Amazon is looking for a Principal, Economist to help build next generation selection/assortment systems. On the Specialized Selection team within the Supply Chain Optimization Technologies (SCOT) organization, we own the selection to determine which products Amazon offers in our fastest delivery programs. We build tools and systems that enable our partners and business owners to scale themselves by leveraging our problem domain expertise, focusing instead on introspecting our outputs and iteratively helping us improve our ML models rather than hand-managing their assortment. We partner closely with our business stakeholders as we work to develop state-of-the-art, scalable, automated selection.

Our team is highly cross-functional and employs a wide array of scientific tools and techniques to solve key challenges, including supervised and unsupervised machine learning, non-convex optimization, causal inference, natural language processing, linear programming, reinforcement learning, and other forecast algorithms. Some critical research areas in our space include modeling substitutability between similar products, incorporating basket awareness and complementarity-aware logic, measuring speed sensitivity of products, modeling network capacity constraints, and supply and demand forecasting.

We're looking for a candidate with a background in experiment design and causal analysis to lead studies related to selection and speed. Potential projects include understanding the short-term and long-term customer impact of assortment changes across different speeds.

As a Principal, Economist, you'll build econometric models using our world-class data systems and apply economic theory to solve business problems in a fast-moving environment. You will work with software engineers, product managers, and business teams to understand the business problems and requirements, distill that understanding to crisply define the problem, and design and develop innovative solutions to address them.

To be successful in this role, you'll need to communicate effectively with product and tech teams, and translate data-driven findings into actionable insights. You'll thrive if you enjoy tackling ambiguous challenges using the economics toolkit and identifying and solving problems at scale. We have a supportive, fast-paced team culture, and we prioritize learning, growth, and helping each other continuously raise the bar.

Key job responsibilities
• You apply econometric tools and theory to solve business problems in a fast moving environment.
• You excel at extracting insights and correct interpretations from data using advanced modeling techniques.
• You communicate insights in a digestible manner to senior leaders across the company.
• You are able to anticipate future business challenges and key questions, and have the ability to design modeling solutions to tackle them.
• You have broad influence over the Selection team’s scientific research agenda and deliverables.
• You contribute to the broader Econ research community in Amazon.
• You advise other economists on scientific best-practices and raise the bar of research.
• You will actively mentor other scientists and contribute to their career development.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- PhD in Economics or closely related field.
- Track record of publications that have advanced the state-of-the-art.
- 6-8+ years of post-PhD experience in industry, consulting, government or academic research.
- Expertise in applied time series.
- Fluency in at least one statistical software package such as R, Stata, Matlab, SAS.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Strong background in econometrics, statistics methodology, machine learning, applications to business problems, and/or big data.
- Experience with programming languages such as Python, Java, C++, experience with SQL and / or working in a Unix / Linux environment is a plus.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced business environment.
- Effective verbal and written communications skills.

Amazon is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, 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.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $170,500/year in our lowest geographic market up to $294,700/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 https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits. This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.