<h3>About the Role</h3><p style="min-height:1.5em">We are a seed-stage deeptech startup building an advanced materials acceleration platform that combines physics-informed AI, robotics, and real-world experimental data to dramatically shorten the timeline for discovering new materials — particularly for the energy sector. We are seeking a <strong>Head of AI Research</strong> to define and lead our AI-for-Materials research agenda.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">This is a senior leadership role sitting at the intersection of machine learning, physics, chemistry, and automated experimentation. You will shape the scientific vision that translates cutting-edge research insight into reliable, end-to-end discovery pipelines — and build the world-class team to execute it.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Location:</strong> Berlin, Germany (on-site). <strong>Visa sponsorship is not available</strong> — candidates must be eligible to work in Germany without employer sponsorship.</p><h3>What You'll Do</h3><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Define and champion the research thesis for AI-native materials discovery; set high-impact research bets and long-horizon strategy.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Identify where existing ML paradigms fall short for physical matter and specify what needs to be invented instead.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Lead development of a <strong>Materials World Model</strong> that bridges experiments, simulations, and learned representations.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Collaborate closely with Programs, Hardware &amp; Automation, and Software Architecture teams to embed research into end-to-end autonomous discovery loops.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Ensure models stay grounded in physical reality and experimental feedback — not just abstract data.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Balance ambitious long-horizon research goals with near-term deliverables and milestones.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Build, hire, mentor, and challenge a multi-disciplinary team of senior ML researchers and scientists.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Foster a culture of deep thinking, honest evaluation, scientific taste, and intellectual courage.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Influence the broader scientific community through collaborations and a clear, opinionated point of view on future directions.</p></li></ul><h3>What We're Looking For</h3><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Required:</strong></p><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Advanced degree (PhD strongly preferred) in machine learning, physics, chemistry, or a closely related field.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">7+ years of machine learning research experience, including demonstrated leadership of senior individual contributors or head-of-team responsibility.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Deep expertise in <strong>physics-informed machine