Lila Sciences Co-op Mechatronics Engineer at Lila Sciences working on automated lab systems including mechanical design, electrical integration, and prototyping. Support lab automation hardware development in a fast-paced R&D environment.
Responsibilities
Lila is seeking a Co-op, Mechatronics Engineer to join the Hardware & Controls Engineering team in Alewife for the January through May term. You will work on the systems that make autonomous science possible: automated workcells, custom instrumentation, sensing hardware, motion systems, and integrated lab equipment.
This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who wants to build real hardware in a fast-moving R&D environment. You will move between mechanical design, electrical integration, prototyping, testing, documentation, and troubleshooting, working alongside engineers and scientists to turn lab needs into reliable engineering systems.
Your work will support the next generation of lab automation at Lila, helping improve the reliability, scalability, and performance of systems used across our scientific programs. You will leave the term with practical experience across the full mechatronics stack, from concept and CAD through build, test, and iteration.
What You'll Be Building
Design and build mechanical and electromechanical components for automated lab systems.
Support integration of sensors, actuators, motion systems, and control hardware.
Create CAD models, drawings, prototypes, fixtures, and test setups.
Assemble, debug, and iterate on hardware for workcells and custom instrumentation.
Run tests, document results, and communicate design changes clearly.
Collaborate with engineers and scientists to translate lab workflows into reliable systems.
Contribute to improvements that increase system reliability, usability, and maintainability.
Qualification
Experience with CAD designComfortable buildingCuriosity about lab automationExposure to electrical wiringExperience with roboticsFamiliarity with 3D printingPrevious internshipGuided by our core values of truth
Required
Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related field.
Experience with CAD design, prototyping, fabrication, or hands-on engineering projects.
Foundational understanding of mechanical systems, electrical systems, sensors, actuators, or controls.
Comfortable building, testing, debugging, and documenting physical systems.
Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail in hands-on technical work.
Clear communication skills and ability to collaborate across engineering and scientific teams.
Curiosity about lab automation, instrumentation, robotics, or autonomous science.
Preferred
Experience with SolidWorks or another parametric CAD tool.
Exposure to electrical wiring, instrumentation, controls, or data acquisition systems.
Experience with robotics, lab automation, industrial automation, or motion systems.
Familiarity with 3D printing, machining, sheet metal, or rapid prototyping methods.
Previous internship, co-op, lab, project team, or R&D experience.
Lila Sciences is building Scientific SuperintelligenceTM 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 FactoryTM 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.