DuraMat Postdoctoral Scholar

Postdoctoral Scholar – Energy Technologies & Systems

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is hiring a Postdoctoral Scholar within the Energy Technologies & Systems division. The Hacking Materials group has confirmed funding to hire a postdoc to develop theories and software for materials synthesis planning and automated solar data degradation pathway analysis based on literature data. You will support two DOE projects at 50% each: the DOE BES Data‑Driven Synthesis Science program and the DOE CMEI Durable Module Materials Program.

• Programmatic LLM usage for literature data extraction.
• Development of frameworks and procedures for agentic LLM reasoning over large scientific data sets.
• Developing theories for materials synthesis and degradation.
• Preparing presentations and reports.
• Writing peer‑reviewed journal articles.

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related field.
• Experience with programmatic LLM usage, ideally within agentic frameworks (prior usage of Lang Chain/Lang Graph a plus).
• Knowledge of computational phase diagrams, both applied and theoretical (prior published work a plus).
• Broad knowledge of materials science across materials types (inorganic solids, polymers, glasses, etc.).
• Mongo
  
  DB database experience.
• Prior development of Model Context Protocol (MCP) frameworks.

• Cover Letter – describe your interest in this position and the relevance of your background.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume.

• Priority consideration for applications received by February 19, 2026.
• Full‑time, 2‑year postdoctoral appointment with potential renewal.
• Salary: $7,987 – $8,921 per month, based on post‑doctoral experience.
• Background check required.
• Work modality: on‑site at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; hybrid schedule requires residence within 150 miles of Berkeley Lab.
• Relocation assistance available.
• Visa sponsorship not available; candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. at hire.
• Position is represented by a union.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Employer – Berkeley Lab welcomes applications from all qualified candidates.

For more information about working at Berkeley Lab, visit careers.lbl.gov
.