Scientist II/Senior Scientist, Solid-State Materials
Cambridge, MA$128k - $198kFull-timePosted 3w ago
About the role
Scientist II/Senior Scientist on the Vacuum Synthesis team at Lila Sciences, focused on design and synthesis of functional inorganic solid-state materials to support an autonomous science platform. Collaborates across synthesis, characterization, ML, and systems engineering to close the synthesis–characterization–modeling loop and accelerate discovery in functional materials.
Responsibilities
- Design and execute synthesis campaigns across multiple chemical systems and structure families (melt routes, flux, vapor transport, soft-chemical, topochemical, single-crystal growth, high-pressure environments as needed).
- Translate phase-diagram, crystal-chemistry, and structure-property reasoning into prioritized synthesis pathways for novel inorganic compounds.
- Access metastable and kinetically trapped phases via low-temperature and soft-chemical routes.
- Collaborate with characterization team to develop routine and specialized structural characterization workflows (powder XRD, phase ID, refinement) for materials identification and quality control.
- Advance materials to functional property screening (magnetic, transport, optical, etc.) and use data to refine targets and synthesis design.
- Partner with materials simulation scientists, ML researchers, and systems engineers to integrate synthesis outputs into AI-guided experimental workflows.
- Develop and document robust protocols for air- and moisture-sensitive precursors, controlled-atmosphere processing, and post-synthetic workup in an automated lab.
- Maintain rigorous lab records and uphold safety and regulatory standards.
Qualifications
- PhD in Solid-State Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science, or related field, with 1–5 years of postdoctoral or industry experience.
- Documented portfolio of novel inorganic compounds across multiple chemical systems.
- Hands-on proficiency across multiple inorganic synthesis modalities with ability to select appropriate approach for target phase.
- Experience performing materials synthesis campaigns driven by functional property targets (e.g., magnetism, nonlinear optical response, exotic charge transport).
- Strong working command of complex multicomponent and multidimensional phase diagrams and structural-chemistry principles governing phase formation and stability.
- Deep proficiency in X-ray diffraction and scattering techniques, including quantitative phase analysis and Rietveld refinement.
- Fluency in multimodal characterization (diffraction, magnetometry, transport, spectroscopy, microscopy) to inform synthesis decisions.
- Effective written and verbal communication with track record of cross-functional collaboration.
Skills
Required:Solid-state synthesis
Benefits
- Full-time U.S. employees: medical, dental, vision; employer-paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with holidays; paid parental leave; educational assistance; commuter benefits including bike share; subsidized lunch program.
- International benefits: regionally tailored programs; USD salary ranges apply to U.S.-based positions; international salaries set to local market.
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Lila Sciences
Pioneering Scientific Superintelligence
Pioneering Scientific Superintelligence to solve humankind’s greatest challenges.
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