Applied Scientist, Alexa Sensitive Content Intelligence

Alexa+ is Amazon’s next-generation, AI-powered virtual assistant. Building on the original Alexa, it uses generative AI to deliver a more conversational, personalized, and effective experience. Alexa Sensitive Content Intelligence (ASCI) team is developing responsible AI (RAI) solutions for Alexa+, empowering it to provide useful information responsibly. We are looking for Applied Scientists with a strong background in NLP and/or CV to design and develop ML solutions in the RAI space using generative AI across all languages and countries. An Applied Scientist will be in a team of exceptional scientists to develop novel algorithms and modeling techniques to advance the state of the art in Natural Language Processing or Computer Vision related tasks. They will work in a hybrid, fast-paced organization where scientists, engineers, and product managers collaborate to build customer-facing experiences, mentor other scientists, and raise the bar of scientific research in Amazon. We are looking for candidates with strong technical experience and a passion for building science-driven solutions in a fast-paced environment. The role requires a good understanding of NLP models (e.g., LSTM, transformer-based models) or CV models (e.g., CNN, AlexNet, ResNet) and the ability to apply them in different business cases. Exceptional technical expertise, a sound understanding of computer science fundamentals, and practical experience building large-scale distributed systems are essential. Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence key stakeholders are also required. Key job responsibilities include leading the science solution design, running experiments, researching new algorithms, and discovering new ways of optimizing customer experience. The Applied Scientist will set examples for good science practice, collaborate with engineers and ML scientists to translate algorithms into practice, and contribute directly to the trust customers place in Alexa. They will help hire and mentor scientists to establish teams that can deliver swiftly and predictably, adjusting in an agile fashion to meet customer needs. A day in the life: Work with a group of scientists on researching algorithms and running experiments to improve sensitive content detection and mitigation. Collaborate with partner teams—including engineering, PMs, data annotators, and other scientists—to discuss data quality, policy, and model development. Mentor other scientists, review and guide their work, and help develop roadmaps for the team. Work closely with partner teams across Alexa to deliver platform features that require cross-team leadership. About the team: The mission of the Alexa Sensitive Content Intelligence (ASCI) team is to (1) minimize negative surprises to customers caused by sensitive content, (2) detect and prevent potential brand-damaging interactions, and (3) build customer trust through appropriate interactions on sensitive topics. Sensitive content includes a wide range of categories such as offensive content (e.g., hate speech, racist speech), profanity, content suitable only for certain age groups, politically polarizing content, and religiously polarizing content. Content refers to any material exposed to customers by Alexa (including both 1P and 3P experiences) and includes text, speech, audio, and video. Basic Qualifications3+ years of building models for business applications PhD, or Master's 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 algorithms and data structures, parsing, numerical optimization, data mining, parallel and distributed computing, or high-performance computingPreferred QualificationsExperience using Unix/Linux Experience in professional software developmentOur 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 you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status. #J-18808-Ljbffr