2026 PhD Residency - High-throughput Chemical Experimentation

General description:
In this role, you will be entrusted with designing, optimizing, and executing high-throughput experimental (HTE) workflows. You will lead the charge in extracting actionable insights from the resulting large-scale datasets, translating complex data into tangible project milestones for two early investigations.

You will work closely with hardware engineers, chemists, and data-focused members of the factory to identify bottlenecks in discovery and solve them through rapid experimentation and automation.

This is an incredibly dynamic role and requires high cross-functional communication, organization, and planning. The ideal candidate is a self-starter and has a track record of effectively developing high-throughput workflows, building the data pipelines to process those results, and delivering demonstrable, real-world outcomes.

How you will make 10x impact: 

1. Designing, building, and executing high-throughput experimental setups to rapidly test hypotheses and accelerate discovery timelines.
2. Developing and maintaining robust data processing pipelines to ingest, organize, and analyze the large volume of data generated by these experiments.
3. Analyzing and interpreting complex datasets to guide the next iteration of physical experiments and process improvements.
4. Working closely with cross-functional teams to integrate HTE insights into the broader commercial and engineering goals of various projects
5. Collaborating and coordinating with external partners and suppliers for specialized materials or equipment.

This project aims to push the limits of science and modeling as we know them and to prove how ML can radically accelerate our understanding of the world

• Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
• Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
• Duration: a flexible 4 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability

Throughout your AI Residency you can expect:

• To be embedded into one of our confidential or public X projects
• To get paid competitively and receive benefits
• To be a part of a lively community of AI and ML Residents
• To attend tech-talks with AI leaders from across X

What you should have: 

• Studying towards a Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Applied Physics, or a related field.
• Direct, hands-on experience designing and executing high-throughput experimental workflows.
• Strong familiarity with data processing, wrangling, and analysis techniques tailored for large-scale experimental data (e.g., using Python, R, MATLAB, or similar tools).
• Demonstrable results applying high-throughput methodologies to solve complex scientific problems (e.g., evidenced by peer-reviewed publications or patents).
• Broad interests in applied science and engineering, and a willingness to learn and explore new areas beyond your core expertise.

It’d be great if you also had these: 

• Experience with making customized tools, lab automation, robotics, and integrating custom hardware with software systems.
• Demonstrated ability to interface with and modify diverse instrumentation to extend their original capabilities.
• Experience in applying machine learning algorithms or advanced statistical modeling to physical science datasets.
• Experience in applied materials discovery, organic synthesis, or polymer chemistry at scale.

Additional public information:

https://www.wired.com/video/watch/astro-teller-captain-of-moonshots-at-x-speaks-at-wired25

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-10-10/alphabet-x-s-astro-teller-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video

The US base salary range for this position is $109,000 - $147,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include benefits.