Lab Engineer III, Global Materials Science

Join Amazon"s Global Materials Science (GMS) organization as a Lab Engineer and be part of pioneering sustainable e-commerce packaging. In this role, you"ll lead materials testing and characterization efforts that directly support the development of breakthrough packaging materials. You"ll drive technical direction in state-of-the-art laboratories-designing experiments, developing novel test methods, operating advanced equipment, and generating critical data that enables our team to make informed decisions about materials that touch millions of customer experiences daily. You"ll work independently to solve complex testing challenges, mentor fellow lab engineers, and serve as a technical resource for cross-functional partners.

Key job responsibilities

Materials Testing & Characterization:

• Lead and independently conduct advanced materials testing using equipment including tensile testers, burst testers, tear testers, rheometers, thermal analysis instruments, and other materials characterization tools.
• Design, develop, and refine test protocols following TAPPI, ASTM, ISO, and ISTA standards as well as internal methods-identifying gaps in existing approaches and proposing improvements.
• Perform complex, multi-variable testing on packaging materials including paper substrates, adhesives, coatings, and alternative fiber materials, interpreting results in the context of broader project objectives.
• Independently troubleshoot equipment issues, optimize test parameters, and ensure proper calibration and functionality across the lab"s instrument portfolio.
• Prepare test specimens according to specifications and standard operating procedures, adapting approaches when standard methods are insufficient for novel materials.
• Identify, design, and implement improved lab processes and mechanisms that raise the bar for the entire team. Establish best practices that scale across the organization.

Data Collection & Analysis:

• Collect, organize, and document experimental data with high accuracy and attention to detail.
• Perform advanced analysis of test results-identifying trends, anomalies, and correlations in materials performance data and drawing conclusions that inform project direction.
• Generate comprehensive test reports that synthesize findings, provide interpretation, and recommend next steps.
• Drive data-driven decision making by translating complex test results into clear, actionable insights for engineers, scientists, and business stakeholders.
• Develop standardized data analysis frameworks and templates that improve consistency and efficiency across the lab team.

Laboratory Operations:

• Develop, author, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for testing activities.
• Champion a safe, clean, and organized laboratory environment-modeling best practices for the team.
• Lead laboratory safety programs, equipment maintenance schedules, and readiness initiatives.
• Proactively identify and implement opportunities to improve testing efficiency, data quality, and lab throughput.
• Manage inventory of laboratory supplies and test materials, anticipating needs and preventing disruptions.

Mentoring & Technical Leadership:

• Mentor and train junior lab engineers on testing techniques, equipment operation, data analysis, and lab best practices.
• Serve as a technical point of contact for testing questions, method development, and troubleshooting.
• Provide guidance on experimental design and help team members develop their problem-solving capabilities.
• Raise the technical bar for the team through knowledge sharing, peer review, and constructive feedback.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with Advanced Materials Engineers and scientists on experimental design, method development, and result interpretation-operating as a peer contributor to project strategy.
• Communicate test results, technical insights, and recommendations to team members and stakeholders with clarity and confidence.
• Lead supplier qualification testing activities, independently managing the testing workflow and providing go/no-go recommendations.
• Drive sample preparation and testing programs for field trials and deployment validation, coordinating across teams to meet timelines.
• Actively contribute to project planning discussions, bringing technical perspective on feasibility, timelines, and resource requirements.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Own the development and refinement of test procedures, SOPs, and method validation documentation.
• Document experimental procedures, observations, and results thoroughly-establishing documentation standards for the team.
• Identify, propose, and implement improvements to testing methods and laboratory processes, driving measurable impact.
• Apply materials science principles to interpret the significance of test results and connect findings to broader project goals.
• Stay current with emerging test methods and industry developments; bring new approaches into the lab.

Work Environment:

• Primarily laboratory-based work with hands-on equipment operation.
• Standard lab safety protocols and PPE requirements.
• Occasional lifting of materials and equipment (up to 50 lbs), standing, walking, kneeling throughout the day.
• Collaborative team environment with regular interaction with scientists and engineers.

A day in the life

Your day starts with a quick review of the team"s testing queue-you"ve been leading the characterization work for a critical adhesive development project, and today you need to make a judgment call on which test variables to prioritize given a tight timeline. You prepare test specimens, adjusting the conditioning protocol you developed last month based on learnings from the initial rounds of testing.

Mid-morning, you"re running tensile and burst tests on paper samples from a new supplier. The results are unexpected-tear strength is significantly higher, but stiffness has dropped. You analyze the tradeoff, pull up historical data for comparison, and draft a recommendation memo for the materials engineer leading the project. You"ve seen this pattern before with high-recycled-content substrates, and your insight saves the team a week of redundant testing.

After lunch, a junior lab engineer asks for help troubleshooting inconsistent rheometer readings on hot melt adhesive samples. You walk through the temperature ramp protocol together, identify a calibration drift, and coach them on the diagnostic steps so they can handle it independently next time.

Your afternoon includes finalizing a new SOP for environmental conditioning tests-you identified a gap in the existing procedure during last week"s accelerated aging study and designed a more robust approach. You present your findings at the team meeting, where your data shows clear performance differentiation among three supplier candidates. The program manager uses your analysis directly in the sourcing recommendation.

This is technically challenging work with real ownership. The methods you develop, the data you generate, and the judgment you apply enable breakthrough materials innovations, support major procurement decisions, and ultimately improve packaging for millions of customers while advancing Amazon"s sustainability goals.

Amazon offers a full range of benefits that support you and eligible family members, including domestic partners and their children. Benefits can vary by location, the number of regularly scheduled hours you work, length of employment, and job status such as seasonal or temporary employment. The benefits that generally apply to regular, full-time employees include:

1. Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage

2. Maternity and Parental Leave Options

3. Paid Time Off (PTO)

4. 401(k) Plan

If you are not sure that every qualification on the list above describes you exactly, we"d still love to hear from you! At Amazon, we value people with unique backgrounds, experiences, and skillsets. If you're passionate about this role and want to make an impact on a global scale, please apply!

About the team

The Global Materials Science (GMS) organization is Amazon"s Center of Excellence for packaging materials development and supply chain transformation. Our team represents a fundamental shift in how Amazon approaches packaging innovation-owning the invention, development, and optimization of materials that power our fulfillment network.

Our Mission: We build deep expertise in packaging materials through rigorous research and testing, develop innovative packaging solutions that unlock automation potential and sustainability improvements, and establish robust supply chains that deliver superior solutions at lower cost.

Our Vision: To be the global leader in e-commerce packaging materials science and innovation, enabling the best customer packaging experience at the lowest cost to serve.

What Makes Us Unique: We"re not just specifying materials-we"re fundamentally understanding them through the materials science triangle framework (processing, structure, properties). Our integrated capabilities span from molecular-level materials characterization, to full packaging system testing, to automation compatibility testing. This end-to-end ownership enables us to innovate faster, unlock step-change improvements previously thought impossible.

Our Impact: We"re driving Amazon"s transition from plastic to paper packaging, developing breakthrough materials and establishing supply chains that reduce costs while advancing our 2040 net-zero commitment. Our work directly influences automation success, customer experience, and sustainability metrics.

Our Culture: We operate with high technical rigor while moving at startup speed. We embrace calculated risk-taking in R&D, fail fast, and iterate based on data. We believe in radical collaboration-our success requires seamless partnership across engineering, procurement, operations, and sustainability teams. We value both technical excellence and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Our Team: We bring together materials scientists, chemists, engineers, lab technicians, and program managers who are passionate about solving hard problems. We partner with world-class academic institutions, leading materials suppliers, and internal Amazon teams to push the boundaries of what"s possible in packaging materials.