Lila Sciences · 9 hours ago
Engineer II / Senior Controls Engineer
Cambridge, MA USA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$94K/yr - $158K/yr
4+ years expLila Sciences is the world’s first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science. They are seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to lead the design and development of control systems for automated scientific equipment, integrating robotics and PLC technologies to enhance laboratory automation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Foundational AILife ScienceSoftware
Responsibilities
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
Develop comprehensive engineering documentation including P&ID diagrams, wiring schematics, control narratives, and instrument IO lists
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
Qualification
Required
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
Preferred
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
Benefits
Bonus potential
Generous early equity
Company
Lila Sciences
Lila Sciences creates a scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous labs for life sciences, chemistry, and materials science. It is a sub-organization of Flagship Pioneering.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Lila Sciences has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (8)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$550.67MKey Investors
ARIANVenturesBraidwell,Collective Global Management
2026-01-20Grant· $0.67M
2025-10-14Series A· $115M
2025-09-14Series A· $235M
Recent News
MIT Technology Review
2026-01-22
2026-01-03
2025-12-17
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