Building Systems Engineer

Job description

ABOUT US Reframe Systems is a Physical AI and robotics company on a mission to make high-performance housing attainable and abundant in the communities where people want to live. Through our vertically integrated delivery model and highly automated microfactories, we deliver climate-resilient homes and buildings with greater speed and predictability than traditional construction. Our volumetric modular buildings are produced in our Andover, MA microfactory, with a growing pipeline across North America and a new microfactory on the way. We are building a system that balances repeatability with site-responsive design, enabling homes adaptable to each site, community, and customer need. Our cross-disciplinary team brings together architecture, robotics, design engineering, software, factory operations, and field delivery to change how housing gets delivered. We’re reimagining the future of housing through a smarter and more sustainable system that empowers people to live better. Come build it with us. THE ROLE The Building Systems team owns the definition of Reframe's repeatable building system: the standard assemblies, details, components, and interfaces that every project draws from, so project teams can move fast on decisions that have already been made well once. As a Building Systems Engineer, you will define, document, prototype, and continuously improve that system. Your work is deliberately decoupled from day-to-day project execution: your job is to make the next ten projects easier, not to ship this month's modules. Over the next 12 months our product focus is Type 5 low-rise residential (single-family homes, ADUs, and townhomes), and you will help lock in the layered system of standards that supports shared components across those product types. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Define and maintain the standard assemblies and details that make up our building system: structural and envelope recipes, exterior wall assemblies, mate lines, floor cassettes, connection methods, and the interfaces between them - Decide where variation is allowed and where the system is frozen, and track project-specific deviations so exceptions are explicit and time-bound rather than tribal knowledge - Own system-level subsystems end to end, such as the MEPF module interconnect system (circuits, plumbing, and ductwork connections between finished modules) and a scalable electrical system, from research through prototyping with the factory floor to a defined standard detail set - Lead high-impact system optimization initiatives such as enclosed wall panels, exterior insulation strategy, and structural optimization - Translate building science and air-tightness goals into buildable details and repeatable processes - Set product requirement standards for off-the-shelf and finished components (windows, exterior doors, fixtures): what the factory can and cannot receive, communicated clearly to design and procurement - Serve as a manufacturability gate: review and approve new or changed panel types and assemblies before they enter the system - Build mockups and first-article prototypes on the floor or in the yard before design lock, and partner with Manufacturing to define the capabilities and workcells needed to produce what you design - Design for automation as a first principle, so the system we standardize is the system robots and software can build - Maintain change visibility across the organization: what changed, why, who it impacts, and when it should be adopted QUALIFICATIONS - 10+ years of experience in construction products, prefab/modular construction, building envelope, or a related hardware product domain - Deep understanding of light wood-frame construction and at least one of: building science, MEP systems, or structural systems - A systems thinker who is energized by standardization, interfaces, and platform design rather than one-off problem solving - Hands-on: you prototype, you build, and you validate on the floor before you publish a standard - Fluent in CAD (Onshape experience a plus) and comfortable producing documentation that design, manufacturing, and field teams will actually use - A strong communicator who can hold a manufacturability line with architects, engineers, and operators while keeping those relationships healthy NICE TO HAVE - Experience in volumetric modular or panelized construction - Experience defining product platforms or design systems in a manufacturing environment - Familiarity with design-for-automation principles - Field or factory construction experience Reframe Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you believe you have the skills to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply—even if you don't meet 100% of the listed requirements. At this time, we are only considering candidates who are authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for current or future visa sponsorship.