Senior Research Associate

About the role

In this Senior Research Associate role, you will own the execution and continuous improvement of characterization workflows that directly support active materials research campaigns within the Autonomous Science Platform. You will operate, maintain, and refine measurement processes while collaborating across teams to ensure high-quality, reliable data generation for ongoing scientific inquiries. This is a hands-on position for individuals who prefer careful experimental work, dependable lab operations, and practical method development in a fast-paced environment. You should be comfortable with scientific instrumentation, detail-oriented, and interested in building repeatable, scalable workflows that keep research moving efficiently and effectively. Your daily contributions will focus on ensuring that characterization processes are robust, traceable, and aligned with the broader goals of the materials research team.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Operate SEM, optical microscopy, XRD, and related characterization tools within active measurement workflows to support materials research campaigns.
• Prepare samples and define measurement plans to meet routine characterization demands while maintaining alignment with project timelines and quality standards.
• Maintain instrument readiness through routine checks, calibration, thorough documentation, and troubleshooting when issues arise to minimize workflow interruptions.
• Draft, refine, and standardize protocols for new tools, measurement methods, and sample types as needs evolve to support platform growth and adaptability.
• Record measurement data clearly to ensure traceability and ease of review, enabling other team members to understand, validate, and build upon completed work.
• Analyze characterization flow to identify bottlenecks and drive improvements in throughput, reliability, and data quality using practical, data-driven approaches.
• Coordinate closely with Materials Science, platform, and operations teams to align on campaign goals, timelines, and expectations for characterization support.
• Support the integration and stable adoption of new instruments and protocols while campaigns are active, ensuring smooth transitions and consistent results.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of characterization workflows by testing incremental changes and validating their impact on efficiency and data integrity.
• Act as a practical resource for colleagues by sharing operational knowledge, clarifying procedures, and helping to resolve day-to-day characterization challenges.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor of Science or Master of Science in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, or a related field from an accredited institution.
• Possess two to five years of hands-on laboratory experience focused on materials characterization or similar workflows in a research or operational setting.
• Demonstrate proven ability to operate SEM, optical microscopy, XRD, or other standard materials characterization tools with attention to detail and consistency.
• Show strong skills in sample preparation, measurement planning, and experimental documentation to support reliable and reproducible outcomes.
• Exhibit demonstrated ability to troubleshoot instruments, workflows, and data-quality issues using systematic investigation and corrective actions.
• Display comfort following standardized procedures while contributing to protocol improvements as methods mature and requirements change.
• Communicate effectively with scientists, engineers, and operations teams to ensure alignment on goals, constraints, and expectations.
• Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with the needs of our characterization workflows and cross-functional teams during the hiring process.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with materials sample preparation for microscopy or diffraction workflows to reduce setup time and improve consistency.
• Experience onboarding new lab equipment, methods, or characterization protocols with minimal supervision and clear knowledge transfer.
• Comfort working in high-throughput or service-oriented lab environments where efficiency and reliability are critical.
• Basic data analysis, visualization, or scripting experience for measurement workflows to support rapid interpretation and reporting.

Practical notes

This is a full-time position based in Cambridge, MA, USA. Please be prepared to discuss how your background matches the practical needs of the characterization team and how you can contribute to reliable, scalable workflows from day one.