Principal Applied Scientist, Amazon Braket

Amazon is hiring a Principal Applied Scientist, Amazon Braket in New York, United States. It pays $219k-$296k 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.
The listed pay starts 31% above the typical applied scientist posting on Level.
Tools and skills the posting cites include Amazon Braket, quantum computing and applied science.
Level classifies it as a lead role.
Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Lead applied science and engineering for quantum compilation toolchains in Amazon Braket.

Amazon Braket

quantum-computingapplied-sciencecompiler-designresearch

Excited by the disruptive potential of quantum technology? Want to innovate on behalf of our customers to build quantum computing tools for the cloud? Thrilled to be key part of Amazon, who has been investing in disruptive innovation for decades, pioneering and shaping the world’s technology?

Amazon Braket is looking for Applied Scientists in quantum computing to join an exceptional team of researchers and engineers. Quantum computing is rapidly emerging from the realms of science-fiction, and our customers can the see the potential it has to address their challenges. One of our missions at AWS is to give customers access to the most innovative technology available and help them continuously reinvent their business. Quantum computing is a technology that holds promise to be transformational in many industries, and with Amazon Braket we are adding quantum computing resources to the toolkits of every researcher and developer.

As the technical lead for fault-tolerant quantum compilation, you'll own the full stack that transforms high-level quantum programs into optimized instructions that run on real hardware. You will play a key role in shaping the development roadmap of the service, and evangelizing new features and capabilities. Most importantly, you will work closely with our quantum computing research teams, as well as industry and academic partners. Our team collaborates across the entire AWS organization to get drive innovation and deliver the right solutions to our customers.

A successful candidate will be a person who enjoys diving deep into customer problems, conducting independent research and development, working across teams with academic and industry experts, shaping the long-term QC strategy for AWS, and deliver the tools and systems that make useful quantum computing a reality for our customers. It will be a person who likes to have fun, loves to learn, and wants to innovate in the world of QC.

Key job responsibilities
- Own the technical vision and roadmap for the quantum compilation toolchain
- Lead and grow a team of applied scientists and software engineers; set the bar for scientific rigor and engineering quality
- Design compilation passes that minimize resource overhead for fault-tolerant quantum architectures
- Collaborate with hardware, algorithms, and applications teams to co-design the compiler around real device constraints and customer workloads
- Publish research and open-source contributions that advance the state of the art and attract world-class talent

About the team
Amazon Braket is the quantum computing service by AWS. We give researchers, developer, and enterprises access to quantum hardware and the tools to build on it. Our goal is to make quantum computing a core part of the AWS accelerated compute portfolio.

The compilation team sits at the center of Braket's technical stack — bridging the gap between what customers write and what future fault-tolerant hardware executes. You'll work alongside hardware teams, scientists designing error correction protocols, and engineers building the service that bring these capabilities to our customers.

Basic qualifications

- 5+ years of relevant work in industry or academia experience
- Experience with leading experienced scientists as well as having a record of developing junior members from academia or industry to a career track in a business environment
- Experience in more than one major programming language (C++, Java, or related) and at least one scripting language (Perl, Python, or equivalent)
- Have peer-reviewed scientific contributions in premier journals and conferences
- PhD in Quantum Computing, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related technical field

Preferred qualifications

- 10+ years of relevant work in industry or academia experience
- Knowledge of problem solving, algorithm design and complexity analysis
- Experience applying theoretical models in an applied environment
- Experience communicating with users, other technical teams, and management to collect requirements, describe software product features, and technical designs

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, NY, New York - 218,800.00 - 295,900.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Seattle - 198,900.00 - 269,000.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Principal Applied Scientist, Amazon Braket at Amazon rates 85 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

Principal Applied Scientist, Amazon Braket is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $219k-$296k a year.
The role is based in US, NY, New York.
The job was posted on June 16, 2026.
Seniority: lead.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Quantum ComputingApplied ScienceCompiler DesignResearchAmazon Braket

Also common in applied scientist jobs at this level

Machine learning Deep learning LLM Generative AI NLP Reinforcement learning

Pay

This job starts at: $219k
Typical applied scientist job: $167k

This posting starts 31% above the typical applied scientist job. See applied scientist jobs

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where quantum computing was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where applied science was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where compiler design was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where research was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used Amazon Braket in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Quantum Computing, Applied Science, Compiler Design, Research, and Amazon Braket. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.

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