Your Impact at LILA
Our Platform Evaluation team tests and benchmarks alternative robotics platforms, including mobile manipulators, AMRs/AGVs, and other form factors, against our current production baseline. The team builds custom mobile manipulators by combining off-the-shelf components from different AMR and robot arm manufacturers, for example mounting one or more arms from a given vendor onto an AMR base from another.
As the Robotics Mechanical Design Engineer, you will own the mechanical design of these custom configurations end to end: mocking up multiple iterations (different arm brands, mounting positions, and configurations), modeling them fully in CAD, and preparing designs for simulation and physical build.
You will work closely with the Platform Evaluation engineers, who validate designs in simulation (NVIDIA Isaac Sim) and in physical testing once built. This is a hands-on mechanical and mechatronic design role, not a robotics software or controls position.
What You'll Be Building
- Design and iterate mounting and integration concepts combining robot arms with AMR/AGV base platforms
- Produce multiple design options per platform combination for evaluation
- Model custom mobile manipulator configurations in CAD, including brackets, structural supports, and interface hardware
- Run mass, center-of-gravity, and payload analysis to keep configurations within manufacturer specifications
- Design cable, hose, and connector routing between the arm, end effector, and AMR base
- Prepare simulation-ready CAD models and specifications (exportable URDF/mesh geometry) for Isaac Sim validation
- Document design decisions, tolerances, and assembly procedures, and support physical build and integration
What You'll Need to Succeed
- Mechanical or mechatronic design experience in a production, commercial, or applied R&D setting, ideally involving robotics or automated equipment
- Strong proficiency in 3D CAD software (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Onshape, or similar)
- Experience designing mechanical mounts, brackets, or structural interfaces for hardware integration
- Understanding of payload, mass properties, and center-of-gravity considerations for robotic arms on mobile bases
- Familiarity with robot arm and AMR specifications, including mounting interfaces, payload limits, and reach envelopes
- Comfortable iterating quickly, producing and revising multiple design options rather than one final design upfront
- Strong documentation habits, with the ability to communicate design intent and constraints to a non-mechanical audience
Bonus Points For
- Experience preparing CAD models for downstream simulation use, exporting clean geometry at a level of detail suited to URDF/mesh conversion
- Experience with robot arms and AMRs specifically, rather than general industrial equipment
- Familiarity with ROS2/URDF conventions
- Experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim or other robotics simulation tools
- Background in industrial design for warehouse automation, logistics robotics, or manufacturing equipment
- Experience with rapid prototyping methods such as 3D printing, sheet metal, and machining for early design iterations
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.
U.S. Benefits. Full-time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer-paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with generous company wide holidays; paid parental leave; an educational assistance program; commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees; and a company subsidized lunch program.
International Benefits. Full-time employees outside the U.S. receive a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their region. USD salary ranges apply only to U.S.-based positions; international salaries are set to local market.
About LILA
Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard-coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves.
LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai.
Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.
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.
Skills Required
- Mechanical or mechatronic design experience in a production, commercial, or applied R&D setting
- Strong proficiency in 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Onshape, or similar
- Experience designing mechanical mounts, brackets, or structural interfaces for hardware integration
- Understanding of payload, mass properties, and center-of-gravity considerations for robotic arms on mobile bases
- Familiarity with robot arm and AMR specifications, mounting interfaces, payload limits, and reach envelopes
- Ability to iterate quickly and produce multiple design options
- Strong documentation and communication skills
- Experience preparing CAD models for downstream simulation and URDF or mesh conversion
- Experience with robot arms and AMRs
- Familiarity with ROS2 and URDF conventions
- Experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim or other robotics simulation tools
- Background in industrial design for warehouse automation, logistics robotics, or manufacturing equipment
- Experience with rapid prototyping methods such as 3D printing, sheet metal, and machining
What We Do
Lila is a technology company pioneering the application of artificial intelligence to transform every aspect of the scientific method.
