Sr. Design Technologist, Alexa Skills Kit UX
Amazon
DESCRIPTION
Are you passionate about shaping the future of AI-driven experiences and empowering developers worldwide? Join the Alexa Skills Kit UX Team as a Senior Design Technologist and become a pivotal force in revolutionizing voice-first, multimodal interactions. In this role, you'll be at the forefront of innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technologies like LLMs and voice tech to create exemplary prototypes and solutions that push the boundaries of what's possible with Alexa.
As a UX and technical leader, you'll blend design thinking with engineering expertise to solve ambiguous problems and tackle complex challenges. Your work will directly impact millions of customers and developers, as you craft best-in-class code examples, design tools, and automation solutions that streamline workflows and inspire creativity across the Alexa ecosystem. You'll also contribute to engineering projects, guiding software developers in implementing designs effectively, and demonstrating the business value of our innovative ideas – all with the ultimate goal of delighting our vast customer base.
This unique opportunity allows you to:
- Drive the future of conversational AI and multimodal experiences
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to influence product strategy
- Create rapid prototypes and proof-of-concepts that shape Alexa's evolution
- Mentor and lead workshops to evangelize design technology best practices
- Contribute to industry-leading developer tools and experiences
If you're a strategic thinker with a passion for solving problems at massive scale, excel at influencing senior leaders, and thrive on iterating based on customer feedback, we want you to help us make history in the world of AI and voice technology.
Key job responsibilities
- Build high-quality, functional prototypes that convey, prove, and advance the vision of future Alexa experiences and voice-first, multimodal interactions
- Collaborate with Alexa UX design leadership and key stakeholders throughout the product lifecycle
- Work alongside designers, PMs, engineers, and other experts to drive concepts from idea to implementation in the Alexa ecosystem
- Advance design thinking by leveraging your platform expertise in voice technology and supporting your team
- Continuously evaluate and document new standards or patterns that emerge from your work with Alexa capabilities
- Thrive in a fast-paced, iterative environment with minimal documentation and technical support
A day in the life
As a Senior Design Technologist on the Alexa Skills Kit UX team, no two days are the same. You might start by reviewing a technical prototype showcasing a cutting-edge Alexa interaction, then dive into creative coding to enhance it with LLMs or other AI technologies. After discussing technical feasibility with engineers, you shift to polishing visuals and interactions for an executive review. Throughout, you problem-solve, push boundaries, and collaborate cross-functionally to invent the future of voice-first, multimodal experiences. It's an innovative environment where your technical skills and maker mindset are crucial to delivering transformative experiences for millions of users and developers.
About the team
Our Alexa UX team is a dynamic and diverse group of professionals ranging from early career to principal level, all united in our mission to make Alexa the most trusted and instantly available AI assistant. We are a multidisciplinary team of leaders with backgrounds spanning design, architecture, engineering, writing, journalism, printing, gaming, and technology.
Our tight-knit group of design professionals collaborates across multiple Alexa-enabled devices and platforms, constantly pushing the boundaries of voice and multimodal interactions. We thrive on turning ambitious concepts into functional prototypes, whether it's integrating cutting-edge LLM capabilities or innovating novel conversation models.
Working closely with engineering, we iterate on our designs based on user feedback and testing, always striving to make life more convenient and fulfilling for our customers. Our team's diverse expertise allows us to approach challenges from multiple angles, fostering creativity and innovation in every aspect of the Alexa experience.
By staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, we continuously explore new ways to enhance Alexa's capabilities and create seamless, intuitive interactions. Our collaborative environment encourages cross-pollination of ideas, allowing us to leverage our varied backgrounds to solve complex problems and deliver transformative experiences for millions of Alexa users.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 6+ years of front-end technologist, engineer, or UX prototyper experience
- Have coding samples in front end programming languages
- Have an available online portfolio
- Experience developing visually polished, engaging, and highly fluid UX prototypes
- Experience collaborating with UX, Product, and technical partners
- Experience in one or more of the following: Native mobile development (Android/iOS), Python, Objective-C, Swift, C#, HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript, web and server programming and Responsive/Adaptive design, Java, SQL
- Experience designing rich user interfaces using modern web frameworks (such as React, Angular, and Vue)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Knowledge of professional software engineering & best practices for full software development life cycle, including coding standards, software architectures, code reviews, source control management, continuous deployments, testing, and operational excellence
- Expertise in working creatively around constraints and navigating ambiguous projects in the voice technology space
- Experience leading the development of complex prototypes for voice-first, multimodal experiences
- Passion for building new Alexa capabilities and voice-driven products in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally with UX, Product, and non-technical teams in the AI and voice technology sector
- Adept at gracefully juggling multiple projects in a fast-paced setting
- Experience with a broad range of technologies, including Alexa-enabled devices, mobile devices, smart displays, embedded systems, and IoT
- Excellent communication skills, including collecting requirements, describing features, and designing technical solutions for voice and multimodal interactions
- Experience with machine learning (ML) and LLM tools and methods, including familiarity with common frameworks, understanding of core ML concepts, and the ability to prototype and integrate ML-powered features into interactive voice applications
- Strong interest and proficiency in visual, motion, and conversation design
- Familiarity with Alexa development tools and platforms for creating new experiences and integrations
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.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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 $138,800/year in our lowest geographic market up to $239,900/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.