What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Applied Scientist, Hardware Silicon and Systems Group position at Amazon?
DESCRIPTION
Our team leads the development and optimization of on-device ML models for Amazon's hardware products, including audio, vision, and multi-modal AI features. We work at the critical intersection of ML innovation and silicon design, ensuring AI capabilities can run efficiently on resource-constrained devices.
Currently, we enable production ML models across multiple device families, including Echo, Ring/Blink, FiveTV, Fire Tablets, and Kindle. Our systems process billions of inferences daily, handling tasks from voice recognition to computer vision, all while meeting strict latency and power requirements.
Our work directly impacts Amazon's competitive position in the consumer AI device market. The solutions we develop determine which AI features can be offered on-device versus requiring cloud connectivity, ultimately shaping product capabilities and customer experience across Amazon's entire hardware portfolio.
This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI in consumer devices at unprecedented scale. You'll be at the forefront of developing industry-first model architectures and compression techniques that will power AI features across millions of Amazon devices worldwide. Your innovations will directly enable new AI features that enhance how customers interact with Amazon products every day. Come join our team!
Key job responsibilities
As a Principal Applied Scientist, you will:
• Own the technical architecture and optimization strategy for ML models deployed across Amazon's device ecosystem, from existing to yet-to-be-shipped products.
• Develop novel model architectures optimized for our custom silicon, establishing new methodologies for model compression and quantization.
• Create an evaluation framework for model efficiency and implement multimodal optimization techniques that work across vision, language, and audio tasks.
• Define technical standards for model deployment and drive research initiatives in model efficiency to guide future silicon designs.
• Spend the majority of your time doing deep technical work - developing novel ML architectures, writing critical optimization code, and creating proof-of-concept implementations that demonstrate breakthrough efficiency gains.
• Influence architecture decisions impacting future silicon generations, establish standards for model optimization, and mentor others in advanced ML techniques.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
This role requires a blend of expertise at the intersection of ML and hardware optimization. You must be an expert in model training, with deep knowledge of cutting-edge architectures for vision, language, and multimodal tasks. Crucially, you need to be a specialist in hardware-aware quantization, with hands-on experience in model compression techniques like pruning and distillation. A strong background in computer architecture and familiarity with ML accelerator designs is essential, as is expertise in efficient inference algorithms and low-precision arithmetic.
Basic Qualifications:
• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field
• 8 years experience in machine learning, with a focus on model architecture design, optimization, and deployment
• Expertise in developing and deploying deep learning models for real-world applications, including vision, language, and multimodal tasks
• Strong background in computer architecture, hardware acceleration, and efficient inference algorithms
• Hands-on experience with model compression techniques such as pruning, quantization, and distillation
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or ONNX
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field
• 10 years experience in machine learning, with a track record of developing novel model architectures and optimization techniques
• Proven expertise in co-designing ML models and hardware accelerators for efficient on-device inference
• In-depth understanding of the latest advancements in model compression, including techniques like knowledge distillation, network slimming, and hardware-aware quantization
• Experience working on resource-constrained embedded systems and deploying ML models on edge devices
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical strategy and mentor cross-functional teams
• Strong communication skills and the ability to effectively present complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
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.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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 $179,000/year in our lowest geographic market up to $309,400/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.
Salary : $179,000 - $309,400
