Research Fellow (Autonomous Materials Discovery)

Nanyang Technological University Singapore; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NTU Singapore's School of Materials Science and Engineering seeks a Research Fellow to develop and establish robotic and autonomous laboratory workflows for accelerated materials discovery and battery research. You will integrate automated synthesis, sample handling, characterization, electrochemical testing, and data acquisition into coordinated experimental pipelines.

You will collaborate with senior researchers, software developers, and international collaborators to optimize protocols, build

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in battery materials, electrochemistry, or materials synthesis.
• Experience with robotic systems or autonomous laboratory development.
• Demonstrated scientific productivity through peer‑reviewed publications.
• Strong hands‑on experimental and problem‑solving skills; ability to troubleshoot automated workflows.
• Good communication and teamwork in a multidisciplinary environment.

Responsibilities

• Support development and operation of autonomous laboratory platforms for materials discovery.
• Conduct automated materials synthesis, characterization, electrochemical testing, and data analysis for battery systems.
• Participate in project planning, data collection, and analysis to ensure reproducible results.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication and contribute to grant proposals.
• Report progress in group and individual meetings.
• Contribute to technology development and translational research opportunities.

Skills

Robotic systems

High-throughput experimentation

Autonomous laboratory development

Peer-reviewed publications

Teamwork

Education

PhD in Materials Science and Engineering or related field

Job description

The School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) provides a vibrant and nurturing environment for staff and students to carry out inter-disciplinary research in key areas such as Computational Materials Science, Characterisation Materials Science, Defense Composite Materials, Functional Composite Materials, Energy, Nanomaterials, Low Dimensional Materials, Biomaterials Materials, Biological Materials, Bioinspired Materials and Sustainable Materials.

For more details, please view https://www.ntu.edu.sg/mse/research.

MLab is seeking a Research Fellow to support the development and establishment of a robotic and autonomous laboratory for accelerated materials discovery and battery research. The role will focus on assisting with the integration of automated materials synthesis, sample handling, characterization, electrochemical testing, and data acquisition into coordinated experimental workflows. The Research Fellow will contribute to the development of high-throughput and autonomous experimentation platforms, including robotic systems, laboratory automation, and AI/machine learning-assisted approaches for experimental design, optimization, and materials discovery. The research will target advanced materials and interfaces for solid-state batteries, aqueous batteries, and other emerging energy-storage technologies.

The successful candidate will work closely with senior researchers, engineers, software developers, and collaborators to establish automated experimental protocols, optimize materials synthesis and screening processes, develop reliable data pipelines, and integrate experimental results with data-driven and machine-learning models. The role will also involve conducting materials synthesis and electrochemical studies, troubleshooting and improving automated workflows, analyzing research data, and contributing to research publications, technical reports, and project deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development and operation of autonomous laboratory platforms for materials discovery.
• Conduct automated materials synthesis, characterization, electrochemical testing, and data analysis for battery systems.
• Participate in project planning, data collection and analysis to generate high-quality, reproducible research outcomes.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in high-impact journals and contribute to grant proposals and research reports.
• Report on research progress and/or literature update in scheduled group meetings and individual meetings.
• Support the overall research mission of the lab by contributing to technology development, knowledge dissemination, and translational opportunities.

Job Requirements

• Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Research experience in battery materials, electrochemistry, or materials synthesis.
• Experience and knowledge with robotic systems, high-throughput experimentation, or autonomous laboratory development.
• Demonstrated scientific productivity (peer-reviewed publications).
• Strong hands-on experimental and problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop, integrate, and troubleshoot automated research workflows.
• Good communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Hiring Institution: NTU