Head of Chemistry

About the company

PhysicsX is the physics AI company for industrials, re-architecting engineering for the age of intelligence. The mission is to accelerate hardware innovation by overhauling industrial engineering and manufacturing. PhysicsX builds a new simulation software stack to deliver deep physics AI enablement across the entire engineering lifecycle, partnering with leading organisations in aerospace & defence, automotive, semiconductors, materials, and energy & renewables. Headquartered in the United Kingdom with offices in London, New York, and Singapore and an expanding presence in the Bay Area.

Chemistry and materials underpin many of PhysicsX's highest-priority sectors, spanning semiconductors, electrochemistry, specialty and commodity chemicals, mining, and oil & gas. The team works from atoms to systems, transforming how chemists, materials scientists, and engineers exploit new materials, design new processes and devices, monitor performance, and optimise the operation of existing assets. This includes identifying the key chemical phenomena and mechanisms that must be captured, and the scale at which to simulate them, to drive discovery, scale-up, and optimisation. Approaches range from DFT to AI-driven inverse problem solving, simulating at every scale between atomistic and continuum. Unlike many AI companies that stop at predicted properties or ranked candidate lists, PhysicsX carries chemistry from the atom to the device, cell, reactor, and plant, so customers can see whether a new material or process delivers the performance they need at industrial scale and within real manufacturing constraints.

Responsibilities

• Build and own the distinctive atoms-to-systems capability, coupling atomistic and molecular insight into continuum and systems-scale models across PhysicsX so customers can industrialise novel materials and processes faster.
• Set the technical direction and standards for chemistry across the company and lead the chemistry team across two streams:
• Capability: Direct the team building chemistry capabilities. Work with Product to productise functionality, and with Research to push the frontier across chemistry and AI. Partner with industry leads so the roadmap delivers the greatest value to customers.
• Customers: Work with Delivery leads to ensure the right people are on the right customer projects and well supported, and grow the team with the right skill sets. Act as hiring manager for the team across both streams.
• Serve as the foremost chemistry voice in conversations with prospective customers; read signals from those interactions to decide which technical directions to pursue, how best to support customers' chemistry needs, and which capabilities to use or develop.
• Decide which machine learning approaches for chemistry to build, which to adopt, and how they couple into continuum and systems-scale models.
• Own the balance between capability development and time with customers.
• Stay hands-on enough to go deep with the team on hard technical problems.
• Drive success measured equally by customer outcomes and uptake of new, distinctive capabilities.

Requirements

• PhD in computational chemistry or computational materials science; alternatively, a PhD in a related field such as chemical engineering, materials science, electrochemistry, or applied physics with substantial research in atomistic or multiscale modeling.
• 6+ years of deep technical work since PhD, in industry or an industry-facing setting.
• Hands-on depth in atomistic simulation and machine learning interatomic potentials.
• Working knowledge of techniques at other scales, including molecular, mesoscale, phase-field, reactive flow, and process simulation; ability to connect scales — knowing which quantities must carry from one scale to the next and where a surrogate can replace a simulation.
• Applied this expertise to real industrial problems with direct experience in relevant industries; semiconductors, electrochemistry, or catalysis ideal.
• Led and grown a team of 5+ technical specialists: set research and capability direction, hired, and developed them.
• Built a technical roadmap, prioritised it against competing demands, and owned its delivery.
• Communicate clearly in all directions: up to leadership; across to Product, Research, and Delivery; out to customers; and down to the team. Lay out decisions, options, and constraints so nobody's guessing.
• Credibility with both a deep technical team and senior leadership.
• Ideally, recent years at an AI-led materials company or start-up, setting technical direction at pace in a field still being defined, building the approach as you went.
• Deep entrepreneurial streak: want to build, lead, and grow things; want real responsibility and accountability.
• Energised by ambiguity and a fast-changing environment; forge your own path and help others forge theirs.
• Willing to travel to customer sites and PhysicsX offices, on average 3–4 weeks per quarter, including internationally.

Benefits

• Equity options — share meaningfully in the company you're helping to build.
• 5% contribution to 401(k) — build long-term security with a strong retirement plan.
• Free team lunch 1x/week.
• Private health insurance — comprehensive cover for you.
• Enhanced parental leave — 3 months full pay paternity and 6 months full pay maternity leave.
• 20 days of