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We are looking for a curious, enthusiastic R&D Scientist who has a creative approach to problem-solving. The successful candidate will develop measurement solutions that delight customers, distinguishing Asylum Research from competitors with performance, scientific rigor and clarity. These measurement solutions will be in critical application areas of AFM, such as 2D materials, quantum devices, polymers, functional materials, energy production/storage, and beyond-Moore’s-Law computing. The R&D Scientist will conceive, implement, and test algorithms that enable even a novice AFM user to obtain excellent results in a measurement.
This is a great opportunity for the right individual to dig into the details, making a powerful technology accessible to more scientists—at an exciting time to join our team!
Additional Responsibilities
The R&D Scientist will own the development of measurement solutions and drive them from inception through completion:
- Understand the measurements our customers need to make in great depth. This includes the context around the measurement and the way results will be used. Know the state of the art in academic research, competitor products, and the patent literature.
- Experiment with approaches to, and workflows for, these measurements.
- Work with other R&D Scientists and Engineering to design, prototype, test, and launch new hardware required for a critical measurement.
- Develop methods to validate the measurement and predict confidence intervals. Create novel ways to share results, validity, and context with AFM users and their colleagues.
- Interact with customers, listening carefully from the perspective of an expert on how AFMs work.
- Test the solutions you have developed. Automate the testing to prove that it works under a wide range of conditions. Create protocols so that others can test your solution in the future.
- Iterate these measurement solutions internally with Applications and Software. Iterate them externally with beta-test customers. Evaluate where we have met the needs of the market and where we need to improve.
- Document your solutions with manuals, customer training, demonstration samples, and standard operating procedures. Communicate to Applications, Marketing, Sales, and customers how our company’s solution helps users and how it exceeds the competition.
- Support your work on an ongoing basis. With Service and Software Quality Assurance, handle situations where your solutions encounter problems. With Marketing and customers, map the evolving market landscape, further development needed, and future opportunities.
- In your area of expertise, conduct a few customer demonstrations per year. Occasionally, support Marketing in preparing brochures, app notes, and webinars.
- Contribute to our long-term roadmap of instrument development, working with colleagues to analyze shortcomings, prioritize, and implement/test improvements.
- Present advancements in AFM technology, as well as new products, at conferences and trade shows. Publish scholarly articles; generate intellectual property and file patent applications.
- Experience automating a nontrivial measurement (previously performed manually) is highly desirable—particularly the use of machine learning to reduce the burden on users.
- Experience with accurate and trustworthy measurements:
- Understanding what question is to be answered
- Creating a plan for the measurement and carrying it out
- Analyzing the results, including error analysis
- Determining whether the results are valid and whether they answer the question; correcting the plan if necessary
- Drawing conclusions and presenting them to peers, experts, and those outside the field.
- Extensive skill in a scripting programming language such as Python is required. Knowledge of C# and/or IGOR Pro is a benefit as well.
- Scientific experience and understanding of: 2D materials, quantum devices, polymers, functional materials, energy production/storage, or beyond-Moore’s-law computing. Direct research experience in one of these fields is a plus.
- Experience with machine learning data curation, analysis and programming, especially applied to scientific instrumentation and measurements is a plus.
