At a Glance
- Tasks: Support and enhance automated scientific equipment for reliable lab operations.
- Company: Join Lila Sciences, a leader in AI-driven scientific innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, flexible time off, and comprehensive health benefits.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of curiosity and grit while tackling historic challenges.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on cutting-edge automation systems in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: 2-5+ years in automated control systems with strong troubleshooting skills.
The predicted salary is between 35000 - 45000 £ per year.
Your Impact at LILA
Lila is seeking a Controls Engineer on our Sustaining Engineering team to support the reliability and lifecycle performance of automated scientific equipment across our lab operations environment.
This role works on deployed automation systems, including integrated robotics, PLCs, SCADA, instrumentation, and connected equipment.
You will troubleshoot multi-disciplinary issues, maintain and improve controls infrastructure, and support upgrades that keep laboratory workflows running reliably.
The work spans incident response, preventive maintenance, root cause analysis, vendor software integration, documentation, and system lifecycle management.
This is an execution-focused engineering role for someone who enjoys hands-on problem solving in complex lab automation environments.
Success means improving uptime, reducing recurring faults, and helping automation systems become safer, more reliable, and easier to maintain over time.
- What You'll Be Building
- Maintain and improve deployed PLC, SCADA, and robotics control systems.
- Troubleshoot incidents across controls, robotics, instrumentation, networking, and integrated equipment.
- Perform root cause analysis and implement fixes that reduce recurring faults.
- Update wrappers connecting third-party equipment and vendor software to controls systems.
- Sustain PLC-based safety systems for equipment, robotics, and conveyance workflows.
- Plan preventive maintenance, patching, backups, upgrades, and component lifecycle work.
- Keep P&IDs, wiring schematics, control narratives, and IO lists current.
- Track uptime, MTBF, MTTR, and recurring faults to guide reliability improvements.
- What You'll Need to Succeed
- 2 to 5+ years supporting, maintaining, or troubleshooting automated control systems.
- Hands-on experience with PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, and related automation platforms.
- Experience with OT networking, including routing, security groups, VPNs, or similar systems.
- Experience using Git or equivalent version control for engineering artifacts.
- Ability to create and maintain engineering documents using Auto CAD, Solid Works Electrical, or similar tools.
- Experience with robotics integration, structured text, or related automation programming.
- Strong troubleshooting skills across hardware, software, networking, and integrated equipment.
- Bonus Points For
- Ignition experience or Ignition Gold Certification.
- Structured text, Twin CAT, Python, C++, or similar programming experience.
- Experience with OPC-UA, MQTT, REST APIs, or related communication protocols.
- Familiarity with safety classifications such as SIL or PL.
- Experience with reliability methods such as FMEA, CAPA, RCM, or preventive maintenance strategy.
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.
- 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.
- Expected Base Salary Range
- 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 iscommitted to equal employment opportunityregardless 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.
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Controls Engineer II, Sustaining Engineering in Cambridge employer: Lilasciences
At Lila Sciences, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. As a Senior Principal or Principal Software Engineer in our AI Lab Execution System team, you will have the opportunity to lead cutting-edge projects that directly impact scientific discovery while enjoying comprehensive benefits, flexible time off, and a commitment to employee growth through mentorship and educational assistance. Join us in a dynamic environment where your contributions will shape the future of AI in science, all while working alongside passionate professionals dedicated to solving humanity's greatest challenges.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Controls Engineer II, Sustaining Engineering in Cambridge
✨Get Involved in Local Automation Meetups
We can’t stress this enough – getting your face out there in the automation and control systems community can really set you apart. Look for local meetups or workshops where you can chat with industry professionals, learn about what’s trending, and even discover hidden job gems. Who knows, you might meet someone from a company like Lilasciences!
✨Show Off Your Projects
Make sure you have a portfolio of your work ready to roll. Whether it’s academic projects, internships or personal experiments, showcase how you’ve tackled automation challenges. When you apply for the Controls Engineer II, Sustaining Engineering position at Lilasciences, linking your portfolio gives your application that extra oomph and demonstrates your practical knowledge.
✨Leverage Your Uni Career Services
If you’re fresh out of uni, don’t forget about your career services! Many universities have established connections with companies in the automation field. They may know when Lilasciences is looking for fresh talent or even have internships that lead to full-time positions. So, hit them up!
✨Keep an Eye on Industry Certifications
While hunting for roles, consider getting certified in relevant automation technologies. It shows dedication and gives you a leg up in the job market. Plus, many organisations offer job boards or networking events to certified professionals. This might just lead you to that coveted Controls Engineer II, Sustaining Engineering role at Lilasciences!
We think you need these skills to ace Controls Engineer II, Sustaining Engineering in Cambridge
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Skills:When applying for an automation-control-systems role, it’s crucial to highlight your technical skills. Whether it's your proficiency in programming languages like Python or understanding control systems, make sure your CV showcases these prominently. Don't forget to mention any specific software or tools you're experienced with – that’s music to the ears of hiring managers!
Tailor Your Projects to Automation:If you've worked on any relevant projects, especially those involving automation or control systems, make them stand out in your CV. Use a dedicated section to highlight these projects, explaining your role and the impact of your contributions. This could be the difference between getting noticed and getting overlooked!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine, so tell us why you’re passionate about automation-control-systems! Discuss specific experiences that sparked your interest in this field. Maybe it's a university project or a previous job that truly got you hooked. We love seeing that spark! Make sure to reference how you can contribute to Lilasciences and its goals.
Quantify Your Achievements:In the world of automation, results matter. When listing your experiences, quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you improve system efficiency by a percentage? Did you reduce downtime? Putting numbers to your successes not only demonstrates your impact but also lets us see the tangible outcomes of your efforts. It makes your application pop!
How to prepare for a job interview at Lilasciences
✨Master Your Technical Knowledge
In the automation control systems field, you need to brush up on your technical know-how. Be prepared to talk about specific control systems you’ve worked with, such as PLCs or SCADA systems, and expect technical questions or even hands-on problem-solving scenarios during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Whether it's freelance projects or your academic work, come ready to showcase your portfolio of automation projects. Bring along any diagrams, code samples, or automation solutions you’ve implemented—these can really set you apart and demonstrate your applied skills to Lilasciences.
✨Understand Industry Trends
Stay updated on the latest trends in automation technologies and methodologies, like Industry 4.0 or IIoT. We'll want to discuss how these concepts may affect the role and future projects at Lilasciences, so showing that you're knowledgeable about current and emerging technologies can give you an edge.
✨Commit to Continuous Learning
As this is a full-time role, it's essential to express your eagerness for continuous improvement and learning. Share how you plan to enhance your skills and keep pace with the evolution of automation in the workforce – companies love candidates who are committed to growth and adaptability.
