Research Scientist III - Materials Discovery Research Insititute
$89,602–$123,203 year
On-siteSkokie, Illinois, United States
Job Summary
Develop, optimize, and execute automated chemistry and high-throughput experimentation workflows to translate manual procedures into scalable automated systems for synthesis, sample preparation, and characterization. Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory automation platforms, robotic systems, and analytical instrumentation including XRD, SEM, and spectroscopy to ensure reproducible data quality. Design and conduct experiments involving porous materials, catalysts, and nanoparticles while integrating automated workflows with laboratory instrumentation and developing software tools for data pipelines. Create SOPs, validation protocols, and technical documentation to support best practices, then collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to advance materials discovery for renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Contribute to technical reports, publications, and grant proposals.
Required Qualifications
- Strong knowledge of chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related discipline
- Demonstrated ability to design, conduct, troubleshoot, and interpret complex laboratory experiments
- Experience with automated chemistry, high-throughput experimentation, or laboratory robotics
- Understanding of chemical synthesis, liquid and powder handling, filtration, sample preparation, and experimental reproducibility
- Working proficiency in Python or another scientific programming language
- Experience with scientific data analysis, visualization, and structured data management
- Ability to connect scientific requirements with practical automation, software, and data solutions
- Strong technical ownership, organization, documentation, and project-management skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams
- Ph.D. in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field
- Minimum 2 years of relevant professional or postdoctoral experience
- Hands-on experience in experimental chemistry or materials research
- Experience using programming or scientific data-analysis tools in a laboratory setting
Desired Qualifications
- Familiarity with APIs, JSON, SQL, Git, LIMS, ELN, or instrument-integration technologies
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