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Research Scientist, Photonic Materials Discovery

Lila Sciences
Location
Cambridge, MA USA
Posted
1 month ago
Department
Physical Sciences AI
What they actually want (must-haves)
  • PhD or equivalent experience in Physics, Materials Science, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
  • Strong background in computational condensed-matter physics, materials science, physical chemistry, or a related discipline
  • Expertise in electronic-structure methods and calculating and interpreting dielectric, optical, vibrational, polarization, or related response properties
  • Working knowledge of crystallographic symmetry, electronic structure, lattice dynamics, light–matter interaction, and structure–property relationships
  • Experience with established electronic-structure packages and reproducible HPC or cloud workflows
  • Strong Python and scientific software skills
Nice to have
  • Experience with materials or device concepts relevant to electro-optics and integrated photonics
  • Familiarity with advanced electronic-structure, excited-state, finite-temperature, or multiscale methods
  • Experience modeling defects, surfaces, interfaces, thin films, strain, or other non-ideal effects
  • Experience building high-throughput workflows, materials data systems, surrogate models, or active-learning loops
  • Hands-on experience with agentic or tool-using systems and orchestration patterns
What the job really is

The Research Scientist in Photonic Materials Discovery will focus on discovering and optimizing materials for electro-optic and photonic technologies through computational methods. The role involves developing simulation workflows to predict material properties and integrating these into automated discovery systems. Collaboration with experimental scientists and engineers is key to establishing relationships between material properties and device performance.

Benefits
  • Competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early-stage equity
  • Comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Employer-paid life and disability insurance
  • Flexible time off with generous company-wide holidays
  • Paid parental leave
  • Educational assistance program
Things to weigh
  • No salary listed for international positions; U.S. salary range provided
  • The role requires a strong computational background, which may not appeal to candidates focused on experimental work
  • The emphasis on automation and AI may require candidates to adapt to new technologies and workflows
Job score3.4/5
Benefits4/5
Freshness4/5
Career value4/5
Role clarity5/5
Pay transparency0/5

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