Forward Deployed Engineer (Quantum Simulations)

TL;DR

Forward Deployed Engineer (Quantum Simulations): Integrating AI-driven quantum mechanical simulations into customer workflows to accelerate materials discovery with an accent on DFT, HPC pipelines, and scientific API integration. Focus on bridging the gap between frontier AI models and practical materials science applications for semiconductor and energy sectors.

Location: On-site in Menlo Park, CA (Preference for candidates based in Menlo Park or San Francisco)

Salary: $180,000–$250,000

Company

An AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond.

What you will do

• Embed with customers and research partners to translate quantum simulation workflows (DFT, quantum chemistry, etc.) into solutions on the Periodic Labs infrastructure.
• Develop integration code, custom scripts, and automation connecting environments like VASP, Quantum ESPRESSO, FHI-aims, and CP2K to internal systems.
• Configure and troubleshoot high-throughput simulation pipelines on cloud and HPC environments (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Act as the primary technical contact for a portfolio of customers, managing the relationship from deployment to expansion.
• Provide detailed product feedback to research and engineering teams to help prioritize the platform roadmap.
• Develop reusable technical assets, including onboarding guides, workflow templates, and integration libraries.

Requirements

• 3–7 years of experience with quantum chemistry or condensed matter simulation codes in research or industry.
• Hands-on experience with at least one major ab initio or DFT code (VASP, Quantum ESPRESSO, FHI-aims, CP2K, GPAW, or equivalent).
• Strong Python programming skills for scripting automation and parsing simulation outputs.
• Experience managing calculations on HPC clusters or cloud compute, including schedulers like SLURM or PBS.
• Ability to communicate complex simulation concepts to both technical and semi-technical audiences.
• Visa sponsorship is available and provided with legal support.

Nice to have

• Experience with ML-accelerated interatomic potentials (MLIP) like MACE, UMA, Nequix, jax-md, or torch-sim.
• Familiarity with materials informatics platforms or frameworks (Materials Project, OQMD, AiiDA, Atomate2).
• Domain expertise in advanced semiconductor packaging, thin-film deposition, superconducting materials, or energy storage.
• Prior experience in a forward deployed or solutions engineering role at a deep tech company.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunity to work at the frontier of AI and physical sciences in a rapidly growing company.
• Backed by world-class investors with a culture of genuine ownership and high drive.
• Collaborative environment working with expert scientists and engineers.
• Comprehensive visa sponsorship and legal assistance for eligible candidates.