DESCRIPTION
Job summary
Amazon’s Supply Chain Optimization Team is looking for a passionate, talented network and combinatorial optimization expert and leader to join the Modeling and Optimization team to focus on the design of Amazon’s transportation network.
The team is responsible for optimizing the global transportation and fulfillment network for Amazon.com and ensuring that the company is able to deliver our customers’ products to them as quickly, accurately, and cost effectively as possible. We manage the flow of packages from fulfillment centers (FCs) to both carrier hubs and Amazon Logistics’ sort centers and delivery stations. Optimizing these package flows requires designing the structure and operating parameters of the network, and managing, scheduling, and routing line haul trucks and last mile delivery vehicles.
We are seeking an expert in network flow and combinatorial optimization problems to develop models and solution algorithms to design the network, plan and schedule resources, and ensure that we can execute effectively to these plans. The candidate will focus on modeling and solution approaches for the planning of transportation resources and integrating with the network design. We are looking for a motivated individual with a recognized background in mathematical optimization, including numerical solution of continuous and discrete problems using exact, approximation algorithms, and heuristic methods. We are looking for someone with expertise in the network design and scheduling space, particularly with planning under uncertainty. The person should have current or prior academic experience with a heavy practical consultative component, or industry experience conducting research in the area of mathematical/statistical modeling and analysis.
The analyses and models produced by the team will guide business decisions by highlighting opportunities, identifying correlations, defining experiments, and determining cause and effect relationships. You will partner closely with many groups such as operations, IT, retail, and finance teams to support various business initiatives.
The candidate will work closely with Amazon leadership and the rest of the operations research and data science teams to leverage the expertise of each individual to construct models, perform analyses, and derive relevant metrics. The candidate must have relevant domain knowledge to teach and mentor group members and to critique models and approaches taken by the group in terms of business relevance, technical validity, software architecture, and computational performance. The candidate must have the skills to write documents that influence important investment and resource allocation decisions by clearly articulating the strategy, business impact, and technical challenges.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have the following optimization experience and skills:
· Ph.D. in Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science or a related field with publications in refereed academic journals.
· At least 15 years of experience in solving complicated optimization and machine learning problems for transportation networks or analogous disciplines developing a strategy for large-scale networks.
· Experience designing and implementing transportation optimization models with focus on volume and route planning and re-planning; labor and facilities planning.
· Excellent communication skills, both written and oral with both technical and business people. Ability to speak at a level appropriate for the audience. Experience applying these skills in both academic teaching environment and a business setting is a plus.
· Excellent writing skills for presenting business cases and to document the models and analysis and present the results/conclusions in order to influence important decisions.
· A working knowledge of smooth and non-smooth optimization methods accompanied by associated expertise in the use of tools and the latest technology (e.g. CPLEX, Gurobi, XPRESS).
· A working knowledge of exact, approximation algorithms, and heuristic methods for solving difficult optimization problems like vehicle routing and network design problems.
· The ability to implement models and tools through the use of high-level modeling languages (e.g. AMPL, Mosel, R, Matlab).
· Experience prototyping and developing software in traditional programming languages (C++, Java, Clojure, Python).
· Familiarity with SQL and experience with very large-scale data. The ability to manipulate data by writing scripts (Perl, Ruby, Groovy) a plus.
· Statistical analysis, machine learning and data-modeling in a database environment is a plus.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Professional traits that are not unique to this position, but necessary for Amazon leaders:
· Exhibits excellent judgment
· Has relentlessly high standards
· Thinks strategically, but stays on top of tactical execution
· Expects and requires innovation of her/his team
· Thinks big and has convictions
· Results oriented
· Has the innate ability to inspire passion in others
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, disability, age, or other legally protected status. If you would like to request an accommodation, please notify your Recruiter.