Materials R&D Engineer
We’re looking for a hands-on Materials R&D Engineer to develop and validate materials, interfaces, and fabrication approaches for a novel electrostatic actuator platform. This role combines creative experimental design, first-principles calculations, and practical lab work. As an early hire, you will directly shape the materials choices and development strategy.
Experimental Design: Identify key uncertainties, make first-principles estimates, and devise creative experiments to test ideas and guide design decisions.
Materials Development: Investigate liquid-metal interfaces, surface coatings, thin dielectrics, and bonding methods; connect material properties to actuator performance.
Lab Prototyping: Prepare samples, build test fixtures, and collaborate with our microfabrication team to turn concepts into working demonstrations.
Characterization: Develop repeatable measurements of electrical, mechanical, and surface behavior; analyze data, investigate failure modes, and iterate.
Experience: 3+ years of hands-on experimental R&D in materials science, applied physics, or a related engineering field.
Strong materials science fundamentals, including surface interactions, wetting, adhesion, dielectric behavior, and mechanical properties
Practical experience with thin films, surface treatments, eutectic metal solder, polymers, or microfabrication
Demonstrated ability to independently design experiments, build apparatus, select measurement techniques, and interpret results
Comfort using calculations and quantitative data analysis to evaluate ideas and prioritize experiments
Strong problem-solving abilities with a first-principles approach to complex challenges
Clear communication and strong ownership in a startup setting
Genuine enthusiasm for robotics and physically intelligent systems
A builder mindset: rapid iteration, learning from failure, and shipping real hardware
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience
Core technical skills
Strong materials science fundamentals, including surface interactions, wetting, adhesion, dielectric behavior, and mechanical properties
Practical experience with thin films, surface treatments, eutectic metal solder, polymers, or microfabrication
Demonstrated ability to independently design experiments, build apparatus, select measurement techniques, and interpret results
Comfort using calculations and quantitative data analysis to evaluate ideas and prioritize experiments
What we value
Strong problem-solving abilities with a first-principles approach to complex challenges
Clear communication and strong ownership in a startup setting
Genuine enthusiasm for robotics and physically intelligent systems
A builder mindset: rapid iteration, learning from failure, and shipping real hardware
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience
- Where is this Materials R&D Engineer role based?
- The role is based in Boulder, CO.
- What experience does Atomos Space expect for this role?
- The posting is tagged as a mid-level role, typically 3+ years of experience. Check the requirements section for specifics.
- How was this posting sourced?
- This role was pulled directly from Atomos Space's Ashby careers site. Apply links open in the employer's own ATS — no reposts or aggregator middleware.
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