Sr. Applied Scientist, PXT Central Science

Amazon is hiring a Sr. Applied Scientist, PXT Central Science in San Francisco, United States. It pays $192k-$260k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Builds AI ●●●● is how Level rates this applied scientist role: the job is building AI systems.
Pay on this posting starts 15% higher than the typical applied scientist posting on Level.
The posting mentions TensorFlow, scikit-learn and Python 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

Design and deploy large-scale machine learning systems and generative AI applications to personalize onboarding and development experiences.

TensorFlowscikit-learnPythonJavaCPyTorchSpark

nlp

We are seeking a Senior Applied Scientist to build production machine learning systems that solve complex business problems at scale. You will design, develop, and deploy ML solutions that directly impact millions of users and drive strategic decision-making across the organization.

In this role, you will work on challenging problems spanning predictive modeling, natural language processing, recommendation systems, and generative AI applications. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate ambiguous business challenges into rigorous technical solutions.

Key job responsibilities
- Design and deploy large-scale machine learning systems in production environments
- Develop innovative ML solutions using state-of-the-art techniques including deep learning, NLP, and generative AI
- Create ML solutions that personalize manager onboarding and development experiences — identifying individual capability gaps, recommending tailored learning pathways, and measuring development effectiveness across diverse manager populations and contexts
- Partner to build causal inference models and experimental frameworks to measure impact
- Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and business leaders to define technical roadmaps
- Communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, from technical peers to senior leadership

About the team
The People eXperience and Technology Central Science Team (PXTCS) uses economics, behavioral science, statistics, and machine learning to proactively identify mechanisms and process improvements which simultaneously improve Amazon and the lives, wellbeing, and the value of work to Amazonians. We are an interdisciplinary team that combines the talents of science and engineering to develop and deliver solutions that measurably achieve this goal.

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.
- Experience in driving end to end delivery, and communicating results to senior leadership
- 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 with building LLMs, generative AI applications on AWS
- Experience with personalization, recommendation systems, or adaptive learning systems

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.

Pursuant to the San Francisco 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, San Francisco - 192,200.00 - 260,000.00 USD annually
USA, MA, Boston - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 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

Sr. Applied Scientist, PXT Central Science 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

Sr. Applied Scientist, PXT Central Science 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, CA, San Francisco.
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

NLPTensorFlowscikit-learnPythonJavaCPyTorchSpark

Also common in applied scientist jobs at this level

Reinforcement learning Computer vision PyTorch Fine-tuning AI agents SQL

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

What NLP problem have you worked on, and how did you measure whether it actually worked?
Walk me through how you've used TensorFlow in your day-to-day work.
What are the limits of scikit-learn that you've run into, and how did you work around them?
What's a project where you used Python hands-on?
Walk me through how you've used Java in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: NLP, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Python, and Java. 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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