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Research Scientist, Materials Characterization

Periodic Labs· Science
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Menlo Park, CA$250k - $350kFull-timePosted 11mo ago

About the role

Senior hands-on research scientist role at Periodic Labs focusing on high-fidelity material characterization, development of autonomous discovery loops, and integration with AI-driven workflows.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and perform high-fidelity thermodynamic, transport, and spectroscopic measurements of materials, including electronic, magnetic, and thermal properties
  • Design and implement rapid property measurement schemes to scale up the material characterization process and feed AI-guided discovery pipelines
  • Collaborate with AI team to implement automated data analysis and reasoning pipelines for screened materials; contribute to feedback loop design between measurement and prediction
  • Collaborate with engineering to develop autonomous systems for property characterization leveraging robotics and programmable instrumentation
  • Evaluate, procure, and commission new instrumentation; develop custom measurement setups where commercial solutions are insufficient
  • Define and enforce data standards, metadata schemas, and documentation practices to ensure measurement outputs are reproducible and reusable
  • Uphold and contribute to lab safety standards, particularly around cryogenic systems, high-field magnets, and hazardous materials

Qualifications

  • PhD in Physics, Materials Science, or related field, with 5+ years of hands-on experience in physical property characterization
  • Deep expertise in electronic and magnetic property measurements, including resistivity, Hall effect, magnetometry, and heat capacity
  • Strong background in cryogenic measurements and low-noise techniques, including lock-in methods, shielding/grounding, and precision instrumentation
  • Strong track record of impactful research demonstrated by publications and/or inventions, and recognized leadership in the field
  • Proficiency with data analysis (e.g., Python/Jupyter, familiarity with instrument SDKs a plus) and disciplined data management practices
  • Excellent scientific writing, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and strong ownership of experiment quality
  • Ability to communicate measurement requirements and findings clearly to AI, engineering, and materials science collaborators

Skills

Required:Thermodynamic, transport, and spectroscopic measurementsHigh-throughput measurement designAutomated data analysis and AI collaborationCryogenic and low-noise measurement techniquesData standards and documentationScientific communication and collaboration
Nice to have:Instrumentation procurement and commissioning
Last updated Oct 7, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Periodic Labs

From bits to atoms.

Periodic Labs is an artificial intelligence research company pioneering the next leap in scientific discovery. We operate at the intersection of machine learning and scientific experimentation under the thesis that that true understanding of the universe is only possible by interacting and experimenting on it.

artificial intelligencescientific discoverymachine learningscientific experimentation
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