Applied Science Manager, Computer Vision, Perception Science, Prime Air Vehicle Software

About the role

As a Manager III, Applied Science for our Perception team, you'll lead scientists and engineers building world-class machine learning models and computer vision systems that enable drones to safely navigate complex environments. Your work will directly shape the future of Amazon's drone delivery service by guiding the development of perception systems that combine radar, machine learning, and distributed computing to solve unprecedented challenges in autonomous flight.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of scientists and software engineers developing advanced perception systems that integrate computer vision, machine learning algorithms, and detect-and-avoid capabilities for autonomous drones.
• Define and drive the technical vision and roadmap for perception technology, making strategic architectural decisions that balance current delivery needs with long-term innovation goals.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including hardware engineers, autonomy specialists, and product stakeholders to deliver scalable, distributed systems that meet rigorous safety and performance requirements.
• Establish audit mechanisms and metrics to track system performance, model accuracy, and team progress against goals, using data-driven insights to continuously improve customer experience.
• Build and grow an inclusive, high-performing team through effective hiring, mentoring, and career development while fostering a culture of innovation and technical excellence.

About The Team

The Perception team is at the heart of Amazon's autonomous drone delivery initiative, developing the advanced computer vision and machine learning systems that enable safe, reliable flight operations. Our team tackles fascinating challenges at the intersection of radar technology, distributed computing, and real-time detection algorithms, creating solutions that have never been built before. We work in an innovative, collaborative environment where every scientist's and engineer's contribution directly impacts the future of delivery technology.

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of scientists or machine learning engineers management experience.
• Knowledge of ML, NLP, Information Retrieval and Analytics.
• Master's degree, or PhD.
• Experience with video and image processing and compression algorithms and standards, computer vision and/or machine learning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building machine learning models or developing algorithms for business application.
• Experience building complex software systems, especially involving deep learning, machine learning and computer vision, that have been successfully delivered to customers.
• Experience with deep learning libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, MxNet.
• Research publications in computer vision, deep learning or machine learning at peer-reviewed workshops, conferences or journals.

Pay

USA, WA, Seattle — $183,800.00 – $248,700.00 USD annually. 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.

Benefits

• 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.