Job Description

At Facebook Reality Labs (FRL), our goal is to explore, innovate and design novel interfaces and hardware subsystems for the next generation of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences. We are looking for a design research science lead to join our team, whose mission is to invent the future of ubiquitous soft machines that enriches human connection in the digital world. We are specifically looking for a candidate who has demonstrated experience extending multi-physics models to the design of stretchable and inflatable mechanical systems. Candidates will have the opportunity to influence and inform discoveries across soft robotics, haptics, microfluidics, functional materials, and additive manufacturing through system modeling, simulation, optimization, and design. The ideal candidate is an excellent communicator who influences diverse stakeholders by clearly distilling complex research ideas to their value propositions for integration teams, and by defining ambiguous user-centric needs as testable hypotheses for physical sciences research. A successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with a highly diverse, massively interdisciplinary team, leveraging cutting edge technology, resources, and testing facilities to build the future.

Actuator Research Scientist Responsibilities:

• Drive development, verification, and validation of stretchable and inflatable mechanisms in wearable AR/VR interaction devices.
• Lead teams of scientists and engineers on research project and through strategic planning.
• Identify points in research project progress where demonstrations will be most effective, then lead cross-functional teams in their delivery.
• Effectively communicate with diverse teams in research, design, user experience, and other science teams.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD degree with focus on fluid dynamics and/or solid mechanics. Background can include aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, bioengineering, robotics, mechatronics, applied physics, or other related areas.
• 5+ years hands-on experience (post terminal degree) with building, testing, verifying, and validating computational models of real engineered systems.
• 2+ years experience working with technical partners (internal or external) to deliver integrated engineering projects such as complex validation experiments or simulation environments. Experience collaborating and communicating effectively in team settings.
• Demonstrated track record of research with finite element, finite volume, finite difference, or boundary element models of other relevant multi-physics systems.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with fluid structure interaction (FSI), especially two-way interaction between fluid and nonlinear soft solids.
• Experience mentoring researchers.
• Familiarity with technology physically interacting with humans. This can include physical human computer interaction, physical human robot interaction, augmented and virtual reality, haptics, body-worn sensing, wearable assistive devices, safety mechanisms, medical devices, or wearable consumer products.
• Familiarity with approaches applied to high performance or massively parallel computation.
• Familiarity with additive manufacturing, microfabrication, or other fabrication processes of other soft material structures and devices.
  
  

Facebook is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.Facebook is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@fb.com.