--- title: 'Residential Design & Preconstruction Specialist at Lightspeed' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/residential-design-preconstruction-specialist-lightspeed-northbrook-a8sy1bxmccqz' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-10' --- # Residential Design & Preconstruction Specialist at Lightspeed - **Company:** Lightspeed - **Location:** Northbrook, IL - **Employment:** contract - **Work type:** hybrid - **Posted:** 2026-09-03 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/lightspeed/4072228e-db2f-4515-99d0-8af82ebc64f1 ## 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. Residential Design & Preconstruction Specialist Lightspeed Build Technologies · Part-time / fractional (10–20 hrs per week) · Path to full-time ## About the role We design and prefabricate custom residential homes using robotic construction. Our Revit models drive robotic fabrication downstream, so design quality and buildability directly determine cost and speed. We're hiring one person to own home designs from first sketch to production-ready files — and to own the numbers that go with them. Starting at 10–20 hours per week, growing with project volume; we expect this to become a full-time role for the right person. ## What you'll do Design development - Take designs from rough customer layouts through review cycles to approved final plans, producing renderings at each stage to secure buy-in. - Build and maintain a templated library of 5–10 plan sets customers can use to start projects. - Produce complete, construction-ready Revit models — architectural, wood structural framing per IRC prescriptive requirements, and MEP rough-in per NEC — kept clean and consistently structured (naming, families, levels) for IFC export and downstream data extraction. Production handoff - Prepare files (BTLx, IFC) for our engineering and production teams; ensure every design is buildable by our robotic construction system. Preconstruction & estimating - Review prospects' existing plans (single-family and multi-family) and recommend refinements for robotic construction. - Produce pricing breakdowns — wall construction, MEP rough-in, and other build costs — and preliminary bids, using industry cost data (e.g., RSMeans) adjusted for project geography. - Apply our robotic-construction cost model (we provide it) to translate traditional material-and-labor costs into our build cost, including remaining on-site labor; build BOMs and support cost models alongside our COO. Design reviews with customers - Join plan reviews with prospects and customers alongside our team as the design and pricing expert — walk through what it would cost to build their plan our way vs. traditionally, and why. This is a technical role, not a sales role. ## What you'll need - Demonstrated experience modeling residential buildings in Revit to construction-document level, including structural framing and MEP — not just architectural shells. - Strong practical knowledge of US wood-frame construction and working familiarity with IRC and NEC; a general grasp of what building engineering does and doesn't allow. - Construction estimating experience with real project costs — materials, labor, and regional variation. - Comfort in customer-facing settings: presenting designs, explaining tradeoffs, handling feedback. - Disciplined modeling habits and reliable delivery against firm milestones. ## Nice to have Rendering/visualization tools; prefab or panelized construction workflows; BTLx or framing tools (hsbCAD, StrucSoft MWF, SEMA); RSMeans or similar cost databases; IFC export validation; multi-family experience; ability to work to a documented modeling standard/template we provide. 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 - [AI & Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-machine-learning-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-1y6qs3f9075m) — Northbrook, IL - [Robotics Integration/Controls Engineer (Full-Stack Capable)](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-integration-controls-engineer-full-stack-capable-lightspeed-northbrook-9pkdhtn08thn) — Northbrook, IL - [Senior Robotics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-engineer-lightspeed-northbrook-4zwg9dftn47c) — Northbrook, IL