Skip to main content

Periodic Labs

Equipment Engineer

Menlo Park, CA$200k–$275kfulltimemidAdded today

About this role

Periodic Labs seeks an Equipment Engineer to commission, qualify, and maintain vacuum and deposition hardware (PVD, CVD, ALD systems) for an AI-accelerated materials research lab. You'll own equipment reliability, vendor relationships, and lab infrastructure buildout while collaborating with AI, process, and physics teams to enable high-throughput materials discovery.

What you'll do

  • Commission and qualify thin-film deposition systems (PVD, CVD, ALD) and integrate in-situ characterization tools
  • Diagnose and resolve complex vacuum system, hardware, and process equipment failures with root-cause analysis
  • Write equipment specifications, acceptance criteria, qualification protocols, and standard operating procedures
  • Engage with vendors on tool selection, technical requirements, and bid evaluation for capital equipment procurement
  • Monitor equipment health, ensure tool uptime, and establish data pipelines for AI training infrastructure
  • Scale lab infrastructure to support materials discovery and accelerate breakthroughs in energy and semiconductor applications

What they're looking for

  • Vacuum systems design and operation
  • Thin-film deposition technology (PVD, CVD, ALD)
  • Equipment commissioning and qualification
  • Plasma sources and gas delivery systems
  • In-situ metrology and characterization integration
  • Vendor management and procurement support
  • Technical documentation and SOP writing
  • Troubleshooting and root-cause analysis

Benefits

  • Equity compensation
  • Work with cutting-edge AI and materials science
  • On-site collaborative environment in Menlo Park
  • Visa sponsorship available for exceptional candidates
  • Opportunity to build lab infrastructure from the ground up
  • Cross-functional collaboration with AI/ML and physics teams
Apply with Autofill

Opens the application — the Jobs AI extension fills it for you. Set up autofill

Opens the official application on the employer’s site. No login required.

Periodic Labs

Periodic Labs builds AI systems and autonomous lab infrastructure to accelerate materials discovery and scientific research, integrating machine learning with physical lab workflows and quantum simulation. The company is hiring for infrastructure engineers, product engineers, research engineers, and deployment specialists who bridge AI models with materials scientists and lab automation systems.

View all jobs at Periodic Labs

Likely interview questions

  • Walk us through your experience commissioning and qualifying a vacuum deposition system from installation through first qualified runs.
  • Describe a complex vacuum or deposition equipment failure you debugged—what was your troubleshooting approach and how did you prevent recurrence?
Unlock all 7 questions free — and practice them live →