Associate Director of Autonomous Science

Posting Details

Posting Information

Posting Number PG194818EP

Internal Recruitment No

Working Title Associate Director of Autonomous Science

Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate with education and experience ($110,000 - $125,000)

Work Schedule Monday
- Friday, 8am - 5pm (additional work outside of standard hours may be required due to business needs)

Job Location Raleigh, NC

Department University Interdisciplinary Programs

The Self-driving Platforms for Expedited Experimental co-Design ( SPEED ) Programmable Cloud Laboratory is a $20 million National Science Foundation-funded national research infrastructure led by NC State University. Located in Woodson Hall, SPEED will provide academic, government, and industry researchers with remote access to integrated self-driving laboratories for accelerated discovery and development of advanced functional materials and molecules.

SPEED brings together expertise in laboratory automation, artificial intelligence, experimental science, data engineering, cybersecurity, and workforce development. The facility will operate a suite of autonomous experimental platforms through a shared digital infrastructure, enabling users to design, execute, monitor, and analyze experiments remotely. SPEED is supported by collaborators at NC State, UNC–Chapel Hill, MIT , industry partners, and an initial national network of academic users.

As a Pack member,
you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well-being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.

• Medical , Dental , and Vision
• Flexible Spending Account
• Retirement Programs
• Disability Plans
• Life Insurance
• Accident Plan
• Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs
• 12 Holidays Each Year
• Tuition and Academic Assistance
• And so much more!

Attain Work-life balance with our Childcare benefits,
Wellness & Recreation Membership , and Wellness Programs that aim to build a thriving wolfpack community.

Disclaimer:
Perks and Benefit eligibility is based on Part-Time or Full-Time Employment status. Eligibility and Employer Sponsored Plans can be found within each of the links offered.

The Associate Director of Autonomous Science will contribute to advancement of the scientific and engineering vision for SPEED’s autonomous laboratories, helping transform how experiments are designed, executed, analyzed, and optimized. This is a highly collaborative leadership role at the intersection of science, robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced laboratory automation.

The Associate Director will coordinate the translation of complex scientific questions into closed-loop autonomous experiments that combine AI-driven planning, robotic experimentation, multimodal characterization, data analysis, and scientific reasoning. Working with SPEED scientists, engineers, researchers, and external users, the position will shape new capabilities, guide high-impact research programs, and ensure that autonomous experiments deliver rigorous, reproducible, and scientifically meaningful results.

• Lead design and operation of end-to-end autonomous experimentation workflows across SPEED’s robotic laboratories.
• Translate scientific goals into closed-loop systems spanning experimental design, robotic execution, measurement, analysis, interpretation, and AI-guided experiment selection.
• Define requirements for integrating synthesis, processing, characterization, optimization, and autonomous decision-making.
• Advance Bayesian optimization, active learning, machine learning, scientific models, genetic algorithms, and AI agents in physical laboratory systems.
• Establish standards for controls, validation, uncertainty quantification, reproducibility, metadata, and experimental provenance.
• Evaluate AI-generated recommendations for scientific validity, feasibility, safety, and alignment with research objectives.
• Drive improvements in SPEED’s reliability, throughput, autonomy, and scientific…