Sr Applied Scientist, Amazon Cryptographic Libraries

As a Senior Applied Scientist on the Amazon Cryptographic Libraries (ACL) team, you will focus on formal verification: building machine-checked proofs that cryptographic implementations are correct. You'll develop deep expertise in an environment where your proofs and code ship to effectively every AWS service, working alongside senior scientists. The ACL team builds the cryptography that AWS services and a growing open-source community depend on, including AWS-LC, a FIPS-validated open-source cryptographic library.

What you'll do

• Develop and maintain machine-checked proofs of correctness for cryptographic implementations in AWS-LC
• Specify the functional behavior of low-level cryptographic code (Rust, C, assembly) in formal notation and verify it using automatic and interactive provers such as HOL-Light, Verus and CBMC
• Apply formal methods, program analysis, and rigorous testing to raise the assurance bar of a security-critical, widely deployed codebase
• Contribute to the implementation and optimization of cryptographic algorithms, including post-quantum algorithms (ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA) for production use
• Mentor individuals and the community on advanced technical issues and assist in their career development
• Publish patents and peer-reviewed articles and present your research both internally and externally

What you bring

• A PhD or equivalent research experience, or a PhD and experience in patents or publications at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences or journals
• Experience programming in Rust, Java, C, C++, Python or a related language
• Experience in formal verification, interactive theorem proving, deductive verification, cryptography or mathematical logic

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience with automatic or interactive program verification tools such as HOL Light, CBMC, Verus, or Lean
• Experience specifying or verifying low-level software (machine code or assembly)
• Familiarity with cryptographic primitives and their implementation
• Low-level or systems programming experience in Rust, C or assembly
• Familiarity with post-quantum cryptography (lattice-based, code-based, or hash-based schemes)

What we offer

• Competitive base salary (specific range determined based on experience, qualifications, and location)
• Sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs)
• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance with 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

About Amazon Science

Amazon Science supports AWS and Amazon's mission through research and development in cryptography, automated reasoning, and security. The Amazon Cryptographic Libraries team owns AWS-LC and manages third-party cryptographic libraries, building the cryptographic foundation under nearly every AWS service and a growing set of external open-source projects.