Mechanical Engineering Intern, Advanced Engineering

Lila Sciences • Cambridge, MA

1d

About The Position

Lila Sciences is seeking a Mechanical Engineer Intern to join our Advanced Engineering team for the summer. You'll gain hands-on experience designing components for bench-scale robotics, mechanical systems, and automation. Working alongside experimental scientists, AI/ML scientists, and software/controls engineers, you'll engage in CAD design, analysis, prototyping, 3D printing, assembly, and testing. Your efforts will help accelerate our physical hardware designs which support the experimental execution and data collection of life science and physical science workflows.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field
• Hands-on experience with SolidWorks CAD (Parts and Assemblies) or similar parametric 3D CAD software — SolidWorks PDM experience is a plus
• Comfortable juggling input from multiple teams and stakeholders without losing momentum
• A builder's mindset: you're proactive, curious, and energized by figuring things out in a fast-moving environment
• Strong collaboration and communication skills — you can work across disciplines and make your thinking clear
• Sharp attention to detail and a genuine drive to solve hard problems
• An interest in life science or physical science automation, and excitement about what's possible when AI meets the lab

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with GD&T and designing parts for specific fabrication methods (milling, lathing, sheet metal, 3D printing)
• Previous internship or co-op experience in industrial automation, lab automation, or R&D
• Exposure to robotics, industrial controls, or electrical engineering
• Basic familiarity with automation software, robotics programming, or industrial electronics

Responsibilities

• Partner with scientific and engineering teams to develop concepts and evaluate tradeoffs for instruments, workcells, and lab automation hardware
• Use SolidWorks (Parts, Assemblies, and PDM Vault) to design and iterate on components and assemblies for bench-scale robotics and autonomous lab systems
• Use resources creatively to design, build, and test prototypes — from static fixtures to multi-axis motion assemblies — to rapidly validate concepts in support of life science and physical science workflows
• Work cross-functionally with scientists, controls engineers, software engineers, and external suppliers to review designs and integrate mechanical solutions into the broader AISF platform
• Design, build, and run electromechanical test setups to prove reliability of critical workcell components and lab automation instruments
• Evaluate designs at the component, instrument, and fully integrated workcell level using tools like FMEAs and design reviews
• Root cause hardware failures and develop tests to replicate and resolve failure modes
• Document your work so that others can easily understand key decisions made and build upon your contributions

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern