AI Lab Research Engineer
Lila Sciences is seeking a talented and visionary AI Lab Research Engineer to develop scientific AI models addressing complex, multi-step problems across various domains. In this role, you will design, train, and deploy advanced AI agents capable of sequential decision-making, reasoning, and task completion in scientific contexts. Collaborating with experts in biology, materials science, and automation, you will push the boundaries of AI-driven research.
Key responsibilities include building agentic AI systems that perform sequential decision-making and multi-step reasoning to solve domain-specific problems. You will also develop workflow and code generation tools that translate natural language intent into executable steps for lab instruments. Additionally, you will create benchmarks, test suites, and telemetry systems to evaluate capabilities and measure progress toward scientific goals.
The ideal candidate holds a PhD or Master's degree in a quantitative discipline such as Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or Engineering, with a strong background in machine learning and expertise in a scientific domain like biology or materials science. A solid understanding of large language models (LLMs) and agent architectures, including planning, tool use, structured function calling, and code generation, is essential. Proficiency in modern machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX, along with experience implementing scalable solutions for complex tasks, is required. Comfort in collaborating across disciplines and interfacing with simulations and real lab systems is also important.
Preferred qualifications include experience in building long-horizon agents or reinforcement learning (RL) for control and decision-making, particularly with model-based or offline RL. Designing domain-specific benchmarks and evaluation frameworks for complex scientific tasks is advantageous. Experience in digital-twin development, calibration, and sim-to-real transfer is also beneficial. Contributions to AI for science through publications or open-source projects, especially in top-tier conferences like NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, or ICLR, are highly regarded.
Lila Sciences offers competitive compensation, including bonus potential and generous early equity. The expected base salary range for this role is $148,000 to $240,000 USD, with the final offer reflecting your unique background, expertise, and impact. 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.
Lila Sciences is the world’s first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science. We are pioneering a new age of boundless discovery by building the capabilities to apply AI to every aspect of the scientific method. Our mission is to solve humankind's greatest challenges, enabling scientists to bring forth solutions in human health, climate, and sustainability at an unprecedented pace and scale. If you are passionate about advancing AI-driven research and thrive in a collaborative, cross-functional environment, we encourage you to apply.