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Salary: USD 136,800 - 190,634 / annual
Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence to solve major challenges through AI-driven autonomous science. This role is part of the Platform Evaluation team, which tests and benchmarks alternative robotics platforms—including mobile manipulators, AMRs/AGVs, and other form factors—against production baselines.
You will own the mechanical design of custom mobile manipulator configurations end-to-end. This involves mocking up multiple iterations (different arm brands, mounting positions, configurations), modeling them fully in CAD, and preparing designs for simulation and physical build. You will work closely with Platform Evaluation engineers who validate designs in NVIDIA Isaac Sim and through physical testing. This is a hands-on mechanical and mechatronic design role, not a robotics software or controls position.
Key responsibilities include:
- 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
Requirements:
- 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 qualifications:
- 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
