Postdoctoral Researcher: AI-Driven Autonomous Materials Lab

Aimlroles; Georgia; On-site; USD 36,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Rice University’s NSF-funded READINESS Programmable Cloud Laboratory invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to develop AI-enabled, cloud-accessible autonomous laboratories for next-generation electronic and quantum materials.

The role sits at the intersection of materials science, AI for Science, experimental automation, and cloud infrastructure, bridging AI with physical synthesis and characterization to enable secure, remotely accessible autonomous experimentation.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Materials Science or closely related field.
• Strong AI/ML experience applied to scientific problems.
• Solid understanding of experimental materials science.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop AI/ML frameworks, digital twins, and closed-loop optimization for autonomous materials synthesis.
• Connect AI frameworks with synthesis/characterization instruments via APIs and data pipelines.
• Design a web-based interface and cloud-access framework for secure remote access to READINESS infrastructure.
• Collaborate across materials science and computer science teams as a technical bridge.
• Mentor graduate students and publish research in AI-enabled autonomous experimentation.

Skills

AI/ML applications

Materials science

Python programming

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in Materials Science

Job description

Rice University’s NSF-funded READINESS Programmable Cloud Laboratory invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to develop AI-enabled, cloud-accessible autonomous laboratories for next-generation electronic and quantum materials.

The role sits at the intersection of materials science, AI for Science, experimental automation, and cloud infrastructure, bridging AI with physical synthesis and characterization to enable secure, remotely accessible autonomous experimentation.