Staff Forward Deployed Engineer, Physical Sciences
Tech Stack
About the Role
Staff Forward Deployed Engineer, Physical Sciences (Level Flexible)
Location: Cambridge, MA USA
Your Impact at Lila
Lila Sciences seeks extraordinarily talented Forward Deployed Engineers across multiple seniority levels. The role emphasizes embedding with biotech and materials science teams, requiring chemistry and industrial manufacturing expertise. FDEs function as high-performing generalists with a broad set of skills, in addition to depth in one or more focus areas.
The core mission involves embedding with internal teams and external customers to rapidly build solutions that transform their research capabilities using AI and software platforms while developing customized features.
What You'll Be Building
- Creating and modifying domain-specific tools for data analysis, process optimization, and molecular modeling
- Deploying custom, agentic scientific workflows integrating industrial instruments (PLCs, control software) and data systems (ERP, MES, SCADA)
- Constructing real-time data pipelines converting messy scientific data into actionable insights
- Developing user interfaces making complex AI/ML capabilities accessible to scientists
- Architecting solutions scaling from proof-of-concept to enterprise deployment
Required Qualifications
- Domain expertise in chemistry, materials science, or related disciplines
- Outstanding communication skills for interfacing with executives and manufacturing personnel
- Data engineering experience, ETL pipelines, and handling complex datasets
- Full-stack development across backend, frontend, and data layers
- Exceptional problem-solving with comfort managing ambiguous requirements
- Product discovery aptitude and requirements feedback capability
- Willingness for frequent, extended customer site travel
Bonus Qualifications
- Previous customer-facing or consulting roles
- Controls engineering and machine learning depth
- Scientific computing libraries proficiency (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, RDKit)
- ML/AI implementation and deployment familiarity
- Modern web technology knowledge (TypeScript, React)
What Makes a Great FDE
The position requires candidates who are Customer Obsessed, Fast Learners, Autonomous, Collaborative, and Technically Versatile.
Compensation & Benefits
Base Salary Range: $192,000 - $256,000 USD
U.S. Benefits Package includes: Medical, dental, vision coverage; employer-paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off; paid parental leave; educational assistance; commuter benefits; subsidized lunch program.
About Lila Sciences
The company builds Scientific Superintelligence combining advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory instruments operating as an operating system for science. Core values emphasize truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity while maintaining startup speed on historically significant problems.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Lila Sciences commits to equal employment opportunity regardless of protected characteristics and encourages applications from candidates not meeting every listed qualification.
