Applied Scientist , EC2 Optimization Science

AWS Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) Capacity Org is looking for an experienced applied optimization expert. This leader will join the Optimization Science Team to design implement and scale decision-making algorithms to manage EC2s virtual and physical capacity systems.

EC2 Capacity owns EC2s top-level customer satisfaction metric capacity availability and the forecasting & decision-making systems which drive significant capex investments in server ordering for AWS data centers. Optimization Science is a core team involved in the end-to-end design and implementation of various decision-making systems which manage the trade-off between capex and capacity availability while matching demand and supply at different planning horizons. The stakeholders and partners include engineering and product management orgs within EC2 as well as the AWS Infrastructure Supply Chain (AIS) organization.

We are seeking an expert with a strong background in mathematical optimization with excellent modeling skills and expertise in the numerical solution of continuous and discrete problems using exact and and heuristic methods applied to very large-scale problems. Experience with decision-making under uncertainty; e.g. robust or stochastic optimization is an advantage. The candidate will apply their knowledge to match the end-customer demand for virtual machines to physical resource supply at horizons ranging from five minutes to 13 years. The variety of problems requires principled mathematical decomposition and a good interface design between inputs and outputs at various horizons. Navigating the ambiguity of design choices across horizons is a critical component of the role. In a typical project we analyze large volumes of data and then develop a prescriptive optimization model with inputs from ML or statistical models and business users. Our solution approaches are validated through simulations and / or production A/B tests. Being successful requires having the scientific breadth to understand the interactions between different phases of a project from data analysis through to production including resolving issues after rollout.

As a Senior Applied Scientist on the EC2 Optimization Science team you are critical to the speed and excellence of the end-to-end deliveries of production systems with optimization-based analytical engines. You will be hands-on with the mathematical modeling and implementation and will also contribute to the design of the engineering system with the scalability extensibility maintainability and correctness of the optimization engine in mind.

You will review approaches by other scientists and engineers in terms of business relevance technical validity engineering / science interface and computational performance. You will mentor and lead junior scientists by example. Communicating your results to guide the direction of the business and working with software development teams to implement your ideas in code is key to success. You will write technical and less frequently business documents that influence engineering investments and business direction. Collaborating with other scientists software engineers and product managers you will develop creative novel and data-driven approaches to improve our existing cloud compute offerings and define new ones in a fast-paced and quickly changing environment improving the experience of our customers and impacting the bottom line of EC2.

**Basic Qualifications**
- PhD in Operations Research Applied Mathematics Computer Science Statistics or a related field. A PhD can be replaced by a masters degree in the same fields and four years of relevant academic and / or industry research experience.
- At least 3 years of academic and / or industry experience after the PhD degree in solving large-scale optimization problems.
- Track record of delivering analytical solutions with business impact.
- In-depth knowledge of exact approximation algorithms and heuristic methods for solving difficult optimization problems like resource allocation vehicle routing network design.
- In-depth knowledge of continuous and discrete optimization methods accompanied by associated expertise in the use of tools and the latest technology (e.g. CPLEX Gurobi XPRESS).
- Ability to implement models and tools through the use of high-level modeling languages (e.g. AMPL Mosel R Matlab).
- Experience in prototyping and developing software in traditional programming languages (e.g. C Java Python Julia) using mathematical solver interfaces.
- Familiarity with SQL and experience with very large-scale data. The ability to manipulate data by writing scripts (Python Perl Ruby) is a plus.
- Good writing skills to document the models and analyses and for presenting business cases with results/conclusions in order to influence important decisions.

**Preferred Qualifications**
These are not required but are a plus:
- Knowledge and experience in statistical analysis and machine learning.
- Publications in refereed academic journals.
- Previous work in cloud computing.


About the team
Why AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the worlds most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating thats why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.

Utility Computing (UC)
AWS Utility Computing (UC) provides product innovations from foundational services such as Amazons Simple Storage Service (S3) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) to consistently released new product innovations that continue to set AWSs services and features apart in the industry. As a member of the UC organization youll support the development and management of Compute Database Storage Internet of Things (IoT) Platform and Productivity Apps services in AWS including support for customers who require specialized security solutions for their cloud services.

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Mentorship and Career Growth
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Diverse Experiences
Amazon values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting hasnt followed a traditional path or includes alternative experiences dont let it stop you from applying.


- 3 years of building models for business application experience
- PhD or Masters degree and 4 years of CS CE ML or related field experience
- Experience in patents or publications at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences or journals
- Experience programming in Java C Python or related language
- Experience in any of the following areas: algorithms and data structures parsing numerical optimization data mining parallel and distributed computing high-performance computing

- Experience using Unix/Linux
- Experience in professional software development

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 for more information. If the country/region youre applying in isnt listed please contact your Recruiting Partner.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $136000/year in our lowest geographic market up to $223400/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge skills and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered equity sign-on payments and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package in addition to a full range of medical financial and/or other benefits. For more information please visit This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.