Postdoctoral Scholar - Reinhart Group - Materials Science and Engineering

Penn State Lady Lions; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Penn State invites applications for a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering to advance machine learning for autonomous thin‑film materials synthesis within the LATTICE program.

You will build specialized ML models for multimodal scientific data, deploy them on edge infrastructure, and collaborate with domain scientists to integrate AI systems with robotic deposition workflows at University Park.

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Strong record of research in applied machine learning, computer vision, and/or scientific data analysis.
• Experience with Python; familiarity with PyTorch or JAX preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop ML models to interpret data from instruments used in LATTICE projects.
• Deploy models on edge-computing infrastructure for real-time feedback during deposition.
• Collaborate with LATTICE domain scientists and AI researchers to integrate the framework.
• Train, calibrate, and validate models against multimodal data.

Skills

Applied machine learning

Computer vision

Scientific data analysis

Edge computing

Education

Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering

Tools

Python

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional information on remote work at Penn State, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the termlengthdiscussed willbebasedonuniversityneed,performance,and/oravailabilityoffunding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences is searching for a postdoctoral scholar. The position will involve machine learning for autonomous thin-film materials synthesis, including representation learning for scientific data, multimodal data fusion, and real-time predictive modeling. This work will be performed as part of LATTICE (Layered and Thin Film Technologies with Intelligent Cloud Experimentation), a National Science Foundation Programmable Cloud Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University's University Park campus.

The postdoctoral scholar will develop specialized machine learning models that enable AI systems to interpret scientific data from instruments including atomic force microscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction, and similar characterization methods. These models serve as the perceptual layer for a multi-agent AI framework that will guide autonomous materials synthesis and interact with robotic systems. The models will be trained, calibrated, and validated against the specific data modalities produced by LATTICE instrumentation. The scholar will deploy these models on edge-computing infrastructure for real‑time feedback during deposition and integrate them with the Lifetime Sample Tracking data platform. The position requires close collaboration with LATTICE domain scientists in thin‑film growth and characterization, AI researchers developing the agentic workflow framework, and future users of the LATTICE framework.

Requirements

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field, plus a strong record of research experience in applied machine learning, computer vision, and/or scientific data analysis.

Preferred

Experience with one or more of the following is strongly preferred: deep learning for image analysis, multimodal or multi-task learning, or deployment of ML models in real‑time or edge‑computing environments. Domain knowledge of materials science, chemistry, or physics will be an advantage. Extensive programming experience in Python is required, and familiarity with PyTorch or JAX is preferred.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full‑time employees designed to support both personal and professional well‑being.

For more detailed information, please visit ourBenefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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