Equipment Engineer — Periodic Labs

About Periodic Labs

We're an AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond. Backed by world-class investors and growing rapidly, we operate at the pace the frontier requires. Our team brings deep expertise, genuine ownership, and an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of what's scientifically possible.

About the Role

As an Equipment Engineer, you will own the commissioning, qualification, and maintenance of the vacuum and deposition hardware that powers our AI-accelerated thin-film and semiconductor processing lab. You will commission, qualify, and maintain R&D thin-film deposition systems, including but not limited to PVD, CVD, and ALD, working closely with vendors to assemble, install, and bring tools online, and troubleshoot complex vacuum and process-hardware issues at the equipment level.

You will also be hands-on in bringing up new tools and reactors, integrating in-situ characterization and metrology capabilities, writing equipment specifications and SOPs, and working closely with vendors to procure and qualify capital equipment. In this role, you will collaborate daily with internal teams spanning AI/ML, simulation, process engineering, and physics/chemistry to stand up scalable lab infrastructure for high-value problems.

What You'll Do

• Lab Development: Contribute to the buildout and scale-up of an AI-accelerated thin-film and semiconductor processing laboratory, including commissioning deposition systems and integrating in-situ characterization and metrology tools, enabling scientists to pursue materials discovery.
• Equipment Qualification & Troubleshooting: Establish equipment specifications, acceptance criteria, and qualification protocols for new tools; diagnose and resolve complex hardware, vacuum, and process-equipment failures.
• Vendor & Procurement Engagement: Contribute to vendor communication and tool selection, providing technical requirements to vendors and supporting bid evaluation and technical negotiation, in coordination with the procurement team.
• Documentation & Data: Create internal and external documentation, equipment SOPs, strategies, and technical reports, and establish standardized equipment data pipelines to feed into AI training infrastructure.
• Equipment Reliability & Uptime: Own day-to-day equipment health and prioritize tool availability by proactively monitoring performance, troubleshooting hardware and process issues, performing root-cause analysis, and working directly with vendors to resolve failures quickly and prevent recurrence.

You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have

• BS, MS, or PhD in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical), Materials Science, or a related field.
• Extensive hands-on experience with vacuum systems in a semiconductor, nanofabrication, or advanced materials setting.
• Deep expertise in high-vacuum system operation and the underlying mechanisms of deposition hardware, including plasma sources, gas delivery, and thermal management.
• Experience integrating characterization and metrology capabilities directly into process equipment (e.g., in-situ metrology, environmental chambers).
• Startup-ready mindset: able to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment while implementing industry-standard best practices.

Mechanics

• Type: Full-time
• Location: On-site in Menlo Park, CA. This role cannot be performed remotely.
• Schedule: Standard weekday schedule.
• Compensation: $200K to $275K, plus equity, commensurate with experience.
• Work authorization: Must be authorized to work in the U.S.; visa sponsorship available for exceptional candidates.