Advanced Materials Engineer, Global Materials Science

This job is with Amazon, an inclusive employer and a member of my Gwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

DESCRIPTION:

Join Amazon's Global Materials Science (GMS) organization as we pioneer the future of sustainable e-commerce packaging. As an Advanced Materials Engineer, you'll be at the forefront of materials innovation-developing breakthrough packaging materials that enable automation, reduce environmental impact, and deliver superior customer experiences at Amazon scale. This is a hands-on role where you'll conduct laboratory research, characterize materials properties, establish specifications, and work directly with suppliers to bring novel materials from concept to production across our global fulfillment network.

Key job responsibilities
Materials Development &

Innovation:
- Lead hands-on laboratory research and development of packaging materials including paper substrates, adhesives, coatings, and alternative fiber technologies.
- Design and execute experiments to optimize material formulations and processing parameters, applying the materials science triangle framework (processing-structure-properties).
- Develop next-generation materials solutions that unlock step-change improvements in performance, cost, sustainability, and automation compatibility.
- Advance materials innovations from concept, pilot and deployment phases.

Materials Characterization & Testing:
- Perform comprehensive materials characterization using techniques including tensile/burst/tear testing, rheometry, thermal analysis (DSC, TGA), spectroscopy (FTIR), microscopy (SEM, optical), and surface analysis while utilizing ASTM, TAPPI, ISO, ISTA standards and non-standard methodologies.
- Establish correlations between fundamental materials properties and operational performance in fulfillment environments
- Design and execute test plans that validate materials performance against specifications and requirements
- Analyze test data using statistical methods to drive data-driven materials selection decisions

Specifications & Quality:
- Define materials specifications based on critical performance thresholds required for packaging to protect products and survive the fulfillment network
- Translate operational requirements into measurable materials properties and acceptable ranges
- Develop quality control protocols and testing methodologies to ensure supplier compliance with specifications.

Supplier & Manufacturing Collaboration
- Work directly with paper mills, adhesive manufacturers, converters, and other suppliers to develop and scale new materials.
- Conduct technical evaluations of supplier capabilities, processes, and quality control systems
- Guide suppliers on process optimization to achieve target material properties and consistency.

Cross-Functional Partnership
- Collaborate with Packaging Engineering on materials-design integration and automation equipment compatibility.
- Partner with Global Procurement (GPO) on strategic sourcing, supplier selection, and commercial negotiations.
- Support sustainability initiatives including carbon footprint modeling, recyclability assessment, and low-carbon sourcing.
- Provide technical expertise to program managers, product teams, and deployment teams.
- Communicate complex materials science concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

Documentation & Knowledge Sharing:
- Author technical reports, test protocols, specifications documents, and research summaries.
- Document experimental procedures, results, and learnings to build institutional knowledge.
- Present findings at design reviews, technical workshops, and leadership reviews.
- Contribute to intellectual property generation through public disclosures and patent applications.
- Mentor junior engineers and technicians on materials science principles and testing methodologies.

A day in the life
You're pioneering the future of sustainable packaging-one experiment at a time.
Your morning starts hands-on in the lab, characterizing a breakthrough adhesive formulation that could enable a packaging materials change across our entire fulfillment network. The…