Materials Scientist

Hong Kong Quantum AI Lab Ltd; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Multidisciplinary team environment

Competitive compensation for strong/aw

Founding role opportunities

Job summary

Hong Kong Quantum AI Lab Ltd is assembling a team for a Physical AI for Science venture. You will conduct research in materials and contribute to publications, patents and milestones alongside colleagues in AI and robotics.

Part of our work involves building self-driving laboratory capabilities, shaping how experiments are designed, prioritised and automated. Experience with AI or robotics is not required, but would be an advantage.

Qualifications

• PhD required; graduates by July 2027 welcome.
• Strong evidence of scientific excellence in research.
• Hands-on laboratory skills in synthesis, formulation and/or characterisation.
• Learning agility and adaptability in a fast-moving lab environment.
• Entrepreneurial temperament is a plus for shaping new research directions.

Responsibilities

• Design, validate, and execute synthesis, formulation and characterisation workflows for materials.
• Collaborate with AI and simulation teams to prioritise experiments and design informative studies.
• Translate manual protocols into robot-executable procedures with robotics colleagues.
• Help shape new research directions as the lab expands into other domains.

Skills

Laboratory skills

Learning agility

Entrepreneurial mindset

Scientific excellence

Education

PhD in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering or related discipline

Job description

Hong Kong Quantum AI Lab (HKQAI) is assembling the team for a Physical AI for Science venture.

HKQAI is an R&D centre jointly established by The University of Hong Kong and the California Institute of Technology, with research spanning quantum chemistry, artificial intelligence and robotics.

We are building self-driving laboratories, in which AI agents design workflows, simulation platforms evaluate candidates, robots execute experiments, and every result feeds back into the next cycle.

About the role

You will conduct research in materials and contribute to publications, patents and research milestones alongside our colleagues in AI and robotics.

Part of our work involves building self-driving laboratory capabilities, and you will help shape how experiments are designed, prioritised and automated.

Experience with AI or robotics is not required, but would be an advantage.

We are looking for someone with

• PhD in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering or a related discipline from a top institution (candidates graduating by July 2027 are also welcome to apply)
• Strong evidence of scientific excellence, whether through research at a leading academic group, publications, industrial R&D or other technical work
• Hands-on laboratory skills in synthesis, formulation and/or characterisation
• Learning agility
• Entrepreneurial temperament is a plus

Key responsibilities

• Design, validate, and execute synthesis, formulation and characterisation workflows for materials
• Collaborate with colleagues in AI and simulation to prioritise candidates and design informative experiments
• Translate selected manual protocols into structured, robot-executable procedures together with colleagues in robotics
• Help shape new research directions and workflows as the lab expands into other domains

What we offer

• Multidisciplinary environment to work alongside researchers across AI, chemistry, materials science and robotics
• Compensation commensurate with capabilities and experience, with flexibility for outstanding candidates
• Exceptional candidates will be offered a founding role, your decisions will shape the venture