Associate Director of Autonomous Science

Associate Director of Autonomous Science

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.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Autonomous Science and Engineering Leadership
• 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 capabilities.

Scientific Program and User Engagement

• Serve as scientific leader and primary point of contact for researchers using SPEED's autonomous experimentation capabilities.
• Translate user questions into defined experimental objectives, strategies, and success criteria.
• Assess project feasibility and develop experimental plans, autonomous campaigns, analysis strategies, and validation approaches.
• Partner with researchers and engineers to execute projects, interpret results, and resolve scientific and technical challenges.
• Lead reviews of experimental results, AI recommendations, uncertainty, emerging hypotheses, and next steps.
• Develop sustained research partnerships with academic, government, national laboratory, and industry organizations.

Expansion of SPEED Scientific Capabilities

• Lead development and integration of new autonomous laboratory capabilities, methods, and application areas.
• Identify opportunities to expand SPEED across chemistry, materials science, catalysis, molecular discovery, formulation, process development, and related fields.
• Define requirements for robotic platforms, analytical systems, sensors, AI tools, and integrated workflows.
• Guide new capabilities from concept and prototyping through commissioning, validation, and deployment.
• Establish benchmarks to evaluate performance, reproducibility, and transferability.
• Evaluate emerging technologies in laboratory robotics, scientific AI, multimodal characterization, digital twins, agentic systems, and autonomous decision-making.
• Develop strategies to transfer methods, models, and experimental knowledge across SPEED platforms and partner laboratories.
• Contribute to strategic planning, equipment investments, partnerships, proposals, publications, and initiatives advancing SPEED's scientific mission.

Research Team Leadership and Technical Coordination

• Provide scientific direction and mentorship to researchers, platform scientists, and engineering personnel.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams spanning science, robotics, automation, software, data, AI, and facility operations.
• Set project priorities, milestones, deliverables, and performance expectations.
• Review experimental plans, autonomous workflows, technical documentation, data products, and scientific conclusions.
• Lead technical discussions to resolve integration challenges and align scientific and engineering efforts.
• Establish consistent scientific, software, data, and documentation practices across SPEED platforms.
• Develop training, workshops, and technical demonstrations for researchers, users, and partners.
• Represent SPEED at scientific meetings, sponsor reviews, user workshops, advisory activities, and external collaborations.

Other Responsibilities
- Other tasks and responsibilities may be assigned based on the needs of the organization and evolving priorities.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience
- PhD in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, or a closely related scientific or engineering discipline. Five or more years of relevant…