Instrumentation and Automation Scientific Engineering Associate

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's (LBNL) Molecular Foundry is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled Instrumentation and Automation Scientific Engineering Associate to join our team. As a Department of Energy-funded nanoscience research user facility, the Molecular Foundry provides cutting-edge expertise and instrumentation in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment to scientists worldwide.

The Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's (LBNL) is a national user facility for nanoscale science -- one of five Department of Energy Nanoscale Science Research Centers. A multidisciplinary research center at the forefront of nanoscale science, the Molecular Foundry provides state-of-the-art expertise and instrumentation to a diverse, international community, drawing users from academia, national labs and industry.

In this role, you will work closely with scientists and build new automated and robotic equipment across the Molecular Foundry, implementing scientific hardware and software control to enable automated and autonomous scientific data acquisition. A significant focus of this work will be on our growing suite of autonomous and robotically controlled instrumentation for materials growth, characterization, and fabrication with applications including high-throughput microscopy, materials growth for superconducting qubits and quantum materials. Initial projects will include hardware and software development for an AI-driven closed-loop materials exploration and discovery platform on our quantum materials growth and characterization systems.

If you are excited about building tools and capabilities that enable cutting-edge nanoscience research, we encourage you to apply to our team. Join us in our mission to build automated scientific instruments to solve today's nanoscale research problems!

You will:

• Develop hardware and software for new automated research tools, implementing data sharing and analysis pipelines, and building data support infrastructure.
• Develop self-driving and robotic laboratory workflows, including building custom scientific instrumentation, controls software and reinforcement learning pipelines.
• Ensure user safety in the laboratory by designing safe, fault tolerant hardware and software systems.
• Collaborate with scientists and software developers to adapt tools and algorithms for use at the Molecular Foundry. Help translate user's scientific and technical requirements into automated or robotic tools and associated computing technologies.
• Manage time effectively and work both independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.

We are looking for:

• Bachelor's in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or a related field or equivalent combination of skills and experience and 2 years of related experience.
• Significant, demonstrated experience building Scientific equipment, robotics, including hardware and software components.
• Ability to interact with a variety of technical and scientific personnel including Research Associates, Scientists and Software Engineers with varied academic backgrounds.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to present and disseminate scientific software and hardware development. This includes strong documentation habits and user-facing support experience in a user facility or core lab.
• Background in laboratory safety, especially as related to automating scientific equipment, with a good understanding of positive safety culture.
• Proficiency with Python programming for scientific instrumentation.
• Ability and willingness to learn new scientific and technical concepts.
• Scientific instrumentation and Software development experience, preferably in a multidisciplinary environment.

For Senior Level:

Possess the education and experience noted above plus:

• Bachelor's in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field or equivalent combination of skills and experience and 5 years of related experience. Advanced degree (PhD / MS) preferred; or an equivalent amount of education and experience.
• At least 3 years of Scientific instrumentation and Software development experience in a multidisciplinary environment.

Desired skills/knowledge:

• Working knowledge of Machine Learning methods applied to scientific data and self-driving laboratory workflows.
• Experience in design, construction and programming of robotic laboratory equipment and/or automated microscopes.
• Experience in modular, multi-threaded GUI development for scientific applications.
• Experience in scientific laboratory/industrial equipment control software, including Microcontroller, PLC or FPGA experience.

For full consideration, please apply by December 16th, 2025.

Notes:

• This is a full time, 2 year, term appointment with the possibility of extension or conversion to Career appointment based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds and ongoing operational needs.
• This position will be hired at a level commensurate with the business needs and the skills, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate.
• This position is expected to pay $84,552.00 - $105,720.00, which fits within the full salary range of $84,552.00 - $142,716.00 for the N50.1 - Scientific Engineer Associate.
• This position is expected to pay $101,184.00 - $126,492.00, which fits within the full salary range of $101,184.00 - $170,772.00 for the N50.2 - Sr. Scientific Engineer Associate.
• Salary for this position will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualification and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications, and aligned with the internal peer group.
• This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work will be primarily performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. A REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification is required to access Berkeley Lab sites (for more information click here).

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Berkeley Lab is a University of California employer. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.