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 4 weeks ago
First seen on Joblaze 1 week ago
Last verified on the company career page 1 day 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 9 days ago on Joblaze — tracked directly from Periodic Labs's career page.
- Periodic Labs has 29 other open roles including Don't See Your Role? Apply Here!, Computational Scientist, Differentiable Physics, Environmental Health and Safety.
- 6517 active Python roles on Joblaze right now.
- 65 active Chemical Engineering roles on Joblaze right now.
- 52 active Materials Science roles on Joblaze right now.
- Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$126,887).
- Pays more than 79% of the 3224 salaried Python roles we track (median $160,000). See Python salary trends
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
Join our team of scientists and engineers building a lab where AI and automation speed up materials discovery.
We're building an autonomous lab to speed up materials discovery, and we need someone who understands materials R&D from the inside — someone who's run the experiments, fought with the instruments, and knows what "the workflow" actually means at the bench. 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.
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 lab instrumentation and hardware to support new and existing materials R&D workflows.
Design experimental and automation workflows that hold up to the realities of materials synthesis and characterization.
Serve as the technical bridge between scientists and the automation/software engineering team, making sure integration specs reflect how the science actually works.
Troubleshoot instrument and workflow issues that require materials domain knowledge to diagnose.
Collaborate with AI and data scientists to help shape how experimental data is structured and used for analysis and planning.
You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have
PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent research experience).
Strong working knowledge of common materials lab hardware (e.g. furnaces, fluid/gas handling manifolds, characterization tools, synthesis equipment) and the workflows built around them.
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 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.
Mechanics
Minimum education: PhD or equivalent combination of education and hands-on research experience
Location: Menlo Park, CA (Soon: San Francisco, too)
Compensation: $200,000-$250,000 + equity
Visa sponsorship: Yes, we sponsor visas.