Head of Materials AI

Work Your Magic with us! Start your next chapter and join EMD Electronics.

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

Everything we do in EMD Electronics is to help us deliver on our purpose of being the company behind the companies, advancing digital living. We are dedicated to being the trusted supplier of high-tech materials, services and specialty chemicals for the electronics, automotive and cosmetics industries. We foster a global collaborative organization made up of individuals who have the passion to win, obsess about the customer, are relentlessly curious and act with urgency. Together, we push the boundaries of science to make more possible for our customers.

Your Role

EMD Electronics is in the middle of a fundamental shift in how R&D gets done. Over the next several years, AI, automation, and connected data infrastructure will reshape every stage of the materials discovery cycle, from ideation and simulation to lab experimentation and analysis. The Head of Materials AI leads the team and portfolio at the center of that transformation.

This is not a greenfield role. You will inherit a deployed portfolio of AI products with real users, a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers already in motion, and a committed strategic investment behind you. The mandate is to scale what works, sharpen what doesn't, and define the operating model for AI-amplified R&D before the industry converges around one.

Strategic Scope & Impact

• Multi-year transformation portfolio spanning AI co-scientists, Bayesian optimization, ML-based simulation, lab digitization, and ELN infrastructure across all global R&D sites
• Annual program budget from the technology leadership board and multi-year investment commitment
• Direct influence on how R&D scientists design experiments, capture data, and analyze results closing the gap between AI capability and daily research practice
• External representation of EMD Electronics' AI leadership e.g. at conferences etc.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Portfolio

• Define and execute the Materials AI roadmap across the Connected → Amplified → System-Ready R&D phases
• Own and prioritize a portfolio of concurrent AI and digital programs; manage budget, vendors, and delivery milestones
• Present strategy and progress to the Technology Leadership Board and Electronics CTO

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team (AI engineers, computational scientists, product managers, data governance) across Germany, the US, and Asia
• Foster cross-functional collaboration across CTO, R&D sites, DD&IT, and business functions globally

Technical & Operational Delivery

• Architect and scale a deployed multi-agent AI co-scientist platform into the primary R&D workflow tool
• Extend modeling and ML interatomic potential (MLIP) simulation capabilities to new material systems and R&D use cases
• Complete global lab digitization: 100+ instruments connected to ELN, 1.7M historical experiments migrated

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain relationships with Electronics CTO, Technology Leadership Board, R&D site leads, and external vendors and partners
• Represent EMD Electronics' AI capabilities externally through conferences, partnerships, and customer engagements

Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in computer science, data science, chemistry, materials science, or a related field or equivalent experience
• 10 + years leading technical teams and large-scale digital transformation programs, including exposure to R&D or science-driven organizations
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML — LLMs, Bayesian optimization, or data-driven modeling — in a real deployment context
• Track record delivering digital products in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment; ability to bridge data/AI strategy and operational delivery

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in new product development, scale up commercialization.
• Proficiency in agentic AI architectures, large language model-based systems, and modern data infrastructure
• Proven ability to drive technological adoption, not just building tools, but embedding them in how people work
• Experience leading international and multi-site teams of scientists and engineers across disciplines
• Understanding of scaled agile frameworks for managing concurrent digital programs
• Familiarity with research and development workflows and scientific data, including wet lab, simulation, or instrumentation contexts
• Background in semiconductor or specialty chemicals research and development is an advantage
• Executive communication and presence; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and external audiences

Location: San Jose, United States; Germany; Taiwan; Korea; Japan

Base Pay Range for this position – $227,300-$340,900

The offer range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base pay compensation for this position. The actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level of experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors. Position may be eligible for sales or performance-based bonuses. Benefits offered by the Company include health insurance, paid time off (PTO), retirement contributions, and other perquisites. For more information click here:

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!