Engineer II /Senior Controls Engineer
Job description
About the role
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. The hire will own the full lifecycle of complex control solutions, from initial concept and requirements gathering through detailed design, implementation, and final validation. They will act as the primary technical authority for control platforms, ensuring all designs meet stringent scientific accuracy, safety, and regulatory standards. This position requires deep expertise in translating scientific workflow needs into robust, scalable automated systems. The successful candidate will mentor other engineers and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the automation team.
Location: Cambridge
Engagement: Full-time
U.S. authorization to work is required
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.
What you'll do
- 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.
Requirements
- 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.
Nice to have
- 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.
About the role
This role is central to Lila's mission to advance laboratory automation through technically rigorous and scalable control solutions. You will be responsible for end-to-end control system design, ensuring that each solution is safe, accurate, and aligned with scientific objectives. You will define system architecture, select appropriate technologies, and guide cross-functional teams to successful implementation. By leveraging your expertise in PLCs, SCADA, and industrial networking, you will enable complex automation that supports high-throughput, precision-sensitive workflows. You will also play a key role in risk management, safety validation, and regulatory compliance, ensuring systems are qualified and reliable. Your work will directly impact the speed, reproducibility, and quality of scientific experimentation.
What you'll do
- Lead the architectural design of control systems for automated scientific equipment, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and performance.
- Implement PLC-based control strategies and SCADA interfaces to orchestrate complex laboratory workflows.
- Integrate robotics platforms and third-party devices, developing software wrappers and communication adapters as needed.
- Design and implement safety and interlock systems using PLC logic to protect personnel, equipment, and processes.
- Coordinate with software and infrastructure teams to align control systems with IT/OT standards, network segmentation, and cloud integrations.
- Author detailed engineering artifacts, including P&ID diagrams, wiring schematics, control narratives, and IO lists.
- Manage end-to-end automation projects, including scoping, vendor engagement, timeline definition, and on-time, on-budget delivery.
- Execute validation protocols, calibration procedures, and factory acceptance testing to confirm system compliance and accuracy.
- Elicit and translate requirements from scientists and cross-functional partners into technical control solutions.
- Mentor engineers at various levels, promoting knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the automation team.
Requirements
- 4+ years of hands-on experience designing and deploying control systems in automated laboratory or similar process environments.
- Demonstrated expertise with PLC programming, HMI development, and SCADA platforms.
- Solid understanding of industrial networking technologies, including OT-specific network routing, segmentation, and security practices.
- Proficiency in engineering documentation tools such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks Electrical for schematic and diagram creation.
- Experience integrating robotics and motion control systems using structured text or equivalent programming methods.
- Exceptional communication skills to collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Strong analytical abilities and meticulous attention to detail to meet scientific and safety-critical requirements.
Nice to have
- Certification on Ignition platform or proven HMI design experience.
- Structured text programming in TwinCAT, Python, C++, or similar industrial languages.
- Familiarity with OPC-UA, MQTT, and RESTful APIs for system integration.
- Knowledge of safety standards and ability to design systems to achieve SIL or PL ratings.
- Experience configuring managed switches, IP subnetting, port addressing, and DHCP in OT environments.
- Skills troubleshooting OT-to-cloud traffic flows, particularly involving AWS cloud services.
Practical notes
This is a full-time position located in Cambridge, MA USA. U.S. authorization to work is required.