Applied Scientist II, Perception

Description

Amazon is on a mission to redefine the future of automation - and we're looking for exceptional talent to help lead the way. We are building the next generation of advanced robotic systems that seamlessly blend cutting-edge 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.

At Amazon, we leverage the power of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and advanced robotics to solve some of the most complex operational challenges at a scale unlike anywhere else in the world. Our fleet of robots spans hundreds of facilities globally, working in sophisticated coordination to deliver on our promise of customer excellence - and we're just getting started.

As a Applied Scientist in Robot Perception, you will be at the forefront of this transformation. You will develop and deploy state-of-the-art perception algorithms that enable robots to truly understand and interact with the physical world - bridging the gap between theoretical research and real-world impact. Bringing deep expertise in Computer Vision and a nuanced understanding of the capabilities and limitations of modern Vision-Language Models (VLMs), you will innovate boldly and push the boundaries of what's possible.

Our vision for the Perception layer is ambitious: to enable seamless, intelligent interaction between the user, the robot, and its environment.

This is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of deep learning, large language models, and robotics - contributing to research that doesn't just advance the field, but reshapes it. You will collaborate with world-class teams pioneering breakthroughs in dexterous manipulation, locomotion, and human-robot interaction, all at an unprecedented scale.

Join us in building intelligent robotic systems that will define the future of automation and human-robot collaboration.

Key job responsibilities

- 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 including robotics engineers, software engineers, and 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

A day in the life

- Train ML models for deployment in simulation and real-world robots, identify and document their limitations post-deployment

- Drive technical discussions within your team and with key stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to address identified limitations

- Actively contribute to brainstorming sessions on adjacent topics, bringing fresh perspectives that help peers grow and succeed - and in doing so, build lasting trust across the team

- Mentor team members while maintaining significant hands-on contribution to technical solutions

Basic Qualifications

- PhD in engineering, technology, computer science, machine learning, robotics, operations research, statistics, mathematics or equivalent quantitative field

- 2+ years of building machine learning models for business application experience

- Experience with Java, C++, or pother programming languages

- Experience with neural deep learning methods and machine learning

- Have publications at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences or journals

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with large scale distributed systems such as Hadoop, Spark etc.

- PhD in Robotics, with a focus on Robot Perception

- Experience leading research initiatives in full-stack robotics or foundation models

- Track record of successful production robotics deployments

- History of technical leadership and team mentorship

- Experience bridging research with practical engineering implementation in robotics systems

- Extensive programming skills in Python and PyTorch/JAX

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, 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…