Staff Engineer, Data Platform

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, and 8+ years as a software or data engineer with a focus on building and operating data infrastructure.
• Designed and shipped data platform components from the ground up, including ingestion frameworks, storage abstractions, and orchestration systems. Fluent in Python and SQL and writes production-quality code.
• Production experience with relational and NoSQL databases, schema design, query optimization, and operational concerns at scale. Comfortable working across structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.
• Proven track record of working cross-functionally with scientists, ML researchers, and engineers. Able to translate domain requirements into platform decisions and explain technical trade-offs to diverse audiences.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure and containerized deployment (AWS, Kubernetes).
• Hands-on experience with modern table formats and open lakehouse patterns (Iceberg, Delta Lake, Hudi).

• Experience with workflow orchestration systems (Flyte, Airflow, Dagster, or similar).
• Experience building data infrastructure that serves agentic and LLM-driven workflows, including vector databases, RAG infrastructure, and retrieval-optimized data access patterns.
• Background in scientific computing, life sciences, or research software.
• Proficiency with AI-assisted development tools (Cursor, Claude Code, or similar) and ability to incorporate them effectively into day-to-day engineering work.

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; and 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.

Lila Sciences is building Scientific SuperintelligenceTM 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 FactoryTM 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.

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless 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.

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.