---
title: 'Residential Design & Estimating Specialist at Lightspeed'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/residential-design-estimating-specialist-lightspeed-northbrook-mkxbm88qccyk'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-05'
---

# Residential Design & Estimating Specialist at Lightspeed

- **Company:** Lightspeed
- **Location:** Northbrook, IL
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-30
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-05
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/lightspeed/04b0c0af-3fdd-420d-b40a-d6b539c62c69

## Job description

## About LightSpeed

LightSpeed Build Technologies is revolutionizing the construction industry through AI-powered robotics. Our flagship systems—BRUTE for automated wall panel manufacturing and DEX for on-site collaborative construction—are addressing the global housing crisis by delivering unprecedented speed, precision, and affordability in homebuilding.

Lightspeed Build Technologies · Full-time · Onsite in Northbrook, IL Position Overview Our Revit models drive robotic fabrication, so design quality and buildability directly decide cost and speed. As our Residential Design & Estimating Specialist, you will own residential designs in Revit from plan set to production-ready model, and produce the first price on every project. You will be the person our design partners send Revit files to, the person our engineers count on for clean models, and the source of the quantities and early estimates our team uses to respond to customers. You will work hand in hand with our Preconstruction & Procurement Specialist, who takes your takeoffs and estimates and turns them into full bid packages with subcontractor and supplier pricing.

## Key Responsibilities

Plan Review & Design

- Review incoming plan sets from customers and architecture partners, and flag what is missing, unclear or conflicting before it reaches the factory
- Take designs from rough layouts through review cycles to approved, construction-ready plans, with renderings when they help a customer decide
- Build and maintain a library of standard plan sets and Revit templates that new projects can start from

Revit Modeling & Production Handoff

- Build and fix construction-ready Revit models: architectural, wood structural framing to IRC prescriptive requirements, and MEP rough-in
- Keep models clean and consistently structured (naming, families, levels) so they export reliably to IFC and BTLx for our engineering and robotics teams
- Confirm every design is buildable by our robotic system, working with engineering on anything that is not
- Coordinate model updates with outside design partners and keep one current version of every project

Takeoffs & Initial Pricing

- Produce quantity takeoffs and bills of materials straight from the model: lumber, sheathing, fasteners, windows, doors and MEP rough-in
- Build initial project estimates using our robotic-construction cost model and industry cost data (for example RSMeans) adjusted for location
- Hand finished takeoffs and estimates to the Preconstruction & Procurement Specialist for bid packages and buyout
- Update quantities and pricing quickly when a design changes, and flag the cost or schedule impact

Required Qualifications

- 3+ years modeling residential buildings in Revit to construction-document level, including structural framing and MEP, not just architectural shells
- Hands-on experience producing quantity takeoffs, bills of materials or construction estimates from drawings or models
- Strong practical knowledge of US wood-frame construction and working familiarity with IRC and NEC
- A sharp eye for plan-set gaps and conflicts, and the confidence to raise them early
- Disciplined modeling habits and reliable delivery against firm milestones
- Able to work on-site in Northbrook, IL

## Preferred Qualifications

- Degree in architecture, architectural technology, construction management or a related field
- Prefab, panelized or modular construction experience
- BTLx or framing tools (hsbCAD, StrucSoft MWF, SEMA) and IFC export validation
- Experience with RSMeans or other cost databases
- Multi-family residential experience
- Interest in using AI tools to speed up modeling, takeoffs and estimating

## How We Hire

A short intro call, a practical exercise (a plan review and pricing exercise from a sample plan set, plus a live Revit task), then conversations with our engineering and operations leads.

## Why Join LightSpeed

- See your models become real homes, built by robots in our own factory
- Own a seat that sits at the center of design, pricing and production
- Help build our design and estimating process from the ground up
- Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits

Employment Relationship This position is at-will, meaning either you or the Company may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or notice.

## Equal Opportunity

LightSpeed Build Technologies is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences.

## About Lightspeed

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Lightspeed uses robotics and AI to manufacture precision-engineered panels and components for residential construction, aiming to build homes faster, smarter, and more affordably.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Startup)
- **Headquarters**: Northbrook, Illinois, United States
- **Founded**: Not publicly available (likely 2023-2024 based on current operations)
- **Founders**: Biju Kulathakal (serial entrepreneur behind Redbox and Halo Investing)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Construction Technology (Contech), Robotics, AI-Powered Manufacturing
- **Target customers**: Homebuilders, real estate developers, construction firms (B2B)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Housing for All" — building homes smarter, faster, and more affordable with robotics and AI.

## Products & Services
- **BRUTE Robotic System**: A robotic system designed for heavy-duty construction tasks, targeting a 50% reduction in build time versus traditional methods.
- **DEX Robotic System**: A precision robotic system for detailed assembly and finishing work.
- **AI-Powered Design & Engineering**: Proprietary AI algorithms that analyze architectural drawings to automatically generate optimized construction sequences, material lists, and robotic instructions.
- **Precision-Engineered Panels**: Prefabricated wall and floor panels manufactured to tight tolerances, enabling faster on-site assembly and reduced errors.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Not publicly available (likely pre-revenue or early-stage; funding status unknown)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Founder Biju Kulathakal previously founded Redbox and Halo Investing, suggesting strong investor connections, but no specific investors are named for Lightspeed.
- **Growth Signals**: The company is actively hiring (careers page on Ashby), signaling growth. They claim to target 70% reduction in construction errors, 20-30% labor cost savings, and 25% reduction in material waste.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Robotic Precision**: Claims tolerances "impossible with manual framing" — a significant differentiator in an industry where quality varies widely.
- **Founder Credibility**: Biju Kulathakal has a proven track record building Redbox (a massive kiosk network) and Halo Investing (a fintech platform), suggesting ability to scale.
- **Integrated AI-to-Robotics Pipeline**: Full vertical integration from architectural drawing analysis to robotic manufacturing, reducing human error and rework.
- **Sustainability Angle**: Precision manufacturing reduces construction waste by ~25%, aligning with ESG trends in real estate.

## Strategic Focus
- **Offsite Construction**: The company is riding the McKinsey-predicted trend that 20% of homes will be built offsite in the US by 2030.
- **Speed & Labor Reduction**: Core value prop is cutting build time in half and reducing labor dependency — critical as construction labor shortages worsen.
- **Scaling Manufacturing**: Likely focused on expanding production capacity at their Northbrook facility and proving the technology with initial clients.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven**: "Housing for All" offers a tangible social impact — helping solve the housing affordability crisis through technology.
- **Founder Led**: Working directly with a serial entrepreneur who has scaled companies to national prominence.
- **Cutting-Edge Tech**: Hands-on work with robotics, computer vision, AI, and advanced manufacturing — appealing for engineers and operators.
- **Early-Stage Impact**: As a likely early-stage company, employees can wear multiple hats and shape the product and culture from the ground up.
- **Location**: Northbrook, IL (northern suburb of Chicago) offers a suburban office environment with access to Chicago's talent pool.
- **Work Policy**: Not explicitly stated, but the nature of robotics manufacturing suggests a strong on-site presence for hardware roles.

**Note**: There is a separate, publicly traded company called Lightspeed Commerce (NYSE: LSPD, TSX: LSPD) that provides POS and e-commerce software. This profile is for Lightspeed (lightspeed.build), the robotics construction startup. Do not confuse the two.

## Sources
1. [lightspeed.build](https://lightspeed.build/)
2. [lightspeed.build/about-us](https://lightspeed.build/about-us)
3. [lightspeed.build/contact-us](https://lightspeed.build/contact-us)
4. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/lightspeed](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/lightspeed)

## Other roles at Lightspeed

- [Preconstruction & Procurement Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/preconstruction-procurement-specialist-lightspeed-northbrook-fy06mq2dhs1a) — Northbrook, IL
- [Production & Delivery Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/production-delivery-manager-lightspeed-northbrook-rfwv1dqgm9an) — Northbrook, IL
- [Senior Robot Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robot-learning-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-n1ye2z9wvhmz) — Northbrook, IL
- [Senior Agentic Planning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-agentic-planning-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-m2d7m8msax70) — Northbrook, IL
- [Senior World Sensing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-world-sensing-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-pw92dqkdya8d) — Northbrook, IL
- [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-yqf4rprszy0s) — Northbrook, IL
- [Perception Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/perception-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-eq8c65rv5zn9) — Northbrook, IL
- [Robot Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robot-learning-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-ham4vyk6erde) — Northbrook, IL
- [Robotics Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-technician-lightspeed-northbrook-5wf4e39h7kre) — Northbrook, IL