Sr Controls Engineer

Lila Sciences; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 93,600 - 158,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Equity

Flexible time off

Job summary

Lila Sciences in Cambridge, MA, is seeking a seasoned Engineer II / Senior Engineer, Control Systems Design to lead the design and development of control systems for automated scientific equipment. You will architect advanced control systems, integrate robotics and PLC technologies, and drive strategic initiatives to enhance laboratory automation while collaborating with cross‑functional teams.

This role offers mentoring of junior engineers, ensures safety and reliability, and provides

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience designing and implementing control systems for automated lab environments.
• Expertise with PLCs, HMI, SCADA, and related automation software and hardware.
• Experience with OT networking, routing, VPNs, and security groups.
• Proficient in creating detailed engineering documents and schematics (AutoCAD or SolidWorks Electrical).
• Robotics integration and programming using structured text.
• Strong communication and collaboration with SMEs and stakeholders.
• Analytical mindset with attention to safety and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement control systems using PLC/SCADA for laboratory automation.
• Lead complex automation projects, manage vendors, and track milestones.
• Oversee calibration, testing, and validation to meet performance standards.
• Collaborate with software teams to integrate controls with IT/OT infrastructure.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote continuous improvement.

Skills

PLC & SCADA

Robotics integration

OT networking

Engineering documentation

AutoCAD / SolidWorks Electrical

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks Electrical

TwinCAT

Python

C++

OPC-UA

REST APIs

Job description

Lila is seeking a seasoned Engineer II / Senior Engineer, Control Systems Design to lead the design and development of control systems for automated scientific equipment. This role involves architecting advanced control systems, integrating robotics and PLC technologies, and driving strategic initiatives to enhance laboratory automation.

What You'll Be Building

• Assist in designing and implementing control systems using PLC and SCADA technologies to optimize laboratory workflows and promote future scalability.
• Support the integration of advanced robotics into automation systems, ensuring smooth operation within existing frameworks.
• Assist in the integration of 3rd party equipment and vendor software, development of wrappers to connect equipment to existing controls system.
• Design of safety systems with PLCs to safely operate a mix of equipment, robotics, and conveyance systems.
• Collaborate with software teams to integrate control systems with broader IT/OT factory infrastructure.
• Lead complex automation projects, defining controls scope, setting milestones, managing vendors, and ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery.
• Oversee calibration, testing, and validation of control systems to meet strict performance, accuracy, and safety standards.
• Interface with subject matter experts (SMEs) and cross-functional internal customers to gather requirements, understand challenges, and deliver tailored automation solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative team environment.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance system reliability and operational efficiency.

What You'll Need to Succeed

• 4+ years of experience in designing and implementing complex control systems for automated laboratory environments.
• Extensive knowledge of PLCs, HMI, SCADA, and related automation software and hardware.
• Experience with industrial networking in OT deployments, network routing, security groups, VPNs, etc.
• Strong proficiency in creating detailed engineering documents and schematics using tools like AutoCAD, SolidWorks Electrical, or similar.
• Proven experience with robotics integration and programming using structured text.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for engaging with SMEs and internal stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and a commitment to excellence.

Bonus Points For

• HMI design and Ignition Gold Certified.
• Structured text programming experience in TwinCAT, Python, C++, etc.
• Use of communication protocols like OPC-UA, MQTT, and REST APIs.
• Safety system design and classification like SIL or PL.
• Configuration of managed network switches, port addressing/IP subnetting, and DHCP services.
• Ability to troubleshoot traffic flows between OT networks and AWS cloud instances.

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

$93,600 - $158,400 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.

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

Information you provide during your application process will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy .

A Note to Agencies

Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.