The roleThe 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
Who you are- 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
Why this role mattersEvery prefab company before us has struggled to balance customization with repeatability. Our bet is that a well-defined, software-encoded building system is what makes mass customization economically viable. You will be one of the people who defines that system.
