Senior Automation Engineer, Workcell

About the position

As an Senior Automation Engineer at Lila Sciences, you’ll help design, develop, and deploy automation systems that streamline laboratory workflows. You will work on building custom workcells and automated processes, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to integrate software, hardware, and controls in a dynamic research environment.

Responsibilities

• Assist in designing and constructing custom workcells that integrate off-the-shelf components with tailored hardware solutions.
• Develop automated workflows using Python to control lab instruments and manage data acquisition.
• Collaborate with hardware, controls, and software teams to integrate and optimize automation systems.
• Help troubleshoot issues and implement improvements to boost efficiency and reliability.
• Use project management tools (e.g., JIRA) to track progress and ensure project milestones are met.
• Engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to facilitate clear communication and alignment.
• Stay current with emerging automation technologies and propose creative solutions to advance our workcell designs.
• Contribute to process improvements and share insights with the team to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Material Science, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 4-6+ years of hands-on experience in life science automation environments
• Proficiency in Python programming; familiarity with automation frameworks and API integration is a plus.
• Basic understanding of hardware systems, instrumentation, and custom engineering.
• Strong problem-solving skills and keen attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.
• A proactive, team-oriented mindset with a commitment to learning in a fast-paced, innovative setting.

Nice-to-haves

• Hands-on experience in advanced automation settings.
• Transferrable expertise from environments such as semiconductor manufacturing, modern logistics automation, or Manufacturing 4.0.