What We're Looking For
We are seeking a Lab Engineer to operate and maintain our materials synthesis and characterisation lab. You will run experiments, own instruments, and take responsibility for keeping equipment in good working order with minimal supervision.
This is a role for someone with solid practical experience across research-grade equipment, who is comfortable working independently and takes pride in a well-maintained instrument as in a well-executed experiment.
You will be joining a small, highly ambitious team of world-renowned engineers, AI researchers, and materials scientists. We move fast and value people who are energised by that.
What You'll Do
Operate our core instrument suite independently: high vacuum equipment, high temperature metallurgy systems, high field magnets, XRD, SEM and optical characterisation.
Perform routine and preventive maintenance, and diagnose faults before they become failures.
Run synthesis and characterisation experiments, ensuring reproducibility and rigorous data capture throughout.
Write and maintain SOPs and risk assessments for the equipment and processes you own.
Manage consumables, materials inventory, and equipment readiness for the broader research team.
Collaborate with materials scientists and ML researchers to design experimental runs and interpret results.
Support the integration of experimental data into our digital infrastructure and AI pipelines.
Skills & Qualifications
Several years of hands-on experience operating and maintaining research-grade equipment in a professional setting.
Direct experience with two or more instrument domains from our suite:
High-vacuum equipment.
X-ray diffraction (XRD).
Optical characterisation setups.
High-temperature metallurgical synthesis equipment.
High-field magnets.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
Solid working knowledge of vacuum systems: pump types, leak detection, and routine maintenance.
Familiarity with ionising radiation safety requirements and relevant local regulations.
Background from one or more of: semiconductor manufacturing, scientific instrumentation companies, industrial research, national laboratories or other major national facilities, or NDT.
Careful, methodical approach to documentation: maintenance logs, SOPs, and data provenance.
Nice to Have
Experience writing or reviewing SOPs and risk assessments from scratch.
Some CAD experience for fixture or tooling design.
Exposure to automated data capture or basic scripting for instrument control.
Experience in a startup or fast-moving research environment.
Why Join Us
Own a broad range of advanced instrumentation across synthesis and characterisation.
Collaborate with world-class researchers across materials science, robotics, and AI.
Help build a lab from the ground up: the processes, the culture, and the capabilities are yours to help shape.
Diffractive is building the AI Material Scientist that autonomously learns from real-world experimentation to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. We're early, moving fast, and working on problems that genuinely matter.
You'll join a small, high-calibre team where your work has real impact from day one. We're London-based with a flexible approach to how and where you work. We offer competitive salary, generous equity and benefits. You'll have a real stake in what you build and in the company's overall success.
How to Apply
If you're excited about this role and believe you could thrive in it, we'd encourage you to apply even if you may not align with every part of the job description.
Diffractive is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities.
If you require any adjustments or accommodations at any point during the interview process please let us know - we will be happy to help.
Hit the apply button below to submit your application. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Building the AI Scientist - an autonomous system that learns from real-world experimentation to accelerate materials discovery and scientific research. Creating AI-driven laboratory automation and intelligent discovery systems.
Key team members
Adam Bell
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