AI & DfMA Researcher
Location: Dartford, Kent – Technology & Innovation
Salary: £55,000 – £70,000 + package
On-site
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.
Prototyping & experimentation
- 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.
Product development & DfMA
- 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
Essential
- 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.
Desirable
- 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.
- Experience developing prototypes, configurators or automation tools.
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.
