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Terms and conditions: Amazon Physical Science Fellowship Competition

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Official Rules

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

PLEASE READ THESE OFFICIAL RULES CAREFULLY. BY ACCESSING OR PARTICIPATING IN THE COMPETITION, YOU (“Participant”, “you” “your”) AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE OFFICIAL RULES AND ALL TERMS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES, YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE COMPETITION.

ELIGIBILITY: The Amazon Physical Science Fellowship Competition (“Competition”) is open for participation by invitation only to natural persons who are legal residents of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada (excluding Quebec), Switzerland, China, Czech, The Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry or the age of majority in such person’s jurisdiction of residence, whichever is greater, who (i) hold a PhD in Physics or a related discipline, (ii) have a current, or confirmed pending, professorial affiliation with an academic institution with a high-ranking Physics Departments at universities in the referenced jurisdictions (provided that the total duration of such affiliation is not greater than 10 years), and (iii) are invited to participate. Amazon.com Services, LLC (“Sponsor”) and its parent, subsidiary and affiliate companies, employees, agents and suppliers, and the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such person are not eligible to participate, enter, or win any grant. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a participant, the individual whom Sponsor invited to participate and whose name is identified in the participating QMarkets account (described below) will be deemed to be the Participant. Potential winners are subject to verification before any grant will be awarded. By participating in the Competition, Participants fully and unconditionally agree and accept these official rules (“Official Rules”) and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Competition. Winning a grant is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. VOID WHEREVER PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

COMPETITION PERIOD:

This Competition will follow the approximate schedule outlined below, subject to adjustment as reasonably necessary:

Registration and Initial Submission Phase: May 29, 2022 to June 18, 2022

Debiasing Phase: June 26, 2022 to July 2, 2022

Curation Phase: July 3, 2022 to July 23, 2022

Judging Phase: July 24, 2022 to September 3, 2022

Interview Phase: September 4, 2022 to September 17, 2022 (Subject to change pending availability of the members of the Review Board)

HOW TO ENTER: The Competition will consist of several phases discussed below.

Pre-Competition Phase: Sponsor will send out invitations to participate in the Competition (“Invitation Email” or collectively, “Invitation Emails”). Creation of an account and use of the QMarkets platform is free of charge for Participants.

Registration and Initial Submission Phase: After potential Participants have received the Invitation Email, they must follow the link to register on Qmarkets and complete a profile by answering all of the questions in the registration form.

Participants must submit three answers to the following question – What scientific results since the year 2000 have had the most profound impact on what you think is possible? Participants must provide the following for each submission (each such submission and collectively, an “Initial Submission”):

  1. Title of Submission briefly stating the applicable scientific result;
  2. Category (Participant will select from provided options);
  3. Paragraph description of the scientific results understandable by an undergraduate in a technical field (limited to 2500 characters);
  4. Concept (Participant will be able to select multiple responses from provided options);
  5. URL or DOI to at least one but up to three publications on the applicable scientific result;
  6. Earliest date of the applicable scientific result; and
  7. Optional, the names of up to two principal investigators associated with the applicable scientific result.

Participants who submit at least three (3) Initial Submissions by June 18, 2022 will advance to the next stages of the Competition. Only the first three (3) Initial Submissions submitted by Participant will be eligible for judging during any of the subsequent phases. The Sponsor may combine Initial Submissions covering the similar subject matter and each Participant will receive full credit for the Initial Submission.

Debiasing Phase: Participant must vote on which scientific results described in the Initial Submission(s) made available during this phase to Participant has had a more profound impact/or has changed what you think is possible.

Curation Phase: Participant must submit commentaries (each a “Commentary” collectively “Commentaries”) on ten (10) of the Initial Submissions compiled by Sponsor and made available during this phase to Participants. Each Commentary must comply with the Materials Guidelines (defined below).

Participants who submit at least ten (10) Commentaries by July 23, 2022 will advance to the next stages of the Competition. The first ten (10) Commentary provided by a Participant will be considered their portfolio for judging purposes (“Commentary Portfolio”).

Judging Phase: Sponsor will begin the Judging Process which is broken down into two (2) stages:

  • Triage Stage: A panel of judges comprised of Sponsor’s personnel will review the Initial Submissions and Commentary Portfolios and will judge them by giving a score from 1-10 in each of the following categories:
    • Initial Submissions are clearly written and understandable at the general technical undergraduate level.
    • Initial Submissions efficiently and effectively describe a scientific result since the year 2000.
    • Initial Submissions are clearly unique and independent from Initial Submissions submitted by other Participants.
    • Initial Submissions are innovative and insightful with the potential to change the world.
    • Commentary Portfolio is clearly written and understandable at the general technical undergraduate level.
    • Commentary Portfolio efficiently and effectively describes the importance of the corresponding results.
    • Commentary Portfolio covers results from multiple different scientific disciplines
    • Commentary Portfolio covers results that are innovative and insightful with the potential to change the world.
    • Commentary Portfolio adds unique insight or perspectives that were not included in the results to which the Commentaries correspond.

Participants will also receive points for each time one of the scientific results identified in their Initial Submissions received a vote in the Debiasing Phase based upon the following equation: [(10) x (# of Votes for that Initial Submission)] / (Highest # of Votes given to any Initial Submission).

The ten (10) Commentary Portfolios with the highest scores will advance to next stage of the Judging Phase unless there are ties in which case up to fifteen (15) Commentary Portfolios with the highest scores will advance to next stage of the Judging Phase.

In case there are ties:

  1. If the ties lead to fewer than or equal to 15 Commentary Portfolios achieving qualifying scores all 15, or fewer as applicable, respective Participants will advance to the following stage.
  2. The Commentary Portfolios with the higher score in the category “Commentary Portfolios cover results that are innovative and insightful with the potential to change the world” will be deemed the higher scoring Commentary Portfolios among the tied Commentary Portfolios scores
  3. In case there are ties leading to more than 15 Commentary Portfolios achieving qualifying scores after 2., the remaining tied Commentary Portfolio(s) with the higher score in the category “Commentary Portfolios efficiently and effectively describe the importance of the corresponding results” will be deemed the higher scoring Commentary Portfolios among the tied Commentary Portfolios scores.
  4. In case there are ties leading to more than 15 Commentary Portfolios achieving qualifying scores after 3., Sponsor will select and apply successive skill-based judging criteria from the above list to the remaining tied Commentary Portfolios to determine the higher scoring Commentary Portfolios among the tied Commentary Portfolios until there are 15 or fewer Commentary Portfolios remaining. The 10-15 Commentary Portfolio(s) selected in this stage are referred to as the “Shortlist Portfolio.”
  • Shortlist Stage: A Review Board of up to ten (10) Sponsor designated individuals will each evaluate the Shortlist Portfolios. Review Board members will give each Shortlist Portfolio a score from 1-10 on each of the following criteria:
    • Initial Submissions are innovative and insightful with the potential to change the world
    • Commentary Portfolio covers results that are innovative and insightful with the potential to change the world
    • Commentary Portfolio adds unique insight or perspectives that were not included in the results to which the Commentary Portfolio corresponds
    • Commentary Portfolio offers evidence that the Participant can conceive of novel applications and disruptive technologies
    • Commentary Portfolio offers evidence that the Participant can perceive broad significance of specific results in applied research
    • Commentary Portfolio offers evidence that the curator can think practically and ambitiously-realistically in both an engineering and business sense
    • Commentary Portfolio is clear, informative, and succinct
    • Commentary Portfolio offers evidence that the Participant appears to have command over a broad technical area, as opposed to a very specialized field of expertise
    • Commentary Portfolio offers evidence that the Participant is aware of emerging technologies and some history of physical sciences-based innovation

In case of any ties in the Shortlist Stage, Sponsor will apply the same tie-breaker criteria identified in the Triage Stage to the tied Shortlist Portfolios except that only five (5) Shortlist Portfolios will be selected. The Participants with the five (5) top scoring Shortlist Portfolios will advance to the next phase (“Finalists”).

Interview Phase: The Finalists will complete a technical interview (the “Technical Interview”) with members of the Review Board. The Finalists who receive the highest scores from the Technical Interviews will be the potential winners of the Competition, subject to verification.

Each Technical Interview will include members of the Review Board where Finalists will be asked substantive questions about their Commentary Portfolio, their area of study, and general knowledge in the Physics field. Review Board members will evaluate Finalists by providing a score from 1-10 in the following categories:

  • Number of publications and frequency of science conference attendance.
  • Technical command of a relatively broad field.
  • Familiarity with (i) applications of physical sciences to the development of technologies and services, (ii) practical impacts of their technical field and (iii) potential applications that are the primary drivers of current research.
  • Research and other evidence demonstrate an aptitude for finding surprising solutions to tough problems and/or asking important questions.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly regarding the significance of technical ideas with a non-expert audience; able to adapt the register of their writing/speech for audiences of varying technical expertise.
  • Ability to connect basic scientific results with significant contribution to practical methods and technologies
  • Earnestly enthusiastic for the Fellow's role and ability of finding ways to turn scientific results into technologies with the ability to improve the world

In case there are ties:

  1. Finalist with the higher score in the preceding fourth bullet point category above will be deemed the higher scoring Finalist between or among the tied Finalists.
  2. The remaining tied Finalist (if any) with the higher score in the preceding third bullet point category above will be deemed the higher scoring Finalist between or among the tied Finalists.

WINNER DETERMINATION AND NOTIFICATION: On or about September 25, 2022, potential winners (the “Winners”) will be informed via email that they have been selected pending verification of their qualifications, to be completed no later than October 30, 2022.

Winners must complete the following documents: affidavit of eligibility, tax documentation, and, except where prohibited, a release of liability and a publicity release (collectively, “Winner Documentation”) to receive the Grant (or direct a charity donation if applicable).

GRANT: Up to three (3) Winners will receive Fifty Thousand US Dollars (US$50,000.00) per year for three (3) years ($150,000.00 total for each Winner). Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of each Grant: $150,000.00.

Grants may be subject to United States or other jurisdictions’ withholding taxes and/or to taxation in your country of residence. Any valuation of the Grant stated above is based on available information provided to Sponsor and the value of any Grant awarded to a Winner will be reported for tax purposes as required by law. Each winner must provide Sponsor with a valid taxpayer identification number or social security number (as applicable) before any grant will be awarded. Grants may be subject to 25% (or a different amount) federal tax withholding and additional applicable state withholdings depending on winner’s place of residence. Outside of the US, the Winner may be subject to a tax on the value of any grant awarded. The Winners are solely responsible for reporting and paying any and all applicable taxes. The Winners understand and agree that the winners may be responsible for taxes exceeding the amounts listed above, for reasons such as, without limitation, winner’s tax bracket. Winner should consult an accountant or tax professional to determine tax implications in accepting and using any Grant.

Grants may not be transferred, assigned, or substituted. Grants will not be redeemed or exchanged for cash, except where required by law. In no event will more than the stated number of Grants be awarded. No grant substitution or exchange will be allowed, except by the Sponsor, who reserves the right to substitute a grant for a prize of equal or greater value at any time and for any reason.

Winners who cannot accept the grant or direct a charity donation as described below for any reason (including, but not limited to, the terms of their employment and regulations and laws that apply based on their citizenship, location of residence, or location of employment) will be ineligible for receiving the Grant (or directing the charity donation). Italian residents are ineligible for receiving the Grant but are still eligible to receive the title of “Amazon Physical Science Fellow”.

In the case that a potential Fellow (i) is ineligible to receive the Grant, (ii) does not return the completed and executed Winner Documentation by October 30, 2022, or (iii) prefers not to receive the Grant, the fund will be donated to the Association for Women in Science (or if permitted under the applicable laws, regulations and policies, to a non-profit charity of the potential Fellow’s choice from those listed on guidestar.org).

In the event a Grant is forfeited for any reason, including for non-compliance with these Official Rules, Sponsor may disqualify such Finalist and award the Grant to the next highest scoring Finalist.

SUBMISSION AND PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS: Participants agree, represent and warrant that all materials, including without limitation Initial Submissions and Commentary Portfolios and parts thereof (“Materials”), submitted to Sponsor at any point during the Competition meet the following requirements (“Material Guidelines”):

  • Materials must be in text format and in English language.
  • Materials must not include or disclose any trade secret or confidential information.
  • Materials must not contain unsafe behavior or situations, profanity, nudity, pornographic images or explicit sexual themes, graphic violence, defamatory or libelous statements, false or misleading advertising, or any other material considered illegal or inappropriate. Materials containing any such aspects and/or that are in violation of a law or otherwise deemed by Sponsor, in its sole discretion, to be prejudicial to Sponsor or any other person or party affiliated with the promotion and administration of this Competition or inappropriate in any way, may be disqualified.
  • Initial Submissions and Commentary Portfolios must be the original work of the Participant (except for public domain material that is clearly identified as such in the Initial Submission or Commentary Portfolio) and must be under no restriction, contractual or otherwise, that will prevent Sponsor’s use of the Initial Submission or Commentary Portfolio and each and every aspect of the Initial Submission or Commentary Portfolio must be free of any and all liens, encumbrances, and claims of third parties.
  • Materials must not infringe on any copyrights, patents, confidential information, trade secrets, trademarks, or proprietary, industrial, or other rights belonging to any person or entity, or violate any person’s rights of privacy or publicity or violate any law, rule, statute, or order of any jurisdiction.
  • Initial Submissions and Commentary Portfolios must be in compliance with Participant’s employer’s policies.

Sponsor may in its sole discretion disqualify any Participant that is responsible for submitting any Material that Sponsor determines violates the Materials Guidelines or the Official Rules. Sponsor may also, in its sole discretion, disqualify any Participant who has engaged or engages in behavior that is disparaging or derogatory of Sponsor, members of the Review Board or any other person or party affiliated with the promotion and administration of this Competition, or of any other Participant. Sponsor may also disqualify any Participant who violates any law, rule, statute, or order of any jurisdiction in connection with the Competition, or whose participation in the Competition results in Sponsor’s, or puts Sponsor at risk of, violation of any law, rule, statute, or order of any jurisdiction. Sponsor may also disqualify any potential or confirmed winner (a) who has engaged or engages in behavior that: (i) is illegal; (ii) (as determined by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion) is inappropriate, threatening, illegal or that is intended to annoy, abuse, threaten, harass, victimize, degrade, or intimidate any other individual or group of individuals on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, age, or disability; or (b) in the reasonable opinion of Sponsor expose Sponsor to disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule, or shock, insult or offend the public; and in each case Sponsor reserves the right to not award the potential winner a Grant, or to withdraw or terminate any Grant already awarded. Each Participant further agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor and each of their respective employees, officers, directors, and agents from and against any claims, lawsuits, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of the use of the Materials submitted in the Competition and/or their participation in the Competition By participating in the Competition, each Participant further agrees at all times to be in compliance with all relevant anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, and Participant’s employers’ internal anti-bribery, anti-corruption, gifts and other relevant policies. Participant is solely responsible for compliance with any applicable laws, rules and regulations, contractual limitations and/or school or company policies, if any, regarding Participant’s participation in the Competitions, Submissions, and acceptance and use of any Grant.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: Participant hereby grants to Sponsor and its affiliates, and each of their respective licensees, successors and assigns (the “Sponsor Parties”) a nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, freely transferable and sublicensable, royalty-free right and license to use, promote, transmit, reproduce, copy, modify, publicly distribute, publicly display and prepare derivative works based on the Participant’s submitted Materials, in whole or in part, including all copyrights and other intellectual property rights therein, throughout the universe for all or any purposes whatsoever, including without limitation for the purpose of advertising, publicity, promotion, and/or other marketing for Sponsor, its products or services, and/or the Participant’s Materials, in any and all media or form of distribution now known or hereafter developed.

PUBLICITY: By participating in the Competition, participants consent to the use of their names, biographical information, Initial Submissions, images and/or likenesses in any manner and in any medium for any purpose in connection with the Competition, including worldwide, without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

PRIVACY: Information submitted by you is subject to Sponsor’s privacy notice. Whenever we transfer personal information to countries outside of the European Economic Area or the UK, we ensure that the information is transferred in accordance with this privacy notice and as permitted by the applicable laws on data protection. We rely on European Commission adequacy decisions or use contracts with standard safeguards published by the European Commission and similar measures under UK laws for such transfers. In addition, Sponsor will share your personal information with third parties that have a need to know, such as the Review Board, and by participating, you agree to the sharing of your information with the Review Board.

If you have any concerns about the authenticity of this e-mail or to find out more about Amazon's competition program, please visit the Amazon Customer Service help page

ERRORS AND UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Competition is impaired in any way for any reason, including without limitation, fraud, virus or other technical problem, or any other reason beyond the control of Sponsor, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Competition; or (b) cancel or terminate the Competition. Sponsor reserves the right to modify grant award procedures. Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserve the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Competition should virus, bugs, fraud, hacking, or other causes corrupt the administration, security, or proper play of the Competition or in the event Sponsor does not receive a minimum of two qualified entries from separate eligible Entrant Teams. Sponsor further reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Competition or to reschedule or reformat events, should Sponsor be prevented, in any manner whatsoever, from holding this Competition or any event due to any present or future law (whether or not valid); any act of God, earthquake, fire, flood, epidemic (including, without limitation, any pandemic), accident, explosion or casualty; any civil disturbance or armed conflict; or any other cause of any similar nature outside of Sponsor’s control. In all such cases, notice to this effect will be posted on the Competition Site and prizes to the extent awarded will be awarded as determined by Sponsor prior to cancellation

RELEASE: Subject to any applicable laws, by participating in the Competition, you agree to release Sponsor, promotional agencies, franchisees, and each of their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, assigns, agents, representatives, officers, directors, shareholders, and employees (collectively, “Released Parties”), from and against any and all liability for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising in connection with the Competition to the extent possible under applicable law. You agree that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ liability shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be limited to any cost of entering and participating in the Competition and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorneys’ fees or other legal costs.

You acknowledge that the Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable, to the extent permitted by law, for any warranty, representation or guarantee, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relative to a grant.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Each Participant hereby acknowledges and agrees that the relationship between themselves and the Sponsor is not a confidential, fiduciary, or other special relationship, and that the Participant’s decision to provide the Materials to Sponsor for purposes of the Competition does not place the Sponsor in a position that is any different from the position held by members of the general public with regard to elements of the Materials, other than as set forth in these Official Rules. Each Participant understands and acknowledges that the Sponsor has wide access to Materials, technology, designs, and other materials, and that new ideas are constantly being submitted to them or being developed by their own employees. Each Participant also acknowledges that many ideas may be competitive with, similar to, or identical to the Materials in theme, idea, format, or other respects. Each Participant acknowledges and agrees that such Participant will not be entitled to any compensation as a result of Sponsor’s use of any such similar or identical material that has or may come to Sponsor, or any of them, from other sources. Participants acknowledge that other Participants may have created ideas and concepts contained in their Material design that may have familiarities or similarities to their Material design, and that they will not be entitled to any compensation or right to negotiate with the Sponsors because of these familiarities or similarities. Participants also acknowledge that the Sponsors will not restrict work assignments or representatives who have had access to your Materials. By entering this Competition, Participants agree that use of information in Sponsor’s representatives’ unaided memories in the development or deployment of Sponsor’s products or services does not create liability for Sponsor under these Official Rules or copyright or trade secret law.

INTERPRETATION: These Official Rules will be interpreted according to its plain meaning without presuming that it should favor either party. Unless stated or context requires otherwise: (i) lists of examples following “e.g.”, “including”, “for example”, or the like are interpreted to include “without limitation,” unless qualified by words such as “only” or “solely”; (ii) except as otherwise specified, all monetary amounts are expressed and, if applicable, payable, in U.S. dollars; (iii) URLs are understood to also refer to successors, localizations, and information or resources linked from within websites at the specified URLs; (iv) a writing is signed; and (v) a party’s choices or determinations under these Official Rules are in its sole discretion. The section headings of these Official Rules are for convenience only and have no interpretive value.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT: These Official Rules are the parties’ entire agreement regarding the subject matter hereof and merges and supersedes all related agreements, oral understandings, representations, prior discussions, proposals, and letters of intent with respect to the subject matter of these Official Rules. Only authorized officers of Amazon may enter into agreements on its behalf and no other Personnel may bind Amazon. In particular, no shrink-wrap, click-wrap, click-through, click-accept, or other online terms or polices (“Supplier Additional Terms”) provided with any Products or Services hereunder shall be binding on Amazon, even if use of such Products or Services requires an affirmative “acceptance” of those Supplier Additional Terms before access or use is permitted. All such Supplier Additional Terms shall be of no force or effect and shall be deemed rejected by Amazon in their entirety. NEITHER PARTY WILL BE BOUND BY, AND EACH SPECIFICALLY OBJECTS TO, ANY PROVISION THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM OR IN ADDITION TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES (WHETHER PROFFERED VERBALLY OR IN ANY QUOTATION, INVOICE, SHIPPING DOCUMENT, ONLINE TERMS AND CONDITIONS EXCEPT FOR THOSE EXPRESSLY REFERENCED IN THIS AGREEMENT, ACCEPTANCE, CONFIRMATION, CORRESPONDENCE, PROPOSAL, OR OTHERWISE), UNLESS SUCH PROVISION IS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN A WRITING SIGNED BY BOTH PARTIES.

SEVERABILITY: If a court finds part of these rules illegal, the rest will continue in force. Each of the paragraphs of these rules operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force in effect.

DISPUTES: To the extent permitted by law, this Competition is governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Washington, USA. As a condition of participating in this Competition, participants agree that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with this Competition, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in King County, Washington, USA having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will participants be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waive all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, including attorneys' fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (e.g. costs associated with entering), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. Participants agree that the decisions of Sponsor and the judges related to the Competition are final.

WINNER’S LIST: To obtain a list of the names of winners, email your request to, up to sixty (60) days after the close of the Competition, to b-wyker@amazon.com with the subject line “Amazon Physical Science Fellowship Competition WINNERS LIST”.

SURVIVAL: Terms related to termination rights, indemnification rights, limitations of liability, damages, confidentiality, licenses that expressly survive expiration or termination and perpetual licenses will survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

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Member of Technical Staff - Firmware Engineer, Robotics, Frontier AI & Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
Join Amazon's Frontier AI & Robotics team and help shape the future of intelligent robotic systems from the inside out. As a Member of Technical Staff - Firmware Engineer, Electronics, you will develop the low-level firmware that brings our in-house robotic actuators to life—writing the embedded code that bridges sophisticated hardware and the high-level AI control systems that power our next-generation robots. Your work will directly enable our robots to see, reason, and act in real-world warehouse environments, making you a critical contributor to one of the most ambitious robotics programs in the world. Key job responsibilities • Develop, test, and optimize embedded firmware for custom in-house robotic actuators, including motor control algorithms (FOC, commutation, current/torque/speed/position loops) running on microcontrollers and DSPs • Design and implement real-time firmware for actuator state estimation, fault detection, and protection logic, ensuring robust and safe operation across all actuator variants deployed in FAR's robotic systems • Collaborate with electronics engineers and motor design engineers to define firmware requirements, hardware interfaces (SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT, RS-485), and actuator bring-up procedures for new hardware revisions • Develop and maintain firmware for field-oriented control (FOC) and sensored/sensorless motor commutation, including tuning current regulators, velocity controllers, and position controllers for high-performance robots • Build and maintain firmware test frameworks and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test environments to validate firmware behavior across actuator operating conditions, edge cases, and failure modes • Partner with controls engineers and AI researchers to ensure firmware-level interfaces support high-bandwidth, low-latency communication required by whole-body control and motion planning algorithms • Contribute to actuator firmware architecture decisions, define software-hardware interface standards, and maintain firmware documentation and version control practices to enable scalable multi-actuator development • Support rapid hardware bring-up and debugging of new actuator prototypes, leveraging oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and custom diagnostic tools to characterize and validate firmware behavior on novel hardware A day in the life Your day is rooted in the intersection of hardware and software where you’ll be wiring firmware from scratch to control custom motors. You might start your morning reviewing firmware behavior logs from the previous night's actuator characterization runs, then spend time working alongside motor design and electronics engineers to debug a torque ripple issue in the motor control loop. In the afternoon, you could be writing and validating embedded firmware for a new actuator variant, tuning (field-oriented control) FOC algorithms, and collaborating with the controls team to ensure firmware interfaces align with high-level motion planning requirements. Beyond the bench, you'll participate in architecture reviews with hardware and software engineers, contribute to code reviews, and document firmware specifications that enable smooth hardware handoffs. You'll be working on actuator variants—each with unique power, torque, and speed requirements—and you'll be the firmware voice in cross-functional design discussions that shape how our actuators are built and controlled. The pace is fast, the problems are novel, and the impact is direct. About the team Frontier AI & Robotics (FAR) is the team at Amazon building the next generation of embodied intelligence. FAR drives the development and implementation of advanced AI models within Amazon’s operations that enable robots to see, reason, and act on the world around them, supporting a number of different warehouse automation tasks.
Lab Engineer, Frontier AI & Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
Join our Frontier AI & Robotics team to support the hardware integration of next-generation robotic systems that will transform how robots perceive and interact with the world. You'll take ownership of hands-on hardware assembly, software integration, and system validation tasks across advanced actuators, precision sensors, and robotic subsystems — ensuring they work seamlessly together to support breakthrough AI research and real-world deployment. Key job responsibilities - Assembly, Integration & DFx — Assemble and integrate robotic hardware (actuators, sensors, vision systems, machined components). Execute assembly processes and test protocols developed with engineering. Provide DFM/DFA feedback and perform simple mechanical/electrical/software design tasks; support integration/debug and partner with engineers to optimize manufacturability and testability. - R&D Prototype Test & Validation — Validate hardware revisions, verify mechanical assemblies, power sequencing, communication interfaces, and peripherals during bring-up. - Debugging & Failure Analysis — Troubleshoot and root-cause issues across the robotic platform (power, compute, comms, actuators, sensors). Conduct failure analysis from component to system level. Reproduce critical failures, interpret schematics, and bridge communication between the lab and engineering teams. - Technical Documentation — Author and maintain runbooks, failure analysis reports, assembly guides, and troubleshooting guides; uphold consistent documentation standards across the lab. - Mechanical Design Support — Perform simple R&D design tasks and test fixture design in CAD, ensuring quality and alignment with engineering priorities. - Lab Operations Support — Support machine shop capabilities, equipment maintenance, inventory management, vendor coordination, and safety/regulatory compliance. - Test Capability Development — Develop test methodologies, design jigs/fixtures, support hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and streamline failure-to-resolution workflows. A day in the life Your focus centers on the hardware and software that powers our advanced robotic platforms. You'll execute high degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic prototype assembly and validation, working alongside engineers and fellow technicians. Your responsibilities include building, debugging, validating prototype, performing critical component and assembly quality assessments, providing DFM/DFA feedback to engineers, and designing test jigs and fixtures. Throughout the day, you balance complex assemblies and integration testing while handling urgent prototyping requests, documentation updates, and preparation for upcoming milestones. You're switching between working at the bench, collaborating in design reviews with engineers, and ensuring lab safety and equipment maintenance. About the team At Frontier AI & Robotics, we're not just advancing robotics – we're reimagining it from the ground up. Our team is building the future of intelligent robotics through frontier foundation models and end-to-end learned systems. We tackle some of the most challenging problems in AI and robotics, from developing sophisticated perception systems to creating adaptive manipulation strategies that work in complex, real-world scenarios. What sets us apart is our unique combination of ambitious research vision and practical impact. We leverage Amazon's computational infrastructure and rich real-world datasets to train and deploy state-of-the-art foundation models. Our work spans the full spectrum of robotics intelligence – from multimodal perception using images, videos, and sensor data, to sophisticated manipulation strategies that can handle diverse real-world scenarios. We're building systems that don't just work in the lab, but scale to meet the demands of Amazon's global operations. Join us if you're excited about pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotics, working with world-class researchers, and seeing your innovations deployed at unprecedented scale.
Member of Technical Staff - Technical Program Manager, Frontier AI & Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
Join Amazon's Frontier AI & Robotics team as a Member of Technical Staff, this Technical Program Manager will become the driving force behind breakthrough robotics innovation. You'll orchestrate complex, cross-functional programs that bridge AI research, software, hardware, and production deployment—managing the technical workstreams that enable robots to see, reason, and act in Amazon's warehouse environments. Your program leadership will directly accelerate our mission to build the next generation of embodied intelligence. Key job responsibilities · Establish and drive program management mechanisms and cadence for complex robotics and AI development initiatives spanning research, software engineering, hardware, and operations · Manage end-to-end program execution across the full robotics stack—including AI models, software engineering, and hardware deployment · Drive decision-making velocity by facilitating tradeoff discussions when there are conflicting priorities; determine whether decisions are one-way or two-way doors · Own program-level risk management, proactively identifying technical, schedule, and resource risks; escalate where necessary and drive mitigation strategies · Manage dependencies and scope changes across internal teams and partner organizations, ensuring alignment on commitments, timelines, and technical requirements · Create transparency through clear RACI frameworks, program dashboards, and communication mechanisms that keep stakeholders aligned on status, risks, and decisions · Exercise strong technical judgment to influence program-level decisions on deployment methodology, scalability requirements, and technical feasibility—acting as the voice back to research and engineering teams · Build sustainable program management processes that scale as our organization grows, adapting agile frameworks to the unique challenges of AI robotics A day in the life Your focus centers on driving velocity and alignment across our robotics programs. You might start your morning facilitating tradeoff decisions between AI researchers and software engineers on a critical prototype milestone, then transition to managing dependencies across hardware and operations teams to keep timelines on track. In the afternoon, you could be conducting risk assessments on supply chain constraints that impact our development roadmap, updating program dashboards to provide leadership visibility, or working with partner teams to align on deployment strategies. You'll establish the mechanisms and cadence that keep our fast-moving organization synchronized—from sprint planning rituals to cross-functional design reviews. Throughout the day, you balance hands-on program execution with strategic escalation, ensuring technical decisions align with our long-term vision while removing obstacles that slow teams down. You're the connective tissue that enables researchers, engineers, and operations specialists to move fast together. About the team At Frontier AI & Robotics, we're not just advancing robotics – we're reimagining it from the ground up. Our team is building the future of intelligent robotics through frontier foundation models and end-to-end learned systems. We tackle some of the most challenging problems in AI and robotics, from developing sophisticated perception systems to creating adaptive manipulation strategies that work in complex, real-world scenarios. What sets us apart is our unique combination of ambitious research vision and practical impact. We leverage Amazon's computational infrastructure and rich real-world datasets to train and deploy state-of-the-art foundation models. Our work spans the full spectrum of robotics intelligence – from multimodal perception using images, videos, and sensor data, to sophisticated manipulation strategies that can handle diverse real-world scenarios. We're building systems that don't just work in the lab, but scale to meet the demands of Amazon's global operations. Join us if you're excited about pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotics, working with world-class researchers, and seeing your innovations deployed at unprecedented scale.
Member of Technical Staff - Robotics Electrical Engineer, Frontier AI & Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
We are seeking a hands-on Electrical Engineer to lead the design and integration of electrical systems or subsystems for high-degree-of-freedom robotic platforms. This role involves architecting the robot’s power distribution, sensor wiring, and embedded electrical infrastructure. You will be responsible for designing across the full electrical system for advanced robotics platforms including power distribution, sensing, compute, motor controllers, communication infrastructure, battery system and power electronics in close collaboration with mechanical, controls and software engineers. You’ll play a key role in ensuring high-performance, reliable operation of complex electromechanical systems under real-world conditions. Key job responsibilities * Electrical system architect / owner for power electronics, actuation, PCBAs, battery, ware harness specs and high speed electrical/communications protocols * Design, develop and integrate power distribution, embedded electronics, motor controllers and safety-critical circuits for complex robotic systems * Own board layout of PCBAs including SoCs, microcontrollers, sensors, power devices, etc. using Cadence OrCAD/Allegro or equivalent tools. Oversee bring-up and validation * Determine appropriate high speed electrical and communication protocols (e.g., CAN, EtherCAT, USB, etc) for reliable and efficient system operation * Specify and design custom power electronics and power distribution boards to meet performance, thermal, and safety requirements * Design and route all cabling and wire harnesses across the robotic platform, considering EMI, signal integrity, serviceability, and integration with mechanical structures * Architect and integrate the robot’s battery system, including protection circuitry, battery management, charging systems, and thermal considerations * Define and implement wiring and electrical interfaces for sensors (e.g., lidar, stereo cameras, IMUs, tactile) and compute modules * Ownership over prototyping and bringing up electrical designs and creation of test & validation rigs About the team At Frontier AI & Robotics, we're not just advancing robotics – we're reimagining it from the ground up. Our team is building the future of intelligent robotics through innovative foundation models and end-to-end learned systems. We tackle some of the most challenging problems in AI and robotics, from developing sophisticated perception systems to creating adaptive manipulation strategies that work in complex, real-world scenarios. What sets us apart is our unique combination of ambitious research vision and practical impact. We leverage Amazon's massive computational infrastructure and rich real-world datasets to train and deploy state-of-the-art foundation models. Our work spans the full spectrum of robotics intelligence – from multimodal perception using images, videos, and sensor data, to sophisticated manipulation strategies that can handle diverse real-world scenarios. We're building systems that don't just work in the lab, but scale to meet the demands of Amazon's global operations. Join us if you're excited about pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotics, working with world-class researchers, and seeing your innovations deployed at unprecedented scale.
Technical Lab Manager - Robotics R&D, Frontier AI & Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
Join our Frontier AI & Robotics team to lead the hardware integration of next-generation robotic systems that will transform how robots perceive and interact with the world. You'll take ownership of critical hardware components, from advanced actuators to precision sensors, ensuring they work seamlessly together to support breakthrough AI research and real-world deployment. Key job responsibilities - Prototype Lab Leadership — Lead & develop a cross-functional technician team supporting robotic prototype hardware; own daily priorities, team KPIs, and risk communication to FAR leadership. Serve as the technical escalation point for the lab. - Assembly, Integration & DFx ownership — Assemble & integrate robotic hardware (actuators, sensors, vision, machined components). Build assembly processes and test protocols with hardware engineering. Drive DFM/DFA feedback and own simple mechanical/electrical design tasks, lead integration/debug, and partner with engineers to optimize manufacturability and testability. - Own R&D prototype test & validation — Validate hardware revisions, verify mechanical assemblies, power sequencing, comms interfaces, and peripherals during bring-up. - Build a strong debugging & failure analysis function — Troubleshoot & root-cause across the full robot platform (power, compute, comms, actuators, sensors); hands-on for complex issues, directing the team on routine ones. Conduct failure analysis from component to system level using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters; train technicians on diagnostic techniques. Reproduce critical failures, interpret schematics, and bridge communication between the lab and engineering teams. - Own lab technical documentation — Own documentation & quality - author runbooks, FA reports, assembly guides and troubleshooting guides; mentor the team to maintain consistent standards. - Own mechanical design for the lab — Own mechanical design technician output. Oversee technicians performing simple R&D design tasks and test fixture design, ensuring quality and alignment with engineering priorities. - Manage prototyping lab operations — oversee machine shop capabilities and quality, equipment/inventory, vendor coordination, and safety/regulatory compliance. - Build additional lab capabilities — develop test methodologies, design jigs/fixtures, implement HIL testing, and streamline failure-to-resolution workflows. A day in the life Your focus centers on the hardware that powers our advanced robotic platforms. You'll lead a strong robotics technician and lab engineering team to support high degrees of freedom (DoF) robotic hardware prototype assembly and validation. Your team will be responsible for building, debugging and validating prototype hardware, critical component and assembly quality assessments, providing DFM/DFA feedback to engineers and designing test jigs and test set-ups. You’ll manage responsibilities like quality inspections of incoming parts, one-on-ones with technicians, and coordinating machine shop operations. Throughout the day, you balance leading your team through complex assemblies and integration testing while also handling urgent prototyping requests, documentation updates, and planning for upcoming milestones. You're switching between working at the bench alongside your technicians, collaborating in design reviews with engineers, and ensuring lab safety and equipment maintenance. About the team At Frontier AI & Robotics, we're not just advancing robotics – we're reimagining it from the ground up. Our team is building the future of intelligent robotics through frontier foundation models and end-to-end learned systems. We tackle some of the most challenging problems in AI and robotics, from developing sophisticated perception systems to creating adaptive manipulation strategies that work in complex, real-world scenarios. What sets us apart is our unique combination of ambitious research vision and practical impact. We leverage Amazon's computational infrastructure and rich real-world datasets to train and deploy state-of-the-art foundation models. Our work spans the full spectrum of robotics intelligence – from multimodal perception using images, videos, and sensor data, to sophisticated manipulation strategies that can handle diverse real-world scenarios. We're building systems that don't just work in the lab, but scale to meet the demands of Amazon's global operations. Join us if you're excited about pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotics, working with world-class researchers, and seeing your innovations deployed at unprecedented scale.
Member of Technical Staff - Electronics Engineer, Actuators & Drives, Frontier AI & Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
Join Amazon's Frontier AI & Robotics team and take ownership of the electronics that make our robots move. As a Member of Technical Staff - Electronics Engineer, Actuators & Drives, you will conceptualize, design, and test the motor drive electronics that power our in-house robotic actuators—from the gate drivers and power stages that command motor current to the sensing circuits and communication interfaces that give our robots proprioceptive awareness. Your printed circuit board (PCB) designs will live inside each of our next-generation robotic systems, directly enabling the embodied intelligence that is central to FAR's mission. Key job responsibilities • Conceptualize, design, and validate motor drive electronics for in-house robotic actuators, including inverter power stages, gate driver circuits, current and position sensing, and power management subsystems from concept through prototype and production • Lead PCB-level design of compact, high-power-density motor drive boards, including schematic capture, component selection, and collaboration with PCB layout engineers to achieve signal integrity, thermal, and EMC requirements in constrained actuator form factors • Characterize and optimize inverter switching performance, efficiency, and thermal behavior across the full operating envelope of FAR's actuator variants, using bench measurements and simulation to guide design decisions • Define and implement current sensing architectures (shunt-based, Hall-effect, or integrated IC-based) and position/velocity sensing interfaces (encoder, resolver, Hall sensor) to support high-bandwidth FOC firmware on microcontrollers and DSPs • Partner with firmware engineers to define hardware-software interfaces for motor drive control loops, fault detection logic, and communication protocols (CAN, EtherCAT, SPI), ensuring electronics designs support the real-time control requirements of robotic actuation • Collaborate with motor design and mechanical engineers to specify the electrical characteristics of custom BLDC and PMSM motors, align inverter design to motor parameters, and validate the integrated actuator electro-mechanical system • Lead hardware bring-up, functional testing, and failure analysis for new actuator electronics prototypes, developing test plans and characterization setups that systematically validate design performance and identify failure modes • Define electronics design standards, review processes, and design-for-manufacturability (DFM) guidelines for FAR's actuator drive portfolio, and mentor junior engineers in motor drive electronics design best practices A day in the life Your day centers on the full electronics development cycle for our custom actuator drive systems. You might start by reviewing simulation results for a new inverter topology, then transition to the lab to characterize switching losses and thermal performance on a prototype motor drive board. Later in the day, you could be collaborating with motor design engineers on back-EMF waveform analysis, refining gate drive timing to optimize inverter efficiency, or working with firmware engineers to define current sensing interfaces and hardware abstraction layers. Across the week, you'll be involved in schematic capture and PCB layout reviews with your design team, participating in design review gates, and iterating on hardware based on test findings. You'll navigate the challenge of fitting high-performance drive electronics into compact, thermally constrained actuator packages—designing for the power density, reliability, and robustness our robots demand. Your work will span from concept and architecture through silicon bring-up, and you'll play a key role in defining the electronics roadmap for FAR's actuator portfolio. About the team Frontier AI & Robotics (FAR) is the team at Amazon building the next generation of embodied intelligence. FAR drives the development and implementation of advanced AI models within Amazon’s operations that enable robots to see, reason, and act on the world around them, supporting a number of different warehouse automation tasks.
Member of Technical Staff - Robotics Mechanical Engineer, Frontier AI & Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
About the Role: We are looking for a Member of Technical Staff - Mechanical Engineer with a passion for building complex robotic systems from the ground up. This role is ideal for someone with a deep understanding of structural and electromechanical design, who thrives in hands-on environments and has experience taking high-performance robots from concept to production. You will work on the mechanical and system architecture of advanced robotics platforms, including high degree-of-freedom systems, where considerations such as actuator selection, thermal constraints, cabling, sensing integration, and manufacturability are critical. This is a cross-disciplinary role requiring close collaboration with electrical, software, and AI research teams. Beyond day-to-day hardware development, this role also provides exciting avenues to contribute to innovative research projects. Whether you’re interested in mechatronics, sensor integration, or novel actuation methods, you’ll find opportunities to explore your research interests while building real-world systems that advance in the field of high degree-of-freedom robotics. What You Bring: * A systems-thinking mindset with a strong grasp of cross-domain engineering tradeoffs. * A bias toward action: comfortable building, testing, and iterating rapidly. * A collaborative and communicative working style — especially in multi-disciplinary research environments. * A passion for robotics and advancing the state of the art in intelligent, capable machines. Key job responsibilities * Lead mechanical design of robotic subsystems and full platforms, including structures, joints, enclosures, and mechanisms for a research environment. * Own kinematic, dynamic, and structural analyses to guide the design and optimization of full systems and subsystems of high-DoF robots * Specify and integrate actuators and motors for high-torque density applications in high-degree-of-freedom systems. * Contribute to thermal management strategies for motors, sensors, and embedded compute hardware. * Integrate sensors such as lidar, stereo cameras, IMUs, tactile sensors, and compute modules into compact, functional assemblies. * Design and route cabling and wire harnesses, ensuring reliability, serviceability, and thermal/electrical integrity. * Prototype and test mechanical systems; support hands-on builds, debug sessions, and field testing. * Conduct root cause analysis on system-level failures or performance issues and implement design improvements. * Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles to transition prototypes into scalable builds (10s–100s of units). * Collaborate with cross-functional teams in electrical engineering, controls, perception, and research to meet research and product goals. About the team Frontier AI & Robotics (FAR) is the team at Amazon building the next generation of embodied intelligence. FAR drives the development and implementation of advanced AI models within Amazon’s operations that enable robots to see, reason, and act on the world around them, supporting a number of different warehouse automation tasks.
Applied Scientist III, Whole Body Control
US, MA, N.reading
Amazon is seeking exceptional talent to help develop the next generation of advanced robotics systems that will transform automation at Amazon's scale. We're building revolutionary robotic systems that combine cutting-edge AI, sophisticated control systems, and advanced mechanical design to create adaptable automation solutions capable of working safely alongside humans in dynamic environments. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of robotics and automation at an unprecedented scale, working with world-class teams pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotic dexterous manipulation, locomotion, and human-robot interaction. This role presents an opportunity to shape the future of robotics through innovative applications of deep learning and large language models. At Amazon we leverage advanced robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to solve complex operational challenges at an unprecedented scale. Our fleet of robots operates across hundreds of facilities worldwide, working in sophisticated coordination to fulfill our mission of customer excellence. The ideal candidate will contribute to research that bridges the gap between theoretical advancement and practical implementation in robotics. You will be part of a team that's revolutionizing how robots learn, adapt, and interact with their environment. Join us in building the next generation of intelligent robotics systems that will transform the future of automation and human-robot collaboration. Key job responsibilities - Design and implement whole body control methods for balance, locomotion, and dexterous manipulation - Utilize state-of-the-art in methods in learned and model-based control - Create robust and safe behaviors for different terrains and tasks - Implement real-time controllers with stability guarantees - Collaborate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams to co-design hardware and algorithms for loco-manipulation - Mentor junior engineer and scientists
Applied Scientist II, Foundation Model, Robotics
US, CA, San Francisco
Amazon is seeking exceptional talent to help develop the next generation of advanced robotics systems that will transform automation at Amazon's scale. We're building revolutionary robotic systems that combine cutting-edge AI, sophisticated control systems, and advanced mechanical design to create adaptable automation solutions capable of working safely alongside humans in dynamic environments. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of robotics and automation at unprecedented scale, working with world-class teams pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotic manipulation, locomotion, and human-robot interaction. This role presents an opportunity to shape the future of robotics through innovative applications of deep learning and large language models. The ideal candidate will contribute to research that bridges the gap between theoretical advancement and practical implementation in robotics. You will be part of a team that's revolutionizing how robots learn, adapt, and interact with their environment. Join us in building the next generation of intelligent robotics systems that will transform the future of automation and human-robot collaboration. As an Applied Scientist, you will develop and improve machine learning systems that help robots perceive, reason, and act in real-world environments. You will leverage state-of-the-art models (open source and internal research), evaluate them on representative tasks, and adapt/optimize them to meet robustness, safety, and performance needs. You will invent new algorithms where gaps exist. You’ll collaborate closely with research, controls, hardware, and product-facing teams, and your outputs will be used by downstream teams to further customize and deploy on specific robot embodiments. Key job responsibilities As an Applied Scientist in the Foundations Model team, you will: - Leverage state-of-the-art models for targeted tasks, environments, and robot embodiments through fine-tuning and optimization. - Execute rapid, rigorous experimentation with reproducible results and solid engineering practices, closing the gap between sim and real environments. - Build and run capability evaluations/benchmarks to clearly profile performance, generalization, and failure modes. - Contribute to the data and training workflow: collection/curation, dataset quality/provenance, and repeatable training recipes. - Write clean, maintainable, well commented and documented code, contribute to training infrastructure, create tools for model evaluation and testing, and implement necessary APIs - Stay current with latest developments in foundation models and robotics, assist in literature reviews and research documentation, prepare technical reports and presentations, and contribute to research discussions and brainstorming sessions. - Work closely with senior scientists, engineers, and leaders across multiple teams, participate in knowledge sharing, support integration efforts with robotics hardware teams, and help document best practices and methodologies. About the team We leverage advanced robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to solve complex operational challenges at unprecedented scale. Our fleet of robots operates across hundreds of facilities worldwide, working in sophisticated coordination to fulfill our mission of customer excellence. We are pioneering the development of robotics foundation models that: - Enable unprecedented generalization across diverse tasks - Integrate multi-modal learning capabilities (visual, tactile, linguistic) - Accelerate skill acquisition through demonstration learning - Enhance robotic perception and environmental understanding - Streamline development processes through reusable capabilities
Senior Applied Scientist
US, CA, San Francisco
Amazon is seeking an exceptional Sr. Applied Scientist to lead the development of perception systems that harness the power of radar and thermal imaging — enabling robots to perceive and operate reliably in conditions where conventional vision alone falls short. In this role, you will develop ML-driven perception pipelines for non-traditional sensing modalities, pushing the boundaries of what robots can see, understand, and act upon in challenging real-world environments. At Amazon, we leverage advanced robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to solve some of the most complex operational challenges at a scale unlike anywhere else in the world. Our fleet of robots spans hundreds of facilities globally, working in sophisticated coordination to deliver on our promise of customer excellence. As a Sr. Applied Scientist in Multi-Modal Perception, you will apply deep computer vision expertise alongside classical signal processing techniques for radar and thermal imaging — modalities that provide robustness in adverse conditions and sensing capability beyond the visible spectrum. You will develop ML-based methods to extract semantic and geometric information from radar point clouds, radar tensors, and thermal imagery, and fuse these with camera and depth data to build perception systems that are reliable, comprehensive, and ready for deployment at scale. Your work will unlock new capabilities for our robots — enabling reliable detection, classification, and scene understanding in low-visibility conditions, cluttered environments, and scenarios where traditional RGB-based perception is insufficient. You will lead research that translates cutting-edge advances in deep learning and computer vision to these underexplored but high-impact sensing modalities. Join us in building the next generation of multi-modal perception systems that will define the future of autonomous robotics at scale. Key job responsibilities - Lead the research, design, and development of ML-based perception pipelines for radar and thermal/infrared imaging modalities - Develop deep learning models for object detection, classification, segmentation, and tracking using radar data (point clouds, range-Doppler maps, radar tensors) and thermal imagery - Design and implement multi-modal fusion architectures that combine radar, thermal, camera, and depth data for robust, all-condition perception - Develop novel representations and feature extraction methods tailored to the unique characteristics of radar and thermal sensors (sparsity, noise profiles, spectral properties) - Build end-to-end perception systems — from raw sensor data processing and calibration to model training, evaluation, and real-time deployment - Collaborate closely with Hardware, Navigation, Planning, and Controls teams to define sensor configurations and deliver integrated autonomy solutions - Establish benchmarks, datasets, and evaluation frameworks for radar and thermal perception - Mentor scientists and engineers; foster a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, and high-impact delivery - Publish research findings in top-tier venues (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ICRA, NeurIPS, etc.) and contribute to patents A day in the life - Train ML models for deployment in simulation and real-world robots, identify and document their limitations post-deployment - Drive technical discussions within your team and with key stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to address identified limitations - Actively contribute to brainstorming sessions on adjacent topics, bringing fresh perspectives that help peers grow and succeed — and in doing so, build lasting trust across the team - Mentor team members while maintaining significant hands-on contribution to technical solutions About the team Our team is a diverse group of scientists and engineers passionate about building intelligent machines. We value curiosity, rigor, and a bias for action. We believe in learning from failure and iterating quickly toward solutions that matter.
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