AI & DfMA Researcher

Archi-Tech Network; Dartford; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Laing O’Rourke is seeking an AI & DfMA Researcher to join its Technology & Innovation team at the Dartford HQ. The role blends design, manufacturing and digital construction, focusing on identifying where AI can add value across product development and industrialised construction processes.

You will rapidly prototype AI-enabled workflows, explore LLMs and computer vision, and collaborate with engineering, manufacturing and product teams to shape an AI × DfMA roadmap for future projects.

Qualifications

• Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Product Design or Computational Design.
• Experience with BIM and digital design environments.
• Experience with Grasshopper, Dynamo, Python, Revit or similar.
• Knowledge of modular, precast, MEP or off-site construction systems.
• Genuine curiosity around AI and emerging digital technologies.
• Ability to identify practical opportunities and rapidly experiment with new approaches.

Responsibilities

• Identify high-value opportunities for AI across design, manufacturing and construction.
• Research emerging AI technologies and understand where they could have practical applications.
• Explore AI applications within design configuration, optimisation, BIM and manufacturing.
• Investigate how AI could be used to capture, structure and reuse product and construction knowledge.
• Challenge existing Product Development processes and explore new AI-enabled approaches.
• Rapidly build and test AI-enabled concepts and workflows.
• Experiment with existing LLMs, AI agents or generative AI and computer vision technologies.
• Develop proof-of-concept tools and workflows.
• Explore connections between AI, computational design, BIM and digital manufacturing.
• Test concepts against real Product Development challenges and demonstrate practical value.
• Work alongside Product Development, engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Understand how products move from concept and design through manufacturing and assembly.
• Identify opportunities to improve repeatability, scalability and efficiency through AI.
• Explore how AI could support industrialised construction and platform-based delivery.

Skills

DfMA

Product development

BIM & digital design

Computational design

Parametric modelling

Python

Revit

AI/LLMs

Digital manufacturing

Education

Architecture degree

Engineering degree

Product Design degree

Computational Design degree

Tools

Grasshopper

Dynamo

Revit

Python

Job description

Architypes is supporting Laing O’Rourke in the search for an AI & DfMA Researcher to join their Technology & Innovation team at their Dartford HQ.

About Laing O’Rourke

Laing O’Rourke is a globally recognised engineering enterprise committed to innovation and technical excellence across design, manufacturing and construction.

Their mission is to lead the industry through advanced product platforms, digital engineering and industrialised construction methods that improve quality, safety and sustainability.

The Technology & Innovation (T&I) Group sits at the centre of the Laing O’Rourke group of companies and is a key driver of the transformation of construction.

T&I brings together engineering, manufacturing, digital, product development and systems thinking to create the next generation of construction products and delivery models.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an AI & DfMA Researcher to join the Product Development team within Technology & Innovation.

AI is developing rapidly, but its application within construction, DfMA and industrialised product development remains relatively unexplored.

This role is focused on identifying where AI can create real value across the way construction products are designed, developed, manufactured and delivered.

This is not a traditional AI engineering role.

You will not be expected to build large language models or develop complex machine-learning systems from scratch. Instead, you will combine a strong understanding of DfMA, design, BIM and construction with an interest in emerging AI technologies.

You will identify opportunities, rapidly prototype ideas using existing AI technologies and work alongside specialist teams where deeper technical expertise is required.

A major part of the role will be exploring not only how AI can improve existing processes, but also:

What could DfMA and product development look like if they were designed around AI from the outset?

In this role, you will:

• Identify opportunities for AI across product design, development, manufacturing and construction.
• Map existing Product Development processes and identify where AI or automation could add value.
• Research emerging AI technologies and assess their relevance to DfMA and industrialised construction.
• Rapidly prototype AI-enabled workflows using existing models, APIs and tools.
• Explore applications involving LLMs, AI agents, generative AI, computer vision and optimisation.
• Investigate integration between AI, computational design, BIM and digital manufacturing.
• Test ideas against live Product Development projects.
• Work with specialist AI, data and systems teams where deeper technical capability is required.
• Help develop an emerging AI × DfMA roadmap for Product Development.

Key Responsibilities

AI & DfMA research

• Identify high-value opportunities for AI across design, manufacturing and construction.
• Research emerging AI technologies and understand where they could have practical applications.
• Explore AI applications within design configuration, optimisation, BIM and manufacturing.
• Investigate how AI could be used to capture, structure and reuse product and construction knowledge.
• Challenge existing Product Development processes and explore new AI-enabled approaches.
• Rapidly build and test AI-enabled concepts and workflows.
• Experiment with existing LLMs, AI agents, generative AI and computer vision technologies.
• Develop proof-of-concept tools and workflows.
• Explore connections between AI, computational design, BIM and digital manufacturing.
• Test concepts against real Product Development challenges and demonstrate practical value.
• Work alongside Product Development, engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Understand how products move from concept and design through manufacturing and assembly.
• Identify opportunities to improve repeatability, scalability and efficiency through AI.
• Explore how AI could support industrialised construction and platform-based delivery.

Capability development

• Help build an emerging AI × DfMA roadmap.
• Capture and share learning from experiments and prototypes.
• Identify the strongest opportunities for further development.
• Help define where more specialist AI or machine-learning capability should subsequently be introduced.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience within DfMA, product development, design or industrialised construction.
• Experience working within BIM and digital design environments.
• Some experience with computational design, parametric modelling or design automation.
• A strong understanding of how construction products are designed, manufactured and assembled.
• Genuine curiosity around AI and emerging digital technologies.
• Ability to identify practical opportunities and rapidly experiment with new approaches.
• Strong problem-solving and systems-thinking skills.
• Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Product Design, Computational Design or a related discipline.
• Experience with Grasshopper, Dynamo, Python, Revit or similar.
• Experience experimenting with LLMs, AI agents or generative AI.
• Experience with BIM-to-CAM or digital manufacturing workflows.
• Knowledge of modular, precast, MEP, off-site or other industrialised construction systems.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 6-12 months, you will have:

• Identified key opportunities for AI within Product Development.
• Prototyped and tested a range of AI-enabled approaches.
• Demonstrated practical applications on live DfMA projects.
• Established an initial AI × DfMA roadmap.
• Identified where deeper AI and machine-learning capability should be introduced.

This is an opportunity to help define how AI could change industrialised construction, rather than simply applying today’s technology to existing processes.

For someone interested in the intersection of AI, computational design, DfMA and advanced construction, this is a rare opportunity to explore those technologies inside one of the industry’s most technically ambitious engineering organisations.

Laing O’Rourke is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. As part of the Disability Confident scheme, candidates with long-term health conditions or disabilities who meet the essential criteria can be offered an interview under their ‘Offer an Interview’ scheme. Please let us know if you require any adjustments during the recruitment process.