Principal Scientist, Permanent Magnets

The role

The Principal Scientist will lead the scientific direction and technical roadmap for the Magnets vertical. This role involves building a multidisciplinary team and applying computational materials discovery, simulation, and AI to develop high-performance permanent magnets.

What you will do

• Own the scientific charter and technical roadmap for the Magnets vertical.
• Oversee the translation of generative design outputs into a robust IP portfolio.
• Build, lead, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of research scientists, computational/ML scientists, and postdocs.
• Specify and prioritize magnetism-aware LQM, datageneration, and multi-scale modeling capabilities.
• Lead scientific engagement with national lab and industrial partners.
• Architect feedback loops between computational modeling and experimental lab validation.
• Work with the commercial team to identify buyers for novel IP and structure licensing agreements.
• Author the external scientific narrative for updates, publications, conferences, and investors.

Required qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, or a related discipline, with deep specialization in magnetism, intermetallics, or hard magnetic materials.
• 7+ years of post-PhD experience leading scientific programs in magnetic materials.
• Significant industrial or national-lab leadership at the principal scientist, fellow, or director level.
• Ability to translate first-principles, multi-scale, and ML-driven modeling into manufacturable magnet formulations.
• Track record of building and leading multidisciplinary scientific teams and shaping research roadmaps.
• Publication and patent record.
• Ability to represent the work to senior government, defense, and industrial audiences.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience with Fe-N, Mn-based, Sm-Co, or other rare-earth-lean permanent magnet systems and their bulk processing challenges.
• Familiarity with applications in lithography stages, vacuum pumps, precision actuators, or defense platforms.
• Experience operating within CHIPS Act, DOD, DOE, or other federally funded R&D programs.
• Prior involvement in NewCo formation, IP licensing, or scaling research IP into commercial manufacturing operations.
• Track record of taking permanent magnet materials from concept through scale-up, qualification, and transfer into pilot or commercial manufacturing environments.
• Ability to translate system-level application requirements into composition, processing, and microstructure targets.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience, plus equity and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Generous parental leave.
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements.
• Generous PTO.
• Culture that respects focus time and recovery.
• Direct exposure to CHIPS Act-funded programs.
• Senior scientific and executive leadership exposure.
• Mentorship.
• Dedicated learning budgets.

About the company

SandboxAQ is a high-growth company delivering AI solutions that address some of the world's greatest challenges. The company emerged from Alphabet Inc. as an independent, growth capital-backed company in 2022.