Robotics Operations Engineer I, First Shift

Lila Sciences, Inc.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Commuter benefits

Bike share

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Lila Sciences is seeking a Robotics Operations Engineer to oversee the deployment and day-to-day operation of the production robot fleet in a lab environment.

You will monitor live operations, troubleshoot issues, and document incidents while coordinating with robotics software and hardware teams to improve uptime as the fleet expands its operating hours.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with robotic systems (labs, internships, or production).
• Solid grasp of robotics concepts: kinematics, sensors, actuators, control systems.
• Experience with ROS2 nodes, topics, and debugging tools.
• Strong written communication for incident reports and cross-team updates.

Responsibilities

• Monitor robot behavior in live production operations.
• Pause/stop/reset robots quickly and safely when issues arise.
• Document logs, sensor data, videos, and reproduction steps for incidents.
• Perform minor maintenance: cabling, sensor swaps, fasteners, basic component replacement.
• Execute robot swap procedures and validate spare units.
• Maintain records of robot health, incidents, and fleet status.
• Translate field observations into clear priorities for fixes.
• Identify recurring failure patterns and suggest downtime-reducing improvements.

Education

Robotics/mechatronics degree or equivalent

Tools

ROS2

Diagnostics tools

Job description

Your Impact at LILA

The Robotics Operations Engineer supports deployment and day-to-day operation of Lila’s production robot fleet. This role is the front-line technical presence for robots operating in production environments, ensuring safe, reliable operation and rapid response when issues arise. You’ll monitor live robot operations, perform hands‑on troubleshooting, document incidents clearly, and partner with robotics software and hardware teams to improve uptime. The role is based in a lab production environment and will help support expanded fleet operating hours as the team scales. This role begins on a standard 9am-5pm schedule and transitions to first shift coverage, 6am-2pm, as fleet operating hours expand.

What You'll Be Building

• Monitor robot behavior during live production operations.
• Intervene quickly and safely to pause, stop, or reset robots when needed.
• Document logs, sensor output, video, and reproduction steps for incident escalation.
• Perform minor robot maintenance, including cabling, sensor swaps, fasteners, and basic component replacement.
• Execute robot swap procedures, validate spare units, and return robots to production readiness.
• Maintain accurate records of robot health, incidents, maintenance actions, and fleet status.
• Translate field observations into clear priorities for robotics software and hardware fixes.
• Identify recurring failure patterns and recommend improvements that reduce downtime.

What You'll Need To Succeed

• Hands‑on experience working with robotic systems through work experience, technical programs, internships, academic robotics teams, or equivalent practical exposure.
• Solid grasp of core robotics concepts, including kinematics, sensors, actuators, and control systems.
• Working experience with ROS2, including nodes, topics, launch files, and debugging or introspection tools.
• Comfortable with basic mechanical and electrical troubleshooting, including cabling, connectors, sensors, and fasteners.
• Strong observational skills and sound judgment for quick, safe decisions during live operation.
• Clear written communication skills for documenting issues and reporting to engineering teams.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with cross‑functional teams.
• Flexibility to begin on a standard 9am-5pm schedule and transition to first shift coverage, 6am-2pm, as fleet operating hours expand.

Bonus Points For

• Experience supporting robots or automated systems through a production rollout or pilot phase.
• Familiarity with Nav2, Behavior Trees, or related robotics tooling.
• Scripting experience with Python or similar tools for log review, data collection, or simple automation.
• Experience with fleet management, monitoring dashboards, telemetry tools, or issue-tracking systems.
• Background in mechanical, electrical, robotics, or mechatronics engineering through a degree, technical program, or equivalent hands‑on experience.

Compensation We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early-stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact. U.S. Benefits. 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. International Benefits. 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.

Expected Base Salary Range: $75,600 USD - $109,200 USD

About LILA

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.

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.

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.

We’re All In

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

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