Senior Applied Scientist , Prime Video Ads

Amazon

Seattle, WA

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JOB DETAILS

SKILLS

Advertising, Advertising Placement, Analysis Skills, Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, Apple, Business Model, Business Solutions, C++ Programming Language, Customer Experience, Customer Response, Customer/Consumer Behavior, Deep Learning, Digital Video, Distributed Computing, Documentaries, Experiment Design, Film, JAX (Java API for XML), Java, Large-Scale Systems, Machine Learning, Metrics, Modeling Languages, Multitasking, Python Programming/Scripting Language, Rentals, Research & Development (R&D), Retail, Software Engineering, Sports, Technical Delivery, User Experience Design (UXD), Video Production, Video Streaming, Website Conversion

LOCATION

Seattle, WA

POSTED

21 days ago

Description Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one app available across thousands of devices. Prime members can customize their viewing experience and find their favorite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports - including Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies; licensed fan favorites; and programming from Prime Video subscriptions such as Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock, Crunchyroll and MGM+. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles via the Prime Video Store, and can enjoy even more content for free with ads. Are you interested in shaping the future of entertainment? Prime Video's technology teams are creating best-in-class digital video experience. As a Prime Video team member, you'll have end-to-end ownership of the product, user experience, design, and technology required to deliver state-of-the-art experiences for our customers. You'll get to work on projects that are fast-paced, challenging, and varied. You'll also be able to experiment with new possibilities, take risks, and collaborate with remarkable people. We'll look for you to bring your diverse perspectives, ideas, and skill-sets to make Prime Video even better for our customers. With global opportunities for talented technologists, you can decide where a career Prime Video Tech takes you! Are you passionate about building intelligent systems that personalize experiences for hundreds of millions of customers? Do you want to work at the intersection of deep learning, causal inference, and product optimization, where your models directly shape how customers experience advertising on one of the world's largest streaming platforms? Prime Video Ads is redefining what ad-supported streaming looks like. We launched ads on Prime Video in 2024 and are now in the process of building the science foundation to make our ad experience the most customer-centric in the industry. Unlike traditional digital advertising where clicks and conversions provide direct feedback, streaming presents unique scientific challenges. Indirect signals, heterogeneous customer responses, and the need to balance monetization with long-term engagement, all at massive scale. Key job responsibilities The Science Our team tackles problems that span the full ML lifecycle, from exploratory research and offline modeling to online experimentation and production deployment. The science challenges include: * Heterogeneous customer responses. The same customer responds differently to ads depending on what they're watching, how engaged they are, and their broader streaming context. We need to understand and predict this variation to make better advertising decisions in real time. * Signal sparsity in streaming. Unlike search or retail advertising, streaming offers no clicks, no conversions, and limited direct feedback. We must develop creative approaches to infer customer preferences, intent, and tolerance from indirect behavioral signals. * Personalization at scale. A one-size-fits-all ad experience leaves value on the table for both customers and the business. We build systems that adapt ad load, placement, and content to individual viewers across 100M+ customers and 100k+ titles. * Small effects, large variance. Ad interventions typically produce 0.1-2% shifts in engagement, effects easily overwhelmed by natural behavioral variance. Measuring, attributing, and optimizing these small signals requires rigorous experimental design and causal methodologies. * Competing objectives. Revenue, customer engagement, long-term retention, and advertiser value are in tension. We develop principled frameworks to navigate these tradeoffs and optimize for sustainable outcomes rather than any single metric. A day in the life * Lead the research and development of ML models that personalize advertising decisions for 100M+ customers across 100k+ titles, with production deployment in mind * Develop deep learning architectures (multi-task learning, embedding-based representations) for customer behavior prediction at scale * Design and analyze large-scale A/B experiments, applying causal inference techniques to measure and optimize the impact of ad strategies on customer engagement and monetization Partner with engineering to ensure models meet production latency and scalability requirements * Collaborate with product managers to frame business problems as tractable ML problems and translate findings into product decisions * Shape the team's scientific roadmap, identifying high-impact research directions About the team The PV Ad CX team's mission is to create the world's most customer-centric ad experience for video streaming. We build adaptive systems that determine when, how many, and what ads to show each customer, personalized to their viewing behavior, content context, and engagement patterns. We aspire to transform ad breaks from interruptions into moments that feel relevant and thoughtful. 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 large scale distributed systems such as Hadoop, Spark etc. - Experience working with PyTorch or JAX software, or experience with Machine Learning and Large Language Model fundamentals, including architecture, training/inference lifecycles, and optimization of model execution 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, NY, New York - 183,800.00 - 248,700.00 USD annually USA, VA, Arlington - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually USA, WA, SEATTLE - 167,100.00 - 226,100.00 USD annually

About the Company

Amazon

At Amazon, we don’t wait for the next big idea to present itself. We envision the shape of impossible things and then we boldly make them reality. So far, this mindset has helped us achieve some incredible things. Let’s build new systems, challenge the status quo, and design the world we want to live in. We believe the work you do here will be the best work of your life.

Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

It’s Always Day 1
At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here

Our Leadership Principles
Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles

COMPANY SIZE

10,000 employees or more

INDUSTRY

Other/Not Classified

FOUNDED

1994

WEBSITE

http://Amazon.com/militaryroles

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