Autonomous Laboratories, Robotics & Artificial Intelligence – Postdoctoral Researcher at LLNL
Livermore
$122,028–$143,328from the description
Jul 5, 2026
Livermore
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A postdoctoral research role focused on building and operating autonomous laboratories that combine robotics, AI/ML, and laboratory automation to accelerate scientific discovery across materials science, chemistry, advanced manufacturing, and biology. Day-to-day work involves designing automated experimental workflows, integrating instruments and robotic systems, developing supporting software and data infrastructure, and applying methods such as active learning and Bayesian optimization to drive closed-loop experimentation. Suited to a recent PhD graduate with a background spanning both experimental science and software or automation development.
Mid level · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Doctorate required · Temporary
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 1,450 people in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (software developers). range 1,100–2,250
Applicant volume Heavy — This req sits in a large pool with little in its requirements to thin it, and auto-apply tools fire at everything in the occupation. Applying early and leading with the rare skills below is what gets read.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $217,796 (middle half $177,469–$231,052). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
This is a Postdoctoral appointment, fixed-term up to three years; classified as Temporary rather than FullTime accordingly. A completed PhD is a hard gate at time of hire.
The role sits at the intersection of software development, robotics, and AI/ML-driven autonomous experimentation — a genuine multi-occupation hybrid. 15-1252 (Software Developers) was chosen as primary because the JD emphasizes building software and data infrastructure, autonomous workflow development, and platform engineering; 15-2051 (Data Scientists) is a close runner-up given the strong AI/ML and experimental-science focus.
LLNL is located in Livermore, CA, which falls within the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CBSA (41940).
Programming language requirement lists Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C/C++, or similar — these are presented as interchangeable options ('familiarity with one or more … such as'). Python is named as the primary with the others as alternatives.
All skills under 'Qualifications We Desire' (autonomous labs, robotic integration, instrument control, AI/ML methods, agentic/physical AI, domain science workflows) are preferred, not required — they appear under a clearly secondary 'desired' heading.
No security clearance is required at hire, though longer assignments trigger a background check process per the posting's own language.
Ignored 2 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): Bayesian optimization, laboratory automation.
Posting is for a temporary engagement — the market benchmarks below price full-time roles, so read the comp comparison with that in mind.
Read the full posting
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