Associate Director / Director, Soft Matter Formulation

Your Impact at Lila

Lead Lila’s strategy and execution at the intersection of soft matter, molecular chemistry, and AI. You will build closed-loop, active-learning systems that design, optimize, and scale formulations—polymers, colloids, emulsions, gels, electrolytes, inks, coatings, and adhesives—by unifying data, physics, and automation. Your work will shorten iteration cycles, deliver robust recipes with target properties, and enable real-world deployment across multiple product domains.

What You'll Be Building

• Formulation Intelligence Platform
  • Create multi-objective, constraint-aware active learning and Bayesian optimization pipelines that map recipe + process → properties and enable inverse design with uncertainty quantification.
• Data and Representations
  • Stand up clean, linked datasets and ontologies for components, concentrations, processing, and measurements; develop polymer/mixture representations (e.g., BigSMILES, graph/3D features) and feature stores for reuse.
• Physics- and Simulation-Informed Modeling
  • Fuse ML with soft-matter physics: solubility and mixing rules, Flory–Huggins, CMC/cloud points, cure kinetics, rheology models; couple mesoscale simulation (DPD/CGMD, SCFT, phase-field) and fast surrogates for phase behavior, stability, rheology, transport, and interfacial properties.
• Autonomous Experimentation
  • Partner with lab automation to run high-throughput DoE and adaptive sampling; integrate LIMS/ELN, instrument control, and standardized protocols for rapid validate–learn loops.
• Real-World Use Cases and Deployment
  • Deliver validated formulations and SOPs for priority applications (e.g., coatings/adhesives, printable inks/pastes, polymer/gel electrolytes, emulsions/hydrogels); harden models for scale-up, robustness, and manufacturability.
• Leadership and Collaboration
  • Lead a small cross-functional team (ML scientists, formulation chemists, automation engineers); define roadmaps, KPIs, and best practices; partner closely with product, operations, and manufacturing.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Advanced degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials/Polymer Science, or Chemistry (PhD preferred) and 7+ years R&D experience, including 3+ years applying ML/active learning to formulations or soft matter.
• Deep understanding of soft-matter fundamentals: phase behavior, self-assembly, rheology, interfacial phenomena, diffusion/transport, and cure/crosslinking.
• Hands-on formulation and characterization experience (polymers, colloids, surfactants, fillers/additives); familiarity with rheometry, DSC/TGA/DMA, DLS/zeta, scattering/spectroscopy.
• Proficiency in Python and ML: Bayesian optimization, DoE, Gaussian processes, multi-fidelity modeling, constraint handling, UQ; tools like PyTorch/JAX, scikit-learn, BoTorch/Ax; solid data engineering practices and experiment tracking.
• Facility with mesoscale/continuum simulation and surrogates: DPD/CGMD (LAMMPS/HOOMD/OpenMM), SCFT/phase-field, mixing and transport models, and their integration with ML.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and experience leading cross-functional R&D to delivery.

Bonus Points For

• High-throughput/robotic formulation experience and automated characterization workflows.
• Sector expertise in energy storage electrolytes/ionogels, printable electronics, coatings/adhesives/sealants, consumer/personal care, or biomaterials.
• Experience deploying models to production (MLOps, cloud/HPC orchestration) and maintaining performance in the wild.
• Publications, patents, or open-source contributions in soft matter, formulation science, or scientific ML.
• Knowledge of EHS and regulatory considerations relevant to formulations (e.g., REACH, FDA-adjacent contexts).

About Lila

Lila Sciences is the world’s first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science.  We are pioneering a new age of boundless discovery by building the capabilities to apply AI to every aspect of the scientific method.  We are introducing scientific superintelligence to solve humankind's greatest challenges, enabling scientists to bring forth solutions in human health, climate, and sustainability at a pace and scale never experienced before. Learn more about this mission at  www.lila.ai

If this sounds like an environment you’d love to work in, even if you only have some of the experience listed below, we encourage you to apply.

We’re All In

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

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A Note to Agencies

Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.