Senior Automated Systems Engineer

About the company

Lila Sciences is a startup building an AI platform that trains models on scientific literature and integrates laboratory validation to enable autonomous scientific discovery.

About this role

<p><strong>Your Impact at LILA</strong></p> <p>Lila Sciences is seeking a highly skilled, hands-on <strong>Automated Systems Engineer</strong> to design, develop, and implement automation solutions across a broad range of laboratory workflows. Reporting to the Automated Systems Engineering Lead, this role is critical to building scalable, high-throughput automated workcells that translate scientific intent into reliable, real-world systems.</p> <p>This role serves as a steward of scientific and cross-functional requirements—working closely with scientists, hardware, controls, and software teams to define scope, align interfaces, and drive projects from concept through deployment. The successful candidate will actively partner with scientific partners helping shape the technical direction of experimental automation in a fast-moving research environment.</p> <p><strong>What You'll Be Building</strong></p> <ul> <li>Actively contribute to hands-on development, testing, and implementation of automated workflows in the lab.</li> <li>Develop scalable automated solutions for synthesis and characterization workflows, supporting a variety of material systems such as porous materials, catalysts, coatings, and advanced composites.</li> <li>Define and document standardized laboratory workflows, operating procedures, and system architectures to support reproducibility and scale.</li> <li>Lead and participate in equipment- and system-level FMEAs to improve robustness and operational safety.</li> <li>Assist in the troubleshooting and optimization of automated systems for throughput, reliability, and adaptability across diverse workflows.</li> <li>Design failure detection methods and maintain laboratory automation systems to ensure robust operations.</li> </ul> <p><em><strong>Project Innovation</strong></em></p> <ul> <li>Translate scientific objectives into well-scoped technical requirements and automation architectures.</li> <li>Act as a connective tissue between science, hardware, controls, and software—ensuring interfaces are clear and solutions are cohesive.</li> <li>Explore and integrate emerging technologies, such machine vision, and advanced sensors, to enhance automation capabilities.</li> <li>Ensure alignment of automation solutions with safety, quality, and regulatory standards.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What You’ll Need to Succeed</strong></p> <ul> <li>Strong hands-on experience developing and scaling automated workflows in laboratory or industrial settings.</li> <li>Understanding of Python programming, including API integration and error handling.</li> <li>Understanding of CAD design and rapid prototyping, including 3D printing.</li> <li>Hands-on experience with hardware systems, including electrical wiring, sensors, liquid/gas plumbing, and PID controllers.</li> <li>Strong critical thinking skills, attention to detail, and ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic environment.</li> <li>Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.</li> <li>Familiarity with advanced experimental systems, including vacuum, laser, furnace, and electrochemical experimentation.</li> <li>Knowledge of machine vision applications and robotics control algorithms.</li> <li>Proven ability to integrate hardware and controls systems with automation workflows.</li> <li>Understanding of AI-driven decision-making in research automation.</li> <li>Prior experience leading technical teams in a fast-paced R&amp;D environment.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Bonus Points For</strong></p> <p><strong>Working at Lila Sciences, you would have access to advanced technology in the areas of:</strong></p> <ul> <li>AI experimental design and simulation</li> <li>Automated custom instrumentation</li> <li>Generative molecular and material design</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p><strong>Compensation</strong></p> <p>We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early-stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact.</p> <p><strong>U.S. Benefits.</strong> Full-time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer-paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with generous company wide holidays; paid parental leave; an educational assistance program; commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees; and a company subsidized lunch program.</p> <p><strong>International Benefits.</strong> Full-time employees outside the U.S. receive a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their region. USD salary ranges apply only to U.S.-based positions; international salaries are set to local market.</p></div><div class="title">Expected Base Salary Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$118,800</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$182,400 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p><strong>About LILA</strong></p> <p>Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard-coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves.</p> <p>LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai.</p> <p>Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.</p> <p><strong>We’re All In</strong></p> <p>Lila Sciences