Engineer II / Senior Engineer, Vacuum Synthesis Hardware

Lila Sciences; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A scientific technology company in Cambridge is seeking an Engineer/Senior Engineer for vacuum synthesis hardware. This role involves designing automated synthesis workflows and collaborating with AI and engineering teams. Candidates should have a PhD in Materials Science or related fields, with substantial experience in thin film materials synthesis and vacuum hardware design.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience with thin film materials synthesis by methods such as sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, or chemical vapor deposition.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with design and construction of novel vacuum hardware.
• Experience with thin film materials characterization using techniques such as HRXRD, TEM, AFM, RHEED.

Responsibilities

• Design novel workflows for high-throughput automated synthesis of thin film materials.
• Collaborate with engineering and software teams on vacuum synthesis tools.
• Partner with materials characterization experts for in-situ analysis.

Skills

Thin film materials synthesis

Vacuum hardware design

Materials characterization techniques

Solidworks or equivalent CAD software

Education

PhD in Materials Science, Applied Physics, Chemistry, or a related field

Job description

5 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants

About Lila Lila Sciences is the world’s first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science. We are pioneering a new age of boundless discovery by building the capabilities to apply AI to every aspect of the scientific method. We are introducing scientific superintelligence to solve humankind's greatest challenges, enabling scientists to bring forth solutions in human health, climate, and sustainability at a pace and scale never experienced before. Learn more about this mission at www.lila.ai

If this sounds like an environment you’d love to work in, even if you only have some of the experience listed below, we encourage you to apply.

Your Impact at Lila

As an Engineer/Senior Engineer, Vacuum Synthesis Hardware on our Physical Sciences team, you will join a dynamic group working to push the art of the possible in vacuum materials synthesis. By combining deep understanding of the science of thin film growth with hands‑on hardware design experience, you will create revolutionary hardware for the high‑throughput synthesis and in‑vacuo characterization of diverse classes of thin‑film materials, including magnetic materials, superconductors, durable coatings, and many others. You will collaborate with experts in AI‑enabled materials discovery, materials characterization, and automation to integrate these new capabilities into complete, closed‑loop workflows capable of accelerating discovery of thin film materials by over 100‑fold.

What You’ll Be Building

• Work with thin film synthesis experts on the design of novel workflows for high‑throughput, automated synthesis of a broad range of thin film materials.
• Collaborate with engineering, software, and AI teams on designing and building unique, patentable tools for automated, high‑throughput vacuum synthesis of materials, including complete vacuum systems and novel deposition sources and other components.
• Partner with materials characterization experts on design and validation of novel tools for in‑situ analysis of structural, chemical, and functional properties.
• Collaborate with software and AI teams to integrate the above capabilities into autonomous, closed‑loop vacuum synthesis workflows guided by AI predictions.

What You’ll Need To Succeed

• PhD in Materials Science, Applied Physics, Chemistry, or a related field.
• ≥ 5 years of hands‑on experience with thin film materials synthesis by methods such as sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, or chemical vapor deposition.
• ≥ 3 years of hands‑on experience with the design, construction, and testing of novel vacuum hardware, including complete custom UHV systems and novel components.
• Experience with thin film materials characterization using techniques such as HRXRD, TEM, AFM, RHEED, and other methods.
• Proficiency in Solidworks or equivalent CAD software for hardware design, including specific experience with the use of such tools for design of vacuum hardware.

Bonus Points For

• Prior experience with self‑driving labs for materials synthesis and/or characterization.
• Specific experience with the design and construction of components for thin‑film synthesis, such as unique deposition sources, substrate stages, sample transfer mechanisms, or other components.
• Prior experience with in‑situ materials characterization.

We’re All In

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

Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.