Amazon logo

Principal Applied Scientist, Amazon Braket

Amazon

San Francisco, CAJob$199–269K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

Most applications go out cold — see where you stand first. No sign-up to start.

You apply on the employer's site, with no Olive account needed.

Watch jobs like this.

Don't just apply. Show up ready.

Olive works from this exact posting.

At a glance

Compensation
$199–269K/yr
Location
San Francisco, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Doctorate

Job overview

Amazon Braket seeks an Applied Scientist to lead fault-tolerant quantum compilation, owning the toolchain that transforms high-level quantum programs into optimized instructions for real hardware. The role shapes the service roadmap, works with research teams and industry and academic partners, and leads scientists and software engineers. The team builds tools connecting customer programs with future fault-tolerant hardware.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Quantum CompilationTeam LeadershipProgramming LanguagesScripting LanguagesAlgorithm DesignComplexity AnalysisTheoretical ModelingRequirements GatheringTechnical CommunicationSoftware Product Design

Qualifications

5+ Years Relevant ExperiencePhD in Quantum Computing, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Related Technical FieldPeer-Reviewed Scientific Contributions10+ Years Relevant Experience

Benefits

Medical Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off
Parental Leave

Full job description

Description

Excited by the disruptive potential of quantum technology? Want to innovate on behalf of our customers to build quantum computing tools for the cloud? Thrilled to be key part of Amazon, who has been investing in disruptive innovation for decades, pioneering and shaping the world’s technology?

Amazon Braket is looking for Applied Scientists in quantum computing to join an exceptional team of researchers and engineers. Quantum computing is rapidly emerging from the realms of science-fiction, and our customers can the see the potential it has to address their challenges. One of our missions at AWS is to give customers access to the most innovative technology available and help them continuously reinvent their business. Quantum computing is a technology that holds promise to be transformational in many industries, and with Amazon Braket we are adding quantum computing resources to the toolkits of every researcher and developer.

As the technical lead for fault-tolerant quantum compilation, you'll own the full stack that transforms high-level quantum programs into optimized instructions that run on real hardware. You will play a key role in shaping the development roadmap of the service, and evangelizing new features and capabilities. Most importantly, you will work closely with our quantum computing research teams, as well as industry and academic partners. Our team collaborates across the entire AWS organization to get drive innovation and deliver the right solutions to our customers.

A successful candidate will be a person who enjoys diving deep into customer problems, conducting independent research and development, working across teams with academic and industry experts, shaping the long-term QC strategy for AWS, and deliver the tools and systems that make useful quantum computing a reality for our customers. It will be a person who likes to have fun, loves to learn, and wants to innovate in the world of QC.

Key job responsibilities

  • Own the technical vision and roadmap for the quantum compilation toolchain

  • Lead and grow a team of applied scientists and software engineers; set the bar for scientific rigor and engineering quality

  • Design compilation passes that minimize resource overhead for fault-tolerant quantum architectures

  • Collaborate with hardware, algorithms, and applications teams to co-design the compiler around real device constraints and customer workloads

  • Publish research and open-source contributions that advance the state of the art and attract world-class talent

About the team

Amazon Braket is the quantum computing service by AWS. We give researchers, developer, and enterprises access to quantum hardware and the tools to build on it. Our goal is to make quantum computing a core part of the AWS accelerated compute portfolio.

The compilation team sits at the center of Braket's technical stack — bridging the gap between what customers write and what future fault-tolerant hardware executes. You'll work alongside hardware teams, scientists designing error correction protocols, and engineers building the service that bring these capabilities to our customers.

Basic Qualifications

  • 5+ years of relevant work in industry or academia experience

  • Experience with leading experienced scientists as well as having a record of developing junior members from academia or industry to a career track in a business environment

  • Experience in more than one major programming language (C++, Java, or related) and at least one scripting language (Perl, Python, or equivalent)

  • Have peer-reviewed scientific contributions in premier journals and conferences

  • PhD in Quantum Computing, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related technical field

Preferred Qualifications

  • 10+ years of relevant work in industry or academia experience

  • Knowledge of problem solving, algorithm design and complexity analysis

  • Experience applying theoretical models in an applied environment

  • Experience communicating with users, other technical teams, and management to collect requirements, describe software product features, and technical designs

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, NY, New York - 218,800.00 - 295,900.00 USD annually

USA, WA, Seattle - 198,900.00 - 269,000.00 USD annually

How this job compares

Set against the 1,086 open Applied Scientist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 5, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$199–269K/yr
  • California median$172–260K/yr181 salary ranges
  • US median$158–260K/yr1,045 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $234K, is 6% above the California median midpoint ($220K) — in the top quarter of Applied Scientist salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 202 open Applied Scientist jobs in California and 1,086 across the US. 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Applied Scientist postings that state a minimum ask for 4 years at the median (910 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a doctorate or professional degree; 100 of the 1,086 open Applied Scientist jobs (9%) ask for a doctorate or professional degree.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 5, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

Prepare for this role

You've read the whole posting — now see how you match it.