Senior Applied Scientist , Amazon Ads

Amazon is hiring a Senior Applied Scientist , Amazon Ads in Seattle, United States. It pays $192k-$260k 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.
Pay on this posting starts 15% higher than the typical applied scientist posting on Level.
The posting mentions PyTorch, TensorFlow and scikit-learn among its tools and skills.
Level classes it as a senior role.
Amazon has 20,000+ other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

Builds large-scale machine learning, generative AI, and LLM solutions for Amazon Ads.

PyTorchTensorFlowscikit-learnPythonLLMs

computer-visionnlpmachine-learninggenerative-ai

Your Next Big Challenge Starts Here

You've spent years mastering machine learning. Now imagine applying that expertise where it actually reaches billions of people — every single day.

At Amazon Ads, we're not just running ads. We're re-inventing the entire advertising experience using generative AI, large language models, and next-generation ML. From the moment a brand crafts a campaign to the instant a customer discovers something they love — your science powers it all.

Billions of impressions. Millions of clicks. Petabytes of data. And you — at the center of it.
Why This Role Will Excite You

Unmatched scale and resources. You'll have access to computational power and datasets most scientists only dream about. Build solutions that don't just work in a notebook — they work at planet scale.

Breadth that keeps you sharp. One quarter you might be optimizing real-time bidding systems. The next, you're building creative AI that generates ad content. Ranking, personalization, NLP, computer vision, LLMs — it's all on the table.

Your ideas ship. This isn't a research lab where papers collect dust. You'll take models from concept to production, run A/B experiments, and see your work move metrics that matter — for advertisers, customers, and the business.

People who push you forward. You'll collaborate with world-class engineers, scientists, and product leaders who are just as passionate about solving hard problems as you are.

What You'll Actually Do

Research and build next-generation ML solutions — including generative AI and LLM applications — that transform how advertising works
Own end-to-end projects: from messy, ambiguous problems to deployed, production-grade models
Design experiments that validate your hypotheses and measure real business impact
Build models that balance what's best for customers and advertisers — because great advertising should feel helpful, not intrusive
Work cross-functionally with engineers, PMs, and fellow scientists to ship fast and iterate faster
Develop scalable ML pipelines that optimize monetization without sacrificing customer experience

Where This Takes Your Career

Whether you want to go deep as a technical IC or grow into people leadership — both paths are real here. You'll have opportunities to:

Lead high-visibility technical initiatives
Mentor and grow other scientists
Shape strategy alongside senior leadership
Build a reputation in a community that genuinely values scientific excellence

Your work won't just be seen internally — it'll impact millions of customers and advertisers worldwide.
Watch Scientists at Amazon Ads Talk About Their Work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvHsURsIPEA
Learn More About Amazon Ads

https://advertising.amazon.com/
Basic Qualifications

5+ years building ML models for real business applications
PhD, or Master's degree + 6 years of applied research experience
Strong programming skills in Python, Java, C++, or similar
Hands-on experience with deep learning and neural network methods

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with tools like scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Spark MLLib, MxNet, numpy, scipy
Experience with large-scale distributed systems (Hadoop, Spark, etc.)

Basic qualifications

- 3+ years of building machine learning models for business application experience
- PhD, or Master's degree and 6+ years of applied research experience
- Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
- Experience with neural deep learning methods and machine learning

Preferred qualifications

- Experience with modeling tools such as R, scikit-learn, Spark MLLib, MxNet, Tensorflow, numpy, scipy etc.
- Experience with large scale distributed systems such as Hadoop, Spark etc.

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 position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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, CA, Palo Alto - 192,200.00 - 260,000.00 USD annually
USA, CA, Santa Monica - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually
USA, CA, Sunnyvale - 192,200.00 - 260,000.00 USD annually
USA, MA, Boston - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually
USA, MD, Washington DC - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually
USA, NY, New York - 183,800.00 - 248,700.00 USD annually
USA, NY, New York City - 183,800.00 - 248,700.00 USD annually
USA, VA, Arlington - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Bellevue - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually
USA, WA, SEATTLE - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Senior Applied Scientist , Amazon Ads at Amazon rates 90 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

Senior Applied Scientist , Amazon Ads is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $192k-$260k a year.
The role is based in US, WA, Seattle.
The job was posted on July 30, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
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

Computer visionNLPMachine learningGenerative AIPyTorchTensorFlowscikit-learnPython

Also common in applied scientist jobs at this level

Reinforcement learning AWS Fine-tuning SQL AI agents RAG

Pay

This job starts at: $192k
Typical applied scientist job: $167k

This posting starts 15% above the typical applied scientist job. See applied scientist jobs

Questions you could be asked

Walk me through a computer vision problem you solved, from raw data to a deployed model.
What NLP problem have you worked on, and how did you measure whether it actually worked?
Tell me about a project where machine learning was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where generative ai was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used PyTorch in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Computer vision, NLP, Machine learning, Generative AI, and PyTorch. 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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