Applied Scientist, Navigation

Job :  |  Services LLC

Amazon is on a mission to redefine the future of automation. We are building the next generation of advanced robotic systems that seamlessly blend AI, sophisticated control systems, and novel mechanical design to create adaptable, intelligent automation solutions capable of operating safely alongside humans in dynamic, real‑world environments.

As a Scientist in Robot Navigation, you will architect and deliver navigation systems that are intelligent, safe, and scalable. You will bring deep expertise in learning‑based planning and control, foundation models, and control‑theoretic approaches such as model predictive control (MPC). Your work will blend data‑driven intelligence with principled control‑theoretic guarantees.

• Design, develop, and deploy perception algorithms for robotics systems, including object detection, segmentation, tracking, depth estimation, and scene understanding.
• Lead research initiatives in computer vision, sensor fusion, and 3D perception.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (robotics engineers, software engineers, product managers) to define and deliver perception capabilities.
• Drive end‑to‑end ownership of ML models—from data collection and labeling strategy to training, evaluation, and deployment.
• Mentor junior scientists and engineers; contribute to a culture of technical excellence.
• Define and track key metrics to measure perception system performance in real‑world environments.
• Publish research findings in top‑tier venues (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ICRA, NeurIPS, etc.) and contribute to patents.

• Train ML models for deployment in simulation and on real‑world robots, and identify & document post‑deployment limitations.
• Drive technical discussions within your team and with stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to identified limitations.
• Actively contribute to brainstorming sessions on adjacent topics, bringing fresh perspectives that help peers grow and succeed.
• Mentor team members while maintaining significant hands‑on contribution to technical solutions.

Our team is a diverse group of scientists and engineers passionate about building intelligent machines. We value curiosity, rigor, and a bias for action, learning from failure and iterating quickly toward solutions that matter.

• Experience programming in Java, C++, Python, or related language.
• PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Controls, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in robot navigation, motion planning, or autonomous systems.
• Deep expertise in learning‑based approaches to navigation (e.g., imitation learning, reinforcement learning, neural motion planning, diffusion‑based policies).
• Strong experience with Model Predictive Control (MPC) and optimization‑based planning (PyTorch, JAX, or equivalent).
• Proven track record of translating research into deployed systems.

• Experience applying foundation models or large pre‑trained models to robotics tasks (navigation, manipulation, or embodied AI).
• Familiarity with world models, visual navigation, or vision‑language action models.
• Experience with sim‑to‑real transfer and high‑fidelity simulation environments (Isaac Sim, Mu Jo Co , Gazebo).
• Knowledge of SLAM, localization, and mapping systems.
• Experience with ROS/ROS2 and real‑time robotics middleware.
• Hands‑on experience deploying navigation systems on physical robots in dynamic, real‑world environments.
• Experience with safety‑critical systems and formal verification of learned controllers.
• Familiarity with multi‑agent coordination and fleet‑level navigation.

Location:

San Francisco, CA – $ – $ USD annually;
Reading, MA – $ – $ USD annually.

The base salary range is listed below. Your package will include sign‑on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental, vision, prescription coverage, Basic Life & AD&D insurance, supplemental life plans, EAP, mental health support, Medical Advice Line,…