Scientist I/II, Characterization and Composition Analysis

Lilasciences; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Flexible time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Lila Sciences seeks a Scientist I/II, Characterization and Composition Analysis, to join the Materials Science team. You will perform hands-on elemental analysis using XRF, SEM-EDS, and WDS, and develop software for spectral processing and data workflows.

The role combines experimental characterization with software development, requiring strong data quality control, calibration, and cross-functional collaboration with AI and automation teams. Hybrid role in Cambridge.

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, or related field (or MS with hands-on experience).
• Hands-on experience with XRF, SEM-EDS, and WDS for elemental analysis.
• Knowledge of XRF/EDS/WDS principles, calibration, quantification, and error sources.
• Experience writing analysis notebooks and maintaining shared, tested code in a version-controlled repo.
• Proficiency with Python or equivalent for data analysis, automation, or analyzer development.
• Ability to translate characterization workflows into structured, machine-readable data.
• Clear communication across scientific, AI, automation, and software teams.

Responsibilities

• Own data quality and integrity for elemental and materials characterization workflows.
• Develop XRF, EDS, and WDS methods, calibrations, and QC procedures.
• Prepare standards, run samples, interpret spectra, troubleshoot measurement issues.
• Lead investigations for anomalous data and determine data validity.
• Design, write, and maintain analyzer software for spectral processing and quantification with ML team.
• Build automated data ingestion, metadata, provenance, and quality-control workflows.
• Maintain instrument readiness through calibration, SOPs, documentation.
• Support safe operation of general materials characterization workflows (profilometry, XRD, SEM).
• Help evaluate, bring online, and develop methods for new detectors.
• Collaborate with hardware, automation, AI, and software teams to scale trusted data generation.

Skills

XRF experience

SEM-EDS experience

WDS experience

Python programming

spectral processing

data workflows

communication across teams

Education

PhD in Materials Science

PhD in Chemistry

PhD in Physics

PhD in Engineering

MS with hands-on experience

Tools

PyMCA

DTSA-II

Probe Software

BadgerFilm

Job description

Your Impact at LILA

Lila Sciences is seeking a Scientist I/II, Characterization and Composition Analysis to join the Materials Science team within the Autonomous Science Platform. The Autonomous Science Platform combines experimental science, automation, AI, and software to accelerate materials discovery. This role turns elemental measurements into trusted, machine-readable composition data that supports scientific decisions, automated workflows, and model development.

This is a hybrid experimental and software-facing role, centered on hands‑on characterization with substantial analyzer development. You will work with X-ray fluorescence (XRF), SEM‑based energy‑dispersive spectroscopy (SEM‑EDS), wavelength‑dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), and related analytical instruments. You will develop and validate methods, prepare standards and calibrations, execute measurements, interpret spectra, and troubleshoot issues from instrument, sample-preparation, and data-quality.

You will also design, write, and maintain the analyzer software behind these workflows. Partnering with AI, software, and automation teams, you will build spectral processing, quantification, automated data ingestion, metadata, provenance, and quality‑control systems that make characterization outputs reliable, traceable, and useful at scale.

The ideal candidate is credible at both the instrument and the keyboard: strong experimental judgment in elemental characterization, paired with the ability to turn measurement expertise into shared, tested code and production‑quality data workflows.

What You'll Be Building

• Own data quality and integrity for elemental and materials characterization workflows.
• Develop XRF, EDS, and WDS methods, calibrations, and QC procedures.
• Prepare standards, run samples, interpret spectra, and troubleshoot measurement issues.
• Lead investigations for anomalous or out‑of‑specification data and determine data validity.
• Design, write, and maintain analyzer software for spectral processing and quantification in partnership with machine learning team.
• Build automated data ingestion, metadata, provenance, and quality‑control workflows.
• Maintain instrument readiness through calibration, documentation, SOPs, and troubleshooting.
• Support safe operation of general materials characterization workflows (profilometry, XRD, SEM).
• Help evaluate, bring online, and develop methods for new analytical detectors as we expand characterization capability.
• Collaborate with hardware, automation, AI, and software teams to scale trusted data generation.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, or a related field, or M.S. with equivalent hands‑on characterization experience.
• Hands‑on experience with XRF, SEM‑EDS, and WDS for elemental analysis.
• In‑depth knowledge of the physical principles behind XRF, EDS, and WDS analysis, including signal generation, matrix effects, calibration, quantification, and common sources of error.
• Strong understanding of calibration, quantification, spectral interpretation, and data‑quality control.
• Experience preparing standards, validating methods, and troubleshooting measurement issues.
• Experience writing analysis notebook and maintaining shared, tested code in a version‑controlled codebase.
• Proficiency with Python or an equivalent coding environment for data analysis, automation, or analyzer development.
• Ability to translate characterization workflows into reliable, structured, machine‑readable data.
• Clear communication skills for working across scientific, AI, automation, and software teams.

Bonus Points For

• Experience with EPMA or related elemental microanalysis workflows.
• Experience with broader characterization techniques such as electron microscopy, optical microscopy, XRD, XPS, ICP‑OES, ICP‑MS, SIMS, or related analytical methods.
• Familiarity with spectral quantification or analysis tools such as fundamental parameter models, PyMCA, DTSA‑II, Probe Software, BadgerFilm, or similar packages.
• Experience developing calibration workflows, reference standards, SOPs, or QC systems for analytical instruments.
• Experience building training datasets or automated analysis pipelines from instrument data.

Compensation

We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early‑stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact.

U.S. Benefits

Full‑time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer‑paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with generous company wide holidays; paid parental leave; an educational assistance program; commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees; and a company subsidized lunch program.

International Benefits

Full‑time employees outside the U.S. receive a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their region. USD salary ranges apply only to U.S.-based positions; international salaries are set to local market.

Expected Base Salary Range

$108,000 — $170,000 USD

About LILA

Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard‑coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves.

LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai.

Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.

We’re All In

Lila Sciences iscommitted to equal employment opportunityregardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

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