Building Systems Engineer

Reframe Systems•Andover, MA

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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 Haves

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

Responsibilities

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