Academic Researcher Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Amazon's ARI team works closely with Amazon stakeholders to articulate near/mid/long-term innovation requirements and to find and formalize partnerships with world-class researchers and academic startups. As a Principal for Science Investments, you own the full lifecycle: discovery of the world's most promising researchers, institutions, and emerging technologies; development of the partnerships that bring their work to bear on Amazon's hardest scientific challenges; and measuring impact to prove and improve the value of every investment.
You'll scout the global research landscape, see around corners on emerging science, and architect the connections between external innovators and Amazon's technology teams. You'll engage across nearly all of Amazon's technology organizations, influence SVP-level leaders without authority, and shape how Amazon invests in academic research to accelerate long-term innovation.
Key job responsibilities
Discovery: Find What's Next
• Scout and identify world-class academic institutions, scientists, startups, consortiums, government organizations, and non-profits that Amazon should partner with in key scientific areas
• See around corners, tracking emerging technology trends in academia and industry before they become mainstream; bring forward-looking insights to Amazon leadership
• Maintain a living map of the external research ecosystem and internal technology areas relevant to Amazon's Horizons:
• Physical Sciences: robotics, hardware/semiconductors, and related domains
• Computing Sciences: AI, computing foundations, and related domains
• Identify key technology blockers across 90%+ of Amazon's tech teams through structured engagement with Scholars, Research Liaisons, and engineering leaders
• Separate signal from noise across a vast landscape of potential partners and research opportunities
Development: Build the Connections
• Develop and execute research investment strategies for all businesses investing $1M+ in academic partnerships
• Formalize partnerships with world-class researchers and academic startups aligned to Amazon's near-, mid-, and long-term innovation requirements
• Structure engagements (Centers, Hubs, ARA, sponsored research) that maximize business impact
• Translate business problems into research proposals; coordinate across orgs to avoid duplication and amplify shared interests
• Serve as a single-threaded leader aligned to specific Amazon Horizons, minimizing silos within partnership communities
Measuring Impact: Prove It Works
• Track Amazon-wide consumption of research outputs
• Measure projected and realized business value for all academic research investments
• Deliver reporting that drives future investment decisions and establishes guardrails against waste
About the team
About ARI | ARI's mission: make Amazon the place where every transformative academic idea is efficiently discovered, evaluated, and disseminated to accelerate innovation for customers. We source proposals from top global universities, match ideas with Amazon funders, manage research portfolios, diffuse learnings to maximize impact, and disrupt when technology trends emerge. We provide guardrails against waste and connect leaders with shared research interests to amplify their work.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree
- Experience developing strategies that influence leadership decisions at the organizational level
- - 7+ years in technical business development, technology strategy, or applied research
- - Experience translating ambiguous business needs into structured strategies
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience as a founder or executive focused on related segments, or as a practice leader or business unit owner
- Research portfolio management or technology scouting experience
- MBA or advanced technical degree (MS/PhD)
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 - 176,100.00 - 238,200.00 USD annually