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Physical Superintelligence (PSI) combines physics, AI, and engineering to accelerate scientific discovery and develop consequential technologies. We are seeking a Head of Experimentation to build and lead our physical experimental program.
In this hands-on leadership role, you will set experimental priorities and translate research objectives into executable programs with clear milestones and decision criteria. You will lead the design, commissioning, and operation of experimental apparatus and measurement systems, and recruit, manage, and develop experimental physicists, research engineers, and technicians.
Key responsibilities include establishing rigorous standards for calibration, data quality, uncertainty analysis, and reproducibility; connecting experimental results to modeling, AI research, and further technology development; and managing equipment plans, budgets, schedules, and shared laboratory resources with appropriate safety oversight. You will remain technically engaged, reviewing experimental designs, troubleshooting difficult measurements, and making evidence-based decisions about resource allocation.
This role works closely with PSI's Physics, AI, and Engineering teams. The company values ambitious scientific judgment, technical ownership, and reliable execution, using AI throughout its work and holding its outputs to the same evidentiary standards as any other research. Leaders are expected to remain close to the science, the apparatus, and the people doing the work.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Eight or more years of experimental research or scientific instrumentation experience, including at least three years of direct people management
- Demonstrated record of personally designing, building, and operating complex experimental systems and producing defensible results
- Deep expertise in at least one experimental physics discipline, with breadth and judgment to lead specialists outside your field
- Strong command of calibration, measurement uncertainty, systematic errors, and experimental controls
- Experience hiring technical teams and managing laboratory resources, equipment budgets, and demanding development schedules
- Fluency in scientific programming, data analysis, and instrument automation, with ability to use and critically evaluate AI-assisted tools
- PhD in physics, applied physics, engineering, or equivalent record of experimental achievement
NICE TO HAVE:
- Experience establishing a laboratory or developing first-of-a-kind scientific instruments
- Experience translating experimental results into reliable prototypes or industrial applications
- Work spanning multidisciplinary research teams, industry, or national laboratories
