Associate Director, Autonomous Science & Lab Innovation

NC State University; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Flexible Spending Account

Retirement Programs

Disability Plans

Life Insurance

Accident Plan

Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs

12 Holidays Each Year

Tuition and Academic Assistance

And so much more!

Job summary

NC State University seeks an Associate Director of Autonomous Science to lead end-to-end autonomous experimentation workflows within SPEED’s robotic laboratories. You will translate scientific goals into closed-loop AI-guided experimental plans, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and drive high-impact research in chemistry, materials science, and related fields.

You’ll shape capabilities, validate results, and partner with academia, government, and industry to advance autonomous laboratory

Qualifications

• Minimum Education and Experience: PhD in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, or a closely related discipline.
• Five or more years of relevant experience in autonomous experimentation, laboratory automation, robotics, AI for science, high-throughput experimentation, or related platform development.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and operation of end-to-end autonomous experimentation workflows across SPEED’s robotic laboratories.
• Translate scientific goals into closed-loop systems spanning experimental design, robotic execution, measurement, analysis, interpretation, and AI-guided experiment selection.
• Define requirements for integrating synthesis, processing, characterization, optimization, and autonomous decision-making.
• Advance Bayesian optimization, active learning, machine learning, scientific models, genetic algorithms, and AI agents in physical laboratory systems.
• Establish standards for controls, validation, uncertainty quantification, reproducibility, metadata, and experimental provenance.
• Evaluate AI-generated recommendations for scientific validity, feasibility, safety, and alignment with research objectives.
• Drive improvements in SPEED’s reliability, throughput, autonomy, and scientific capabilities.
• Serve as scientific leader and primary point of contact for researchers using SPEED’s autonomous experimentation capabilities.
• Translate user questions into defined experimental objectives, strategies, and success criteria.
• Assess project feasibility and develop experimental plans, autonomous campaigns, analysis strategies, and validation approaches.
• Partner with researchers and engineers to execute projects, interpret results, and resolve scientific and technical challenges.
• Lead reviews of experimental results, AI recommendations, uncertainty, emerging hypotheses, and next steps.
• Develop sustained research partnerships with academic, government, national laboratory, and industry organizations.
• Lead development and integration of new autonomous laboratory capabilities, methods, and application areas.
• Identify opportunities to expand SPEED across chemistry, materials science, catalysis, molecular discovery, formulation, process development, and related fields.
• Define requirements for robotic platforms, analytical systems, sensors, AI tools, and integrated workflows.
• Guide new capabilities from concept and prototyping through commissioning, validation, and deployment.
• Establish benchmarks to evaluate performance, reproducibility, and transferability.
• Evaluate emerging technologies in laboratory robotics, scientific AI, multimodal characterization, digital twins, agentic systems, and autonomous decision-making.
• Develop strategies to transfer methods, models, and experimental knowledge across SPEED platforms and partner laboratories.
• Contribute to strategic planning, equipment investments, partnerships, proposals, publications, and initiatives advancing SPEED’s scientific mission.
• Provide scientific direction and mentorship to researchers, platform scientists, and engineering personnel.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams spanning science, robotics, automation, software, data, AI, and facility operations.
• Set project priorities, milestones, deliverables, and performance expectations.
• Review experimental plans, autonomous workflows, technical documentation, data products, and scientific conclusions.
• Lead technical discussions to resolve integration challenges and align scientific and engineering efforts.
• Establish consistent scientific, software, data, and documentation practices across SPEED platforms.
• Develop training, workshops, and technical demonstrations for researchers, users, and partners.
• Represent SPEED at scientific meetings, sponsor reviews, user workshops, advisory activities, and external collaborations.

Education

PhD in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, or a closely related scientific or engineering discipline

Five or more years of relevant experience in autonomous experimentation, laboratory automation, robotics, artificial intelligence for science, high-throughput experimentation, or related platform development

Job description

NC State University seeks an Associate Director of Autonomous Science to lead end-to-end autonomous experimentation workflows within SPEED’s robotic laboratories. You will translate scientific goals into closed-loop AI-guided experimental plans, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and drive high-impact research in chemistry, materials science, and related fields.

You’ll shape capabilities, validate results, and partner with academia, government, and industry to advance autonomous laboratory