About the job
Lila Sciences, located in Cambridge, MA, develops technology for chemical discovery through its autonomous science platform. The company’s projects include advanced synthesis, new catalyst development, and sustainable molecular design for applications in energy and industry. The Chemistry experiment team is searching for a Technical Program Manager to coordinate complex scientific programs in close partnership with the Chemistry domain lead and teams across the organization.
Role overview
This position centers on managing the daily operations and long-term planning for the Chemistry experiment team. The Technical Program Manager will keep project plans up to date, monitor milestones, and help ensure scientific programs meet both deadlines and quality standards. Acting as the main point of contact between Chemistry and platform partners, such as Automation, Machine Learning, and Engineering, the role involves communicating needs, aligning priorities, and making sure dependencies are clear and managed.
What you will do
- Maintain project plans, track progress, and ensure delivery of scientific programs on schedule and to quality expectations.
- Coordinate with cross-functional partners to communicate requirements, align on priorities, and track dependencies.
- Break down scientific goals into actionable workstreams to support scalable autonomous experimentation.
- Lead program routines, including sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives, with a focus on purposeful meetings and clear documentation.
- Work with Chemistry leads to surface and address blockers, risks, and interdependencies early in the process.
- Support execution of commercial contracts by collaborating with the Product & Revenue team, ensuring commitments are defined, tracked, and communicated.
- Assist with capacity planning and resource coordination alongside scientific leadership.
Requirements
- At least 10 years of program or project management experience in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, or deep tech sectors.
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Proven ability to manage several programs in complex, evolving environments. Experience building programs from the ground up and working in early-stage startups is a strong plus.
- Skilled in coordinating with both scientific and operational teams, and managing cross-functional groups.

