Join us at the forefront of Amazon's sustainability initiatives to work on environmental and social advancements that support Amazon's long-term worldwide sustainability strategy. At Amazon, we're working to be the most customer-centric company on earth. To get there, we need exceptionally talented, bright, and driven people who are passionate about making a meaningful impact on communities and the environment while helping shape the future of sustainable business practices.
Sustainability Science and Innovation (SSI) is a multi-disciplinary team within WW Sustainability combining science, analytics, economics, statistics, machine learning, product development, and engineering expertise. We use data across the sustainability imperatives (carbon, water, waste, biodiversity, environmental risk and more) and these skills and capabilities to identify, develop, experiment, and scale the scientific solutions and innovations necessary for Amazon, customers and partners to help them solve their hardest unmet and evolving sustainability needs and goals.
The Worldwide Sustainability (WWS) organization is seeking an exceptional scientific leader to join Amazon's Sustainability Science and Innovation team as a Senior Researcher for Materials Chemistry Innovation. This role focuses on hands-on experimental research in materials chemistry to accelerate the discovery and validation of sustainable materials through systematic synthesis, characterization, and performance testing.
You will lead the design and execution of experimental research campaigns targeting catalysts, functional materials, and sustainability-relevant chemistries across multivariate parameter spaces. You will establish scientific strategy and technical roadmaps for materials discovery while leading research initiatives that tackle complex sustainability challenges in critical industrial sectors. This position requires driving breakthrough solutions in materials synthesis and characterization through internal capabilities and strategic partnerships with universities, industry scientists, and government laboratories.
You will mentor junior scientists and engineers while collaborating across Amazon's Innovation Lab Network to translate research into scalable solutions. Your leadership will be essential in developing early-stage, cost-effective materials that address significant technical and economic challenges fundamental to Amazon's operations, requiring you to navigate complex trade-offs between immediate deliverables and long-term environmental impact. You will also shape how emerging automation and AI tools are applied to accelerate materials discovery workflows.
The ideal candidate demonstrates extensive experience in materials synthesis, advanced characterization techniques, and systematic experimental design for performance validations. You must possess proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, establish research priorities, and drive scientific innovation from concept to implementation. Deep technical expertise in materials testing methods, combined with strategic vision for translating research into practical applications is essential. Experience with high-throughput and combinatorial experimental approaches to efficiently explore large design spaces is highly valued.
Your work will establish new paradigms in sustainable materials discovery through rigorous experimental research and performance testing, directly contributing to Amazon's sustainability goals while creating scalable solutions that extend beyond the company's immediate operations.
Key job responsibilities
Develop scientific models that help solve complex and ambiguous sustainability problems, and extract strategic learnings from large datasets.
Work closely with applied scientists and software engineers to implement your scientific models.
Support early-stage strategic sustainability initiatives and effectively learn from, collaborate with, and influence stakeholders to scale-up high-value initiatives.
Support research and development of cross-cutting technologies for industrial decarbonization, including building the data foundation and analytics for new AI models.
Drive innovation in key focus areas including packaging materials, building materials, and alternative fuels.
About the team Diverse Experiences: World Wide Sustainability (WWS) values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.
Inclusive Team Culture: It’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empower us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.
Mentorship & Career Growth: We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
Basic Qualifications
- 5+ years of investigating the feasibility of applying scientific principles and concepts to business problems and products experience
- PhD, or Master's degree and 5+ years of quantitative field research experience
- Experience communicating qualitative research methods and findings to non-qualitative researchers
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience converting research studies into tangible real-world changes
- Experience mentoring, coaching, and influencing colleagues, collaborators, and stakeholders
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, WA, Seattle - 159,200.00 - 215,300.00 USD annually