Staff Forward Deployed Engineer, Physical Sciences (Level Flexible)

<p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Your Impact at LILA</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">We're seeking extraordinarily talented Forward Deployed Engineers to join our growing team. Our FDEs are high-performing generalists with a broad set of skills across scientific domains and  software engineering, in addition to depth in one or more focus areas.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">As an FDE, you'll embed directly within our internal and external  materials science teams, living their problems and rapidly ideating, building, and deploying solutions that transform their capabilities across the Lila platform. You'll leverage our AI and software platform tools while developing custom features that address each customer's unique challenges. This isn't traditional software development—it's high-velocity, AI-fueled, high-impact engineering where you'll ship production code in days, not months.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">What You'll Be Building</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Developing, wrapping, and adapting domain-specific tools for data analysis, process optimization, and more.</span></li> <li>Deploying custom agentic scientific workflows that integrate with industrial instruments (PLCs, control software) and data systems (ERP, MES, SCADA).</li> <li>Building real-time data pipelines that transform scientific data into actionable insights.</li> <li>Creating intuitive interfaces that make complex AI/ML capabilities accessible to scientists.</li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">What You'll Need to Succeed</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Domain expertise in chemistry, materials science, or related field.</span></li> <li>Ability to communicate effectively with external partners and internal product and technical leaders.</li> <li>Experience with data engineering, ETL pipelines, and working with complexdatasets.</li> <li>Strong full-stack development skills with the ability to work across backend, frontend, and data layers.</li> <li>Exceptional problem-solving abilities and comfort with ambiguous requirements.</li> <li>Knack for product discovery and an ability to pass well-defined customer requirements back to the product teams.</li> <li>Willingness to travel to customer sites for engineering deployments<span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Bonus Points For</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Previous customer-facing or consulting experience.</span></li> <li>Depth in controls engineering and machine learning.</li> <li>Experience with atomistic simulation software ( VASP;  Quantum Espresso ).</li> <li>Familiarity with ML/AI implementation and deployment.</li> <li>Familiarity with modern web technologies (TypeScript, React).<span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="auto">What Makes a Great FDE</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Customer Obsessed: You're energized by understanding customer problems deeply and seeing your solutions drive real impact.</span></li> <li>Fast Learner: You quickly grasp new scientific domains and translate complex requirements into elegant solutions.</li> <li>Autonomous: You thrive with minimal supervision and take extreme ownership of customer success.</li> <li>Collaborative: You work seamlessly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.</li> <li>Technically Versatile: You're comfortable jumping between technologies and picking up new tools as needed.<span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p><strong>Compensation</strong></p> <p>We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early-stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact.</p> <p><strong>U.S. Benefits.</strong> 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.</p> <p><strong>International Benefits.</strong> 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.</p></div><div class="title">Expected Base Salary Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$192,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$25