Principal Manufacturing Engineer

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.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a Principal Manufacturing Engineer to drive deep hands-on manufacturing engineering on our team- the person who turns the microfactory concept into a real, producing factory. You will own the manufacturing engineering of the physical build behind FAB1 (our first production microfactory): the equipment, workcells, mechanical and structural systems, material flow, and process engineering. Then you will capture what it took as a repeatable playbook we replicate across future factories.

This is a senior individual-contributor role. Your leverage comes from depth of judgment and hands-on contribution. You will be on the floor commissioning equipment, running installs and acceptance testing, modeling throughput, authoring the trade-off and systems documents, and prototyping when it moves the build forward. You will set the technical bar through your own work and by mentoring the engineers around you, and there is room to grow into managing one or two engineers as the team scales. We want someone who is energized to be the strongest engineer in the building and stays in the work rather than running it from a desk.

You will also be a technical voice for Manufacturing across a wide surface area. Robotics, design engineering, software, factory operations, and field delivery all come together at Reframe, and Manufacturing is one pillar of that. You bring clarity to ambiguous situations, coordinate across disciplines that don't naturally speak the same language, and close gaps before they turn into problems on the floor or on the schedule.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Deliver FAB1 Hands-On: Own commissioning workstreams end to end, from equipment purchase and install through floor loading, leveling, utilities, and acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), taking the factory from concept to a working system handed to Operations.
• Architect the Manufacturing System: Treat the physical factory as a manufacturing system with interacting subsystems and trade-offs, not a collection of machines. Design workcells, lines, and layouts, and make the system-level calls on how it all fits together.
• Model Throughput: Model Takt time, OEE, and throughput from first principles or simulation (e.g., FlexSim, AnyLogic) to make real layout and capacity decisions.
• Build the Playbook: Author the processes, standards, and documentation that let the next site replicate the build. Balance repeatability with the flexibility our site-responsive model requires, and design the build so the second and tenth factories go faster and cheaper than the first.
• Set the Bar for Site Selection: Build the tools and define the manufacturing requirements to evaluate candidate buildings (floor loading, utilities, clear heights, dock and logistics access), while leaving construction of the building itself to others.
• Own Capital Equipment: Manage procurement and install of capital equipment, driving vendors and integrators through FAT/SAT to a working, accepted system on the critical path.
• Root Cause on the Floor: When things break (and they will), lead the investigation. Use data and physical inspection to diagnose mechanical failures and implement permanent engineering fixes.
• Mentorship & Cross-Functional Leadership: Raise the level of the engineers around you through design-review rigor and clear standards, and be the technical voice for Manufacturing across the org, bridging design, manufacturing, operations, and software before gaps become problems.

QUALIFICATIONS

• BS or MS in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years in mechanical / manufacturing engineering, with a significant focus on manufacturing build-outs and facility commissioning.
• A deep mechanical and manufacturing engineering foundation, the kind of Principal-level IC who leads through hands-on work rather than by stepping away from it.
• "Zero-to-one" experience: personally on the ground for the birth of a new facility, cell, or line, from concept to fully operational production.
• Proven ownership of capital equipment procurement and install, including Factory and Site Acceptance Testing (FAT/SAT) and site readiness (floor loading, equipment leveling, utilities).
• Experience modeling Takt time, OEE, and throughput using first principles or simulation software (e.g., FlexSim, AnyLogic) to make real layout and capacity calls.
• Hands-on capability: comfortable reading drawings, catching problems, and troubleshooting mechanical failures directly on the floor.
• A clear communicator who can be the technical voice for Manufacturing across a broad, multi-disciplinary organization.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with robotic workcells, automated assembly lines, or large-scale gantry and material-handling systems.
• Familiarity with automation equipment, data analytics, and MES dashboards within production environments.
• Experience with quality systems (ISO 9001, AS9100, IATF 16949), including standards authoring and internal audits.
• Background in robotics, aerospace, automotive, or construction manufacturing.
• Experience standing up 3D printing / additive manufacturing for prototypes and production fixtures.

*Please include a portfolio or examples of previous work (specifically factories, lines, or workcells you've commissioned, and any standards or playbooks others have replicated) with your application.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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.