# Research Associate, Thin Films at Periodic Labs

- Company: Periodic Labs
- What the company does: From bits to atoms. Backed by Accel, Lightspeed and a16z.
- Company website: https://periodic.com/
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Associate
- Location: Menlo Park, CA
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $180K to $225K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-03-10
- Apply by: 2026-10-08
- Apply: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/periodic-labs/98837207-657f-4116-a112-d8dc6184b49e
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/periodic-labs-research-associate-thin-films/

## About the role

Join our world-class team of scientists and engineers building a lab where AI and automation speed up physical R&D.

## What they're looking for

- Currently pursuing or recently completed a PhD (or advanced graduate degree) in materials science, physics, chemistry, or a related field
- Hands-on experience operating thin-film deposition equipment - sputtering, evaporation, PLD, ALD, CVD, MBE, or related techniques - developed in a university or research lab environment
- Familiarity with the practical realities of these systems - target conditioning, chamber qualification, substrate preparation, and recipe troubleshooting
- Basic thin-film characterization experience: you know how to read an XRD pattern, interpret an ellipsometry fit, and recognize a SEM image that signals a process problem
- Strong documentation habits and attention to detail. You log what you did, not just what you intended to do, and you understand why that distinction matters in a data-driven science environment
- Ability to ramp up quickly on new equipment and experimental workflows, and comfort operating independently in shared research facilities where you are responsible for your own training and access

Tags: Science