Applied Science Manager, Alexa for Shopping (Rufus)

Full Job Description

Alexa for Shopping (Rufus) is Amazon's new AI-powered shopping assistant that combines the capabilities of Rufus and Alexa+ to provide a more personalized and intelligent shopping experience. We are building the future of AI-powered commerce, where every customer interaction is conversational, personalized, and proactive.

We are searching for pioneers who are passionate about technology, innovation, and customer experience, and are ready to make a lasting impact on the industry. In this role, you will be managing a team working on Large Language Model (LLM) and/or Vision-Language Model (VLM) post-training and alignment for new shopping experiences. You will set the roadmap and vision for science investments across multiple new customer experiences and to optimize existing experiences to deliver the most helpful, accurate, and fastest AI shopping assistant in the industry

The ideal candidate is deeply steeped in LLM-based architectures, post-training techniques (RLHF, DPO, fine-tuning), and multi-agent systems. They are passionate about applied science, working back from customer experience to define what matters, and building teams that ship production AI at scale.

You’ll be working with talented scientists, engineers, and product managers to innovate on behalf of our customers. If you’re fired up about being part of a dynamic, driven team, then this is your moment to join us on this exciting journey!

Basic Qualifications

• 2+ years of scientists or machine learning engineers management experience
• Knowledge of ML, NLP, Information Retrieval and Analytics
• 5+ years of building machine learning models or developing algorithms for business application experience
• Experience building complex software systems, especially involving deep learning, machine learning and computer vision, that have been successfully delivered to customers
• Experience communicating with users, other technical teams, and management to collect requirements, describe software product features, and technical designs
• Master's degree in engineering, technology, computer science, machine learning, robotics, operations research, statistics, mathematics or equivalent quantitative field

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in engineering, technology, computer science, machine learning, robotics, operations research, statistics, mathematics or equivalent quantitative field
• 4+ years of scientists or machine learning engineers management experience
• 7+ years of building machine learning models or developing algorithms for business application experience
• Experience in LLM post-training (SFT and RL) a plus

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 - 211,400.00 - 286,000.00 USD annually

2+ years of scientists or machine learning engineers management experience Knowledge of ML, NLP, Information Retrieval and Analytics 5+ years of building machine learning models or developing algorithms for business application experience Experience building complex software systems, especially involving deep learning, machine learning and computer vision, that have been successfully delivered to customers Experience communicating with users, other technical teams, and management to collect requirements, describe software product features, and technical designs Master's degree in engineering, technology, computer science, machine learning, robotics, operations research, statistics, mathematics or equivalent quantitative field