Senior Materials Research Scientist (AI)

Location: Remote within the United States

Salary: $134,000–$202,000, $151,000–$227,000, or $168,000–$252,000 annually, depending on US geographic pay tier.

Company

SandboxAQ develops AI solutions and Large Quantitative Models for life sciences, financial services, navigation, cybersecurity, and other sectors.

What you will do

• Act as the scientific contact for external co-development partners, translating their problems into target specifications, constraints, and qualification criteria.
• Run generative chemistry discovery workflows for PFAS-substitution use cases and rank candidate compounds for experimental validation.
• Evaluate generative and simulation outputs for chemical plausibility, process fit, performance, and environmental, health, and safety constraints.
• Translate partner validation results and experimental data into actionable improvements for successive design cycles.
• Align property targets, screening oracles, and reward objectives with dataset, computational chemistry, machine-learning, and generative-modeling teams.

Requirements

• PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 3+ years of post-PhD experience in industrial or applied R&D developing, formulating, or qualifying high-purity performance materials and formulations.
• Experience bridging experiments and computation on application-driven projects with external partners.
• Proficiency in Python and comfort working with generative machine learning and physics-based simulation teams.
• Familiarity with process-material performance and EHS qualification requirements, generative molecular design, virtual screening, or ML property prediction.
• Must be based in the United States for this remote role.

Nice to have

• Experience defining qualification protocols with fabs, OEMs, or chemical suppliers.
• Hands-on experience with PFAS phase-out or fluorine-free reformulation.
• Working knowledge of semiconductor processes such as lithography, etch, CMP, cleaning, or thermal management.
• Publications or patents in semiconductor materials, fluorochemistry, or PFAS alternatives.
• Experience with CHIPS Act or other federally funded R&D programs.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive base salary with equity and performance-based incentives.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance, plus a 401(k) with company match.
• Generous parental leave and paid time off.
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements and protected focus time.
• Mentorship, senior scientific and executive exposure, and dedicated learning budgets.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration focused on semiconductor materials and AI-driven scientific discovery.