Applied Scientist, Amazon Cryptographic Libraries

Amazon is hiring an Applied Scientist, Amazon Cryptographic Libraries in Seattle, United States. It pays $143k-$193k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this applied scientist role is Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
Level classes it as a mid-level role.
Amazon has 20,000+ other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

The Amazon Cryptographic Libraries (ACL) team builds the cryptography that AWS services and a growing open-source community depend on, including AWS-LC, our FIPS-validated open-source libcrypto. As an Applied Scientist on the team, your primary focus will be formal verification: building machine-checked proofs that cryptographic implementations are correct. You will also contribute to algorithm implementation, assembly level optimization, and the adoption of post-quantum cryptography. You will work alongside senior scientists on the team, building deep expertise in an environment where your proofs and code ship to effectively every AWS service. This is a role where an early-career scientist gets both rigorous mentorship and immediate production-scale impact.

Key job responsibilities
- Develop and maintain machine-checked proofs of correctness for cryptographic implementations in AWS-LC, working alongside senior scientists. This is the core of the role.
- Specify the functional behavior of low-level cryptographic code (C, assembly) in formal notation and verify it using interactive theorem provers (HOL Light, Isabelle/HOL, or similar).
- Apply formal methods, program analysis, and rigorous testing to raise the assurance bar of a security-critical, widely deployed codebase.
- Contribute to the implementation and optimization of cryptographic algorithms, including post-quantum constructions (ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA), for production use.
- Collaborate with SDEs, security engineers, and partner teams to translate verified implementations into production-grade, FIPS-validated software.
- Grow your expertise through publications, open-source contributions, and engagement with the broader formal-methods and cryptographic research communities.

A day in the life
You take a cryptographic primitive that needs to be provably correct. Working with a senior scientist or an ARG partner, you write the formal specification of its behavior, develop the proof in an interactive theorem prover, and iterate until the machine checks it end to end. Some days you are debugging a proof obligation that does not discharge; other days you are reading a paper on a new verification technique or helping refine an algorithm implementation so it is both fast and amenable to proof. Your proofs back code that is validated for FIPS and deployed across AWS, so you operate at an assurance bar most scientists never encounter this early in their career.

About the team
ACL owns AWS-LC (Amazon's FIPS-validated libcrypto), the Amazon Corretto Crypto Provider (ACCP), and managed third-party cryptographic libraries, the cryptographic foundation under nearly every AWS service and a growing set of external open-source projects. Applied Scientists on the team own algorithm-level and assembly performance work and partner deeply with Amazon's Automated Reasoning Group on formal verification. The team has senior scientists at L6 and L7 who actively mentor and collaborate, so an early-career scientist gets both research depth and production-scale reach from day one.

Basic qualifications

- 3+ years of building models for business application experience
- PhD, or Master's degree and 4+ years of CS, CE, ML or related field experience
- Experience in patents or publications at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences or journals
- Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
- Experience in any of the following areas: algorithms and data structures, parsing, numerical optimization, data mining, parallel and distributed computing, high-performance computing
- Coursework or research experience in one or more of: formal verification, interactive theorem proving, deductive verification, program analysis, cryptography or mathematical logic

Preferred qualifications

- Hands-on experience with an interactive theorem prover (HOL Light, Isabelle/HOL, Lean, Coq, or Verus)
- Experience specifying or verifying low-level software (machine code, C, or assembly)
- Familiarity with cryptographic primitives and their implementations
- Low-level or systems programming experience in C, Rust, or assembly
- Familiarity with post-quantum cryptography (lattice-based, code-based, or hash-based schemes)

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

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon 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 (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Seattle - 142,800.00 - 193,200.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Applied Scientist, Amazon Cryptographic Libraries at Amazon rates 81 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Applied Scientist, Amazon Cryptographic Libraries is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $143k-$193k a year.
The role is based in US, WA, Seattle.
The job was posted on July 16, 2026.
Seniority: mid.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon

Prepare for this job

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Pay

This job starts at: $143k
Typical applied scientist job: $172k

This posting starts 17% below the typical applied scientist job. See applied scientist jobs

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