Research Engineer, Lab Automation
Join Periodic Labs as a Research Engineer to build an autonomous lab that accelerates materials discovery through AI and automation.
Posted by employer 2 months ago
First seen on Joblaze 2 months ago
Last verified on the company career page 13 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
AI in the day-to-day
Collaborate with AI and data scientists to help shape how experimental data is structured and used for analysis and planning.
Requirements
- Education
- PhD
- Visa
- Sponsorship available
Not disclosed in this posting: years of experience.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
In the role of Research Engineer for Lab Automation, the individual will collaborate closely with scientists to translate experimental goals into practical hardware and workflow requirements. This position demands a strong background in materials science or a related field, along with hands-on experience with lab instrumentation and automation processes. Ideal candidates are those who can effectively communicate between scientific and engineering teams, and possess programming skills in Python for data manipulation and automation. Periodic Labs is rapidly growing, emphasizing a culture of innovation and ownership in advancing materials discovery.
Joblaze insights
- Listed about 2 months ago — first seen on Joblaze September 3, 2026. Last confirmed on Periodic Labs's careers page November 2, 2026.
- Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$129,391).
- Starts above 97% of 342 comparable mid other roles in United States that list Python we track (median $112,099 across 61 companies). See Python salary trends
- Python appears in 18% of 3323 comparable mid other roles in United States; Chemistry appears in 0.2% of 3323 comparable mid other roles in United States.
Quick facts
- Is the Research Engineer, Lab Automation role remote?
- No — this is an on-site role in Menlo Park, CA.
- What's the salary range?
- Periodic Labs lists $200,000–$250,000 for this role.
- Where is the role based?
- Periodic Labs is hiring for this position in Menlo Park, CA.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Python.
- Does Periodic Labs sponsor work visas for this role?
- Yes — the posting indicates visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Periodic Labs targets mid-level candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Research Engineer, Lab Automation role at Periodic Labs.
From the original 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.
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.
Standard company text repeated across Periodic Labs's postings is omitted here.