Research Engineer, Lab Automation
Periodic Labs · Menlo Park · $200,000–$250,000 (stated in the posting)
We're an AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond. Backed by world-class investors and growing rapidly, we operate at the pace the frontier requires. Our team brings deep expertise, genuine ownership, and an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of what's scientifically possible.
About the Role
We're building an autonomous lab to speed up materials discovery, and we need someone who understands thin film research from the inside - someone who's deposited and characterized films, troubleshot instruments, and knows what makes an experiment reproducible.
As our Research Engineer, you'll work directly with scientists to understand what they're trying to learn, then translate that into the hardware setups, instrument sequences, and engineering requirements that make it possible to automate. You'll bring hands-on experimental judgment and Python skills to connect thin-film synthesis, characterization, and data collection into reliable workflows.
What You'll Do
Work closely with bench scientists to understand experimental goals and turn them into concrete hardware and workflow requirements.
Evaluate, select, and configure deposition and characterization instrumentation and hardware to support thin film workflows.
Design and prototype experimental and automation workflows that connect thin film deposition, characterization, and data collection.
Serve as the technical bridge between scientists and the automation/software engineering team, helping define and test instrument interfaces and integration.
Troubleshoot instrument and workflow issues that require materials domain knowledge to diagnose.
Collaborate with AI and data scientists to capture experimental conditions and results in formats that support analysis and planning.
You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have
PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent research experience).
Hands-on experience in a thin-film lab, including film deposition and characterization.
Strong working knowledge of deposition equipment and the supporting hardware, such as vacuum systems, gas handling, temperature control, and characterization.
Ability to communicate fluently with both scientists and engineers, and to translate scientific intent into clear technical requirements.
Comfort writing Python to interact with instruments, manipulate experimental data, and prototype automation workflows
Especially Strong Candidates May Also Have
Prior experience working alongside automation or software engineers.
Experience integrating or retrofitting instruments, controllers, or sensors for automated operation.
Experience with electronic lab notebooks, LIMS, or other lab data systems.
A track record of designing or adapting experimental protocols for higher-throughput or automated execution.
Experience with closed-loop experimentation, using measurement results to guide subsequent experiments.
Mechanics
Minimum education: PhD or equivalent combination of education and hands-on research experience
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Compensation: $200,000-$250,000 + equity
Visa sponsorship: Yes, we sponsor visas.
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