Q&A with Tiff Cremer, Sr. Manager of Infrastructure Design

Everyone, meet Tiff Cremer, Senior Manager of Infrastructure Design for AMZL Energy! Tiff has been an Amazonian for over 6 years and focuses on electric-vehicle charging infrastructure helping Amazon innovate and transform its network and operations and deliver for people and the planet. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Tiff!

Tiff, what is your favorite Amazon memory??

My first big project at Amazon was designing the material handling systems for Amazon’s first automated Air facility. Air was a relatively new business for Amazon, and having come from a background in aerospace, designing material handling systems was a very new space for me. I worked with strong internal and external partners to invent and simplify our way to design and launch an airport sortation facility in just 14 months, from initial concept! A trusted colleague and I would look at a new big problem and lean into leadership principles saying, "well, this is my best idea right now - do you have a better option?" the answer would be "No - let's go!" We put a lot of trust in our "Are Right A Lot" to enable speed and launched a successful air operation. That project made me first really appreciate the variables in engineering. I now tell folks during interviews to imagine the most complicated multivariable problem they can, then take it times a million - and that’s about every project at Amazon!

What accomplishment(s) at Amazon are you most proud of??

I love the technology space that I am in: electric vehicle (EV) charging like?Amazon Electric Delivery Vans. I am most proud of the teams I have been able to build here. I am fortunate enough to have worked with, hired, and developed exceptional teams. The fun part about Amazon is innovating and pioneering every day! Taking airport facilities from design to launch in 3 years vs at least 10 years in standard industry time and being the first to launch electric fleet delivery vehicles at scale.?

If I had to choose a specific accomplishment, it’s the design and launch of the?Amazon Air Hub: KCVG. I started as a Design Engineer working with napkin sketches, building out requirements, learning airport regulations, and researching plane specifications. I also developed material handling systems for our air facilities. I was lucky to start when many were a blank sheet of paper! I grew into leading the design engineering team through system concepts and final design. I partnered with the construction teams as we launched a 600+ acre airport facility. I was so proud standing with my team watching the first flight arrive and first packages sort on a project I had touched since before day 1. I will never forget that moment! That said, the first time we deployed EV chargers is up there too!??

What brings you passion/excitement to your role and team??

I can’t think of a cooler place to work than electric vehicles (EV) right now. I get to work with fantastic, super-smart people, doing very hard things, in a way that positively impacts the world. We get to solve problems that the world doesn’t know how to solve yet, and at a scale that really only Amazon can offer.?

My team is designing solutions for fleet-scale electrification, which is inventing ways to build fast, flexible, frugal EV charging infrastructure. Charging technology is nascent and evolving, and we’re part of that evolution driving requirements that will impact how the entire EV sector evolves.?

What do find exciting about working in an Amazon office???

I love the energy of the office. It provides the chance to check in with people outside of scheduled meetings, as well as, the unexpected conversations and chatter. I appreciate the quick learning like being able to lean over to ask a question versus scheduling a connection. Being able to whiteboard through a design problem, or walk through things real time is truly beneficial. I also love the office puppies - they make for a great brain break.

Tiff, how do you foster diversity and inclusion on your team??

I do my best to hire folks from different backgrounds, and build a team and environment that?cultivates?bringing our whole self to work. I encourage my team on having conversations on our history,?customs and perspectives in team meetings and lunch and learn sessions. My current team has folks with work backgrounds from utilities, renewable energy, power generation, electric vehicles, construction and automation and they’re from all over the world.?My aim as a leader is to make intentional and safe spaces where all can be heard. We also get involved in affinity groups, and I’m currently active and part of the Amazon Women in Engineering (AWE) group.