Staff / Principal Industrial Engineer

Lila Sciences

Lila Sciences

Cambridge, MA, USA
USD 163,400-228k / year + Equity
Posted on Jan 24, 2026

Your Impact at Lila

Lila Sciences is seeking an Industrial Engineer to own and architect the physical layout of our AI Science Factories. In this role, you will be responsible for integrating lab instrumentation and robotics into a cohesive, efficient factory design. You will collaborate closely with hardware engineering, science teams, robotics, facilities, and operations to create layouts that are safe, scalable, and engineered for high-throughput autonomous research. This role is central to translating complex cross-functional requirements into a factory environment that enables Lila’s next-generation scientific capabilities.

What You'll Be Building

  • Own the end-to-end factory layout, including spatial planning, adjacency mapping, and utility requirements
  • Integrate lab instrumentation layouts from diverse scientific and engineering domains into a unified, high-performance factory design.
  • Collaborate with hardware, robotics, science, automation, safety, and facilities teams to incorporate requirements for utilities, safety, accessibility, maintenance, and environmental controls.
  • Build and maintain accurate 2D and 3D CAD models of the full factory layout; drive version control and change management for layout updates.
  • Work with robotic teams to run simulations and scenario analyses to assess throughput, operational efficiency, and bottlenecks.
  • Partner with construction, facilities, and external vendors to ensure physical buildouts reflect the intended design and can scale with future demand.
  • Develop standards, documentation, and layout guidelines for new lab instrumentation and factory expansions.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

  • BS/MS degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
  • Experience designing factory, lab, or production layouts in high-complexity environments.
  • Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., AutoCAD, REVIT, SolidWorks).
  • Strong understanding of workflow optimization, material flow, ergonomics, and spatial systems.
  • Ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering and scientific teams.
  • Clear communication and documentation skills.

Bonus Points For

  • Experience with robotic or automated systems and their physical integration into facilities.
  • Familiarity with lab/industrial utility requirements (HVAC, gases, power, chemicals, drainage).
  • Experience in R&D facilities, pilot plants, or advanced automation environments.

About Lila

Lila Sciences is the world’s first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science. We are pioneering a new age of boundless discovery by building the capabilities to apply AI to every aspect of the scientific method. We are introducing scientific superintelligence to solve humankind's greatest challenges, enabling scientists to bring forth solutions in human health, climate, and sustainability at a pace and scale never experienced before. Learn more about this mission at www.lila.ai

If this sounds like an environment you’d love to work in, even if you only have some of the experience listed below, we encourage you to apply.

Compensation

We expect the base salary for this role to fall between $163,400 – $228,000 per year, along with bonus potential and generous early equity. The final offer will reflect your unique background, expertise, and impact.

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.

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.