Applied Scientist Jobs in Sunnyvale, CA
Applied Scientist jobs in Sunnyvale are concentrated in semiconductor, consumer tech, and AI research, with the heaviest hiring clustering around the Lawrence Expressway corridor, Downtown Sunnyvale, and the Moffett Park district. Companies posting roles right now include Amazon, Amazon Web Services, and Meta. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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DESCRIPTION
AI models become more capable largely because of the learning environments, the RL gyms, in which they are trained. FAI builds those gyms and the platform that certifies them, so that model training teams across Amazon can rely on high-quality, graded assets. As a Principal on this team, you will set the technical direction for how these gyms and the tooling around them are built, evaluated, and scaled.
Key job responsibilities
As a Principal Applied Scientist with FAI, you will:
- Set technical direction across data collection, sampling, and evaluation for RL gyms focused on agentic tool use across a range of real-world domains.
- Design and lead experiments that produce reliable, efficient signal on what drives model improvement.
- Build gym-building tooling and automated quality control that scale with demand.
- Advance the science of how gyms are evaluated and validated before they're used in model training.
- Act as a hands-on technical leader: produce exemplary, high-quality assets yourself, and audit and support more junior scientists and engineers.
- Partner closely with domain experts and cross-functional teams, turning real-world problems into challenging, high-value tasks.
- Lead scientific reviews, scrutinize experimental design and verification, probe assumptions, and align teams toward coherent strategies. Contribute to hiring, mentorship, and the development of other scientists.
About the team
The FAI team has the mission to push the envelope in GenAI with LLMs, in order to provide the best-possible experience for our customers. We build frontier training and evaluation assets, RL gyms and the certification platform behind them, that directly shape how Amazon's models are trained and improved. We value scientific depth, hands-on building, and turning research into measurable impact at scale.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
- PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field; or Master's degree with significant additional applied research experience.
- Strong hands-on experience building machine learning models and systems for real-world applications, with deep learning and neural methods.
- Experience with reinforcement learning and/or building RL gyms, learning environments, or agentic tool-use systems.
- Experience setting technical direction across data, modeling, and evaluation, and dealing with ambiguity and competing objectives.
- Experience leading experienced scientists/engineers and developing more junior members.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of relevant work in industry or academia experience
- Experience building automated evaluation, quality-control, or verification tooling for training data or environments.
- Experience with agentic tool use and improving the capabilities of LLMs (for example multi-step, tool-using agents).
- Track record of creating novel algorithms and advancing the state of the art; peer-reviewed contributions in premier journals and conferences.
- Experience with large-scale distributed training/compute and modern ML frameworks.
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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, CA, Sunnyvale - 228,700.00 - 309,400.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Bellevue - 198,900.00 - 269,000.00 USD annually
DESCRIPTION
AI models become more capable largely because of the learning environments, the RL gyms, in which they are trained. FAI builds those gyms and the platform that certifies them, so that model training teams across Amazon can rely on high-quality, graded assets. As a Principal on this team, you will set the technical direction for how these gyms and the tooling around them are built, evaluated, and scaled.
Key job responsibilities
As a Principal Applied Scientist with FAI, you will:
- Set technical direction across data collection, sampling, and evaluation for RL gyms focused on agentic tool use across a range of real-world domains.
- Design and lead experiments that produce reliable, efficient signal on what drives model improvement.
- Build gym-building tooling and automated quality control that scale with demand.
- Advance the science of how gyms are evaluated and validated before they're used in model training.
- Act as a hands-on technical leader: produce exemplary, high-quality assets yourself, and audit and support more junior scientists and engineers.
- Partner closely with domain experts and cross-functional teams, turning real-world problems into challenging, high-value tasks.
- Lead scientific reviews, scrutinize experimental design and verification, probe assumptions, and align teams toward coherent strategies. Contribute to hiring, mentorship, and the development of other scientists.
About the team
The FAI team has the mission to push the envelope in GenAI with LLMs, in order to provide the best-possible experience for our customers. We build frontier training and evaluation assets, RL gyms and the certification platform behind them, that directly shape how Amazon's models are trained and improved. We value scientific depth, hands-on building, and turning research into measurable impact at scale.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience programming in Java, C++, Python or related language
- PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field; or Master's degree with significant additional applied research experience.
- Strong hands-on experience building machine learning models and systems for real-world applications, with deep learning and neural methods.
- Experience with reinforcement learning and/or building RL gyms, learning environments, or agentic tool-use systems.
- Experience setting technical direction across data, modeling, and evaluation, and dealing with ambiguity and competing objectives.
- Experience leading experienced scientists/engineers and developing more junior members.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of relevant work in industry or academia experience
- Experience building automated evaluation, quality-control, or verification tooling for training data or environments.
- Experience with agentic tool use and improving the capabilities of LLMs (for example multi-step, tool-using agents).
- Track record of creating novel algorithms and advancing the state of the art; peer-reviewed contributions in premier journals and conferences.
- Experience with large-scale distributed training/compute and modern ML frameworks.
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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, CA, Sunnyvale - 228,700.00 - 309,400.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Bellevue - 198,900.00 - 269,000.00 USD annually
See All 134+ Applied Scientist Jobs in Sunnyvale
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Find Applied Scientist JobsApplied Scientist Job Market in Sunnyvale
Who's Hiring
- Amazon120
- Amazon Web Services9
- Meta5
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail
- Technology & Software
- E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces
Applied Scientist Jobs in Sunnyvale: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an applied scientist job in Sunnyvale?
Your strongest path into Sunnyvale's market is through semiconductor and consumer electronics companies concentrated around Moffett Park and the Lawrence Expressway corridor, where applied scientist roles in machine learning, computer vision, and signal processing are most active. A portfolio of shipped research, strong publication history, or open-source work in a relevant domain carries more weight here than credentials alone. Targeting mid-size chip design firms alongside the large tech campuses broadens your options considerably.
Which companies hire applied scientists in Sunnyvale?
Sunnyvale applied scientist roles are posted by Amazon, Amazon Web Services, and Meta and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Sunnyvale's employer mix skews heavily toward semiconductor manufacturers, consumer hardware companies, and AI-focused product divisions running their own research teams.
Are there remote applied scientist jobs in Sunnyvale?
Yes, though applied scientist work in Sunnyvale is less remote-friendly than purely analytical roles because many positions involve hardware integration, lab access, or cross-functional product collaboration that requires on-site presence. About 0% of applied scientist openings tied to Sunnyvale are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with flexibility concentrated in software-side modeling and data science work rather than hardware or embedded research roles.
How can I get an applied scientist job in Sunnyvale with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point in Sunnyvale is a research internship or associate scientist role at one of the area's semiconductor or consumer tech companies, many of which run structured internship pipelines that convert to full-time offers. Contributing to an applied research project during a graduate program, even if unpublished, gives you the kind of concrete output Sunnyvale hiring managers look for. Smaller chip startups near Moffett Park often hire junior candidates willing to work across the stack.
Which industries hire the most applied scientists in Sunnyvale?
Sunnyvale applied scientist roles concentrate in Retail, Technology & Software, and E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Sunnyvale's dense cluster of semiconductor fabs, consumer hardware divisions, and AI product teams makes it one of the few markets where applied science talent is in demand across both research and production-stage engineering.
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