Computational Materials Scientist

El SEGUNDO, CA | FULL-TIME

NOTE - Must be a U.S. Citizen due to clients under U.S. government contracts

Defense, aerospace and other high-performance applications demand new material solutions stronger, lighter, more resilient tested and delivered faster than traditionally available. Cambium is disrupting advanced materials development, from AI-driven molecular design to agile domestic manufacturing. Whether enabling hypersonic flight or protecting critical systems, our solutions push the limits of what’s possible. Cambium solves mission-critical problems in defense and industry. Our team of world-class scientists and engineers was purpose built to take on those challenges. Come join us and revolutionize advanced materials for defense, aerospace, and beyond.

The Role

Cambium is seeking a Computational Materials Scientist with deep expertise in quantum or atomistic modeling, along with a passion for accelerating material innovation through physical modeling and AI. The successful candidate will lead the development and application of molecular dynamics (MD), density functional theory (DFT), and (AI/ML) models for property prediction, force field development, and inverse design of ground-breaking materials in composite and optical systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute molecular and quantum simulations to support the materials discovery and optimization.

• Develop and apply force field models, including classical, reactive, or ML potentials.

• Lead or contribute to DFT studies of materials systems to determine electronic structure, bonding, electromagnetic, and thermodynamic properties.

• Develop and apply AI and ML models to predict material properties, screen candidate structures, and accelerate simulation.

• Automate high-throughput simulation workflows and data curation pipelines.

• Implement and scale simulation workflows on cloud-based HPC systems (e.g., Azure, GCP).

• Contribute to IP generation, technical presentations and reports, and collaborative R&D efforts with partners in academia, national labs, and industry.

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering, or a closely related field.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in one or more of:

• Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation (e.g., LAMMPS, GROMACS, NAMD)

• Force field development or parameterization

• DFT simulations (e.g., VASP, Quantum ESPRESSO, GPAW)

• Strong Python skills with demonstrated experience building or extending simulation tools.

• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset.

• Passon for science.Delights in venturing bravely into the unknown.

• Background in polymers, composites, optics, or general material science.

• Experience with neural networks or other ML approaches applied to materials or chemical data.

• Experience in cloud computing and parallel computing tools (e.g., SLURM on Azure or GCP).

Why Cambium?

• Work at the cutting edge of physics and AI-driven materials science.

• Collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers.

• Influence product and platform development at an early stage.

• Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits package.

Benefits

Cambium offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits plan. This includes excellent medical/dental/vision benefits, and a matching 401(k) plan, professional development reimbursement, and an opportunity for equity for most positions.

Compensation

$110,000 – $160,000 annually