Senior Research Scientist, Carbon Neutralization

Description Join us at the cutting edge of Amazon’s sustainability initiatives to work on environmental and social advancements to support Amazon’s long term worldwide sustainability strategy. At Amazon, we’re working to be the most customer-centric company on earth. To get there, we need exceptionally talented, bright, and driven people.

The Worldwide Sustainability (WWS) organization capitalizes on Amazon’s scale and speed to build a more resilient and sustainable company. We manage our social and environmental impacts globally, and drive solutions that enable our customers, businesses, and the world to become more sustainable.

Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge, our commitment to reach net-zero carbon across our global operations by 2040. As part of the Worldwide Environment team, Amazon’s Worldwide Carbon team is dedicated to working across the company with our business units to make operational changes to accelerate solutions and decarbonize our businesses in service of The Climate Pledge.

The Carbon Neutralization team is seeking a research scientist that will dive deep to drive strategy and create methodological approaches for impact evaluation in novel carbon dioxide removal and reduction segments. The Carbon Neutralization team is responsible for the science, strategy, and procurement of outside-value-chain greenhouse gas reduction and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) efforts to help reach net zero. To date, Amazon has made foundational investments in jurisdictional avoided deforestation, nature-based carbon removal via restoration, and technological carbon dioxide removal. Your work will help Amazon expand its portfolio of catalytic investment in high quality carbon reduction and removal to meet net zero.

The ideal candidate will be able to take a first principles approach to review and design scientific quantification methodologies that allow Amazon to confidently quantify the impact of outside-value-chain greenhouse gas reduction and carbon dioxide removal interventions. The candidate should have a deep systems understandings of the carbon cycle, and a working familiarity with various quantitative approaches to impact and uncertainty evaluation for project-based interventions.

Key job responsibilities

• Own science-based strategy and quality bar setting in a number of scalable carbon reduction and/or removal ‘segments,’ including but not limited to: enhanced weathering, biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS), direct air capture (DAC), ocean CDR, household fuel-switching, and/or avoided short-lived climate pollutants (CH4 and N2O reductions via rice, landfill, fertilizer, etc.)
• Review and identify weaknesses in existing quantification approaches within voluntary and compliance carbon markets.
• Develop novel methodological approaches to quantify the climate impact of, and monitor the ongoing performance of, specific segments and/or projects.
• Build trust with external academics, civil society, and suppliers working in carbon reduction and removal.
• Publish internal- and external-facing scientific publications demonstrating Amazon’s approach to quantification and credit quality.
• Work closely with portfolio and project managers and a broader Amazon sustainability science and technology community to instill best scientific practices into Amazon’s neutralization investments.
• Periodically travel to project sites and facilities around the US and world.

About The Team

Diverse Experiences:

World Wide Sustainability (WWS) values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.

Inclusive Team Culture

It is in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empower us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon (gender diversity) conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.

Mentorship And Career Growth

We have a career path for you no matter what stage you’re in when you start here. We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.

Work/Life Balance

We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of investigating the feasibility of applying scientific principles and concepts to business problems and products experience
• PhD, or Master’s degree and 5+ years of quantitative field research experience
• Academic expertise, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications or presentations, in one or more of the following carbon reduction and/or removal ‘segments’: enhanced weathering, biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS), direct air capture (DAC), ocean CDR, household fuel-switching, and/or avoided short-lived climate pollutants (CH4 and N2O reductions via rice, landfill, fertilizer, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience converting research studies into tangible real-world changes
• Experience with discrete and continuous optimization methodologies and algorithms
• Experience conveying complex subject matter to clients and stakeholders
• Expertise in statistical sampling, methods for uncertainty propagation, and techno-economic assessments and lifecycle assessments of carbon removal or reduction interventions

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. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please visit https://www.amazon.jobs/en/disability/us.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $143,300/year in our lowest geographic market up to $247,600/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.

Company – Amazon.com Services LLC

Job ID: A2706544