience in state-of-the-art machine learning and statistical modeling techniques.
\tDeep knowledge of the LLMs (audio/text/image/vision), ML techniques and algorithms development.
\t10+ years of algorithmic development, model training/testing, and software engineering experience, including, Python, Java and/or C++.
\t10+ years of experience leading large-scale projects.
\tExperience in building high-performance, highly-available and scalable distributed systems.
\t3+ years of hands-on experience as a Principal-level Scientist or Engineer.
\tExperience building customer and developer facing products and services
\tKnowledge and experience with web-scale services, distributed systems and online learning systems.
\tExcellent written and verbal technical communication with an ability to present complex technical information in a clear and concise manner to a variety of audiences
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
\tExperience in building complex, real-time software systems involving AI, ML, NLU, and dialog algorithms that have been successfully delivered to customers
\tExperience with fine-tuning, evaluating, and deploying large-scale LLMs (e.g., GPT, Llama, Claude, etc.) in production environments.
\tExperience with large scale personalization and recommendation systems.
\tStrong project management experience desired for working on cross-functional projects
\tDemonstrated track record of project delivery for large, cross-functional projects with evolving requirements
\tLead, mentor, and grow a team of applied scientists and engineers focused on Generative AI, LLMs, and related technologies.
\tCollaborate with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to define and prioritize AI initiatives aligned with company goals.
\tGuide the design and architecture of scalable AI-powered systems for large online platforms.
\tStay at the forefront of AI research, evaluate emerging technologies, and incorporate cutting-edge advancements to maintain a competitive edge.
\tFoster a culture of innovation, scientific rigor, and collaboration across teams.
\tEnsure responsible AI practices, including ethical considerations, fairness, and transparency, are embedded in all stages of development.
\tPh.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
\tStrong expertise in Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), deep learning frameworks, and NLP techniques.
\tProven track record of delivering AI/ML products at scale in large online systems (e.g., e-commerce, social platforms, cloud services, or similar).
\tDeep understanding of system design, distributed systems, cloud platforms, and data pipelines.
\tStrong leadership and mentoring skills with a passion for developing talent.
\tExcellent communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.
\tAbility to work in a fast-paced environment with minimal process and maximum productivity
\tMost of all: enthusiasm, creativity, and inventiveness! You will be asked to find new ways to solve challenging problems every day
Amazon is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, 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.
Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $240,100/year in our lowest geographic market up to $350,000/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, equity, sign-on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. For more information, please visit https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits. This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.