Original job description
About Link Horizon
Link Horizon is building a system that understands what’s happening on construction sites - in real time - and why it matters.
We combine persistent, on-site aerial data capture with project schedules, contracts, and design files to create a continuously updating, structured view of a construction project. Our platform transforms daily drone flights into actionable insight, automating core workflows like progress tracking, site inspections, and contract administration for developers, contractors, and consultants.
We operate at the intersection of hardware and software. On-site, we deploy and manage drone-in-a-box systems that capture high-frequency aerial data across large-scale land development projects. Off-site, we’re building the intelligence layer - a multimodal AI system that fuses vision data with project documentation to model site activity, track progress against plan, and surface what actually matters to project stakeholders.
We’ve recently entered a design partnership with one of Ontario’s most innovative home developers and are launching our first pilot in Ottawa in May 2026. This is a critical moment: the product is being shaped in real time, directly on active construction sites.
We’re a small, fast-moving team looking for people who want to build at the frontier of AI, robotics, and the built world to define a new category of site intelligence.
About The Team
Link Horizon is a small, engineering-first team moving quickly at an early stage. We work in tight loops, and will be deploying on real construction sites, learning from what actually happens, and shipping improvements continuously.
We’re currently a two-person team and are now growing to support our first pilot deployment starting in May 2026. Both founders are University of Waterloo Mechatronics Engineering graduates, and our team actually originated from our final-year capstone project. Since September 2025, we’ve been backed by the University of Waterloo’s Velocity startup incubator and have been operating out of their Kitchener office up until now. We’re temporarily relocating to Ottawa from May-August 2026 for our first pilot and will be back in Kitchener in the Fall.
We focus on building systems that work in the real world, on active sites, with imperfect data and real constraints. Engineers spend time in the field, decisions are made quickly, and ownership is high. This is a place for people who want to build from first principles and have a direct impact on the product and the company.
The Role
We need a strong full-stack engineer - but this isn't a typical software role. Half your time will be spent building and architecting the platform. The other half will be spent in the field on active construction sites, operating drones, processing captured data, and developing the intuition that makes the software actually work. Both sides of this role are essential - the best platform decisions come from understanding how data is collected, not just how it's consumed.
You will work directly with the founders to shape the Link Horizon platform's architecture and technical direction, bringing experienced full-stack judgment to a codebase that is scaling from pilot to production. You will also work alongside the founders in the field - flying drones, running autonomous missions, and processing the raw outputs that your software needs to make useful.
This role is the bridge between how data is captured and how it is used.
What You'll Work On
Shape the architecture of the Link Horizon platform (React frontend, AWS backend, Python services) alongside the founders
Rapid iteration of the platform’s frontend UI/UX as we continually push new customer facing features as product requirements evolve
Design and maintain the platform's data layer - including database schema, spatial data structures, and the relationships between sites, timelines, and project documentation
Build features across the full stack, with significant autonomy and input into product direction
Evaluate and improve the existing codebase's structure, patterns, and scalability as the platform grows
Participate in drone flight operations on active construction sites - both manual flights and autonomous dock-based missions
Process drone-collected data through photogrammetry pipelines (orthomosaics, point clouds, 3D reconstructions) and develop intuition for how processing decisions affect downstream outputs
Help define how field-captured data is ingested, stored, and structured for use by the platform and intelligence systems
Work across the boundary between raw site data and the software that interprets it
Obtain your Complex Level 1 RPAS pilot certificate (training provided)
Must-Have
Experience architecting and building production web applications - not just contributing features, but making structural decisions about how a codebase is organized and scales
Strong proficiency in React, Python, AWS, and PostgreSQL
Ability to evaluate and improve an existing codebase's architecture, patterns, and technical debt
Comfort operating in a highly ambiguous, fast-moving environment
Interest in hands-on, field-based work - you want to be outside, not just behind a screen
Unrestricted driver's license
Competency, familiarity, and willingness to experiment with and leverage cutting edge AI tools to accelerate everyday development workflows
Nice-to-Have
Experience with PostGIS or spatial database extensions
Experience with geospatial data, photogrammetry, or 3D reconstruction
Experience with data pipelines that process raw or unstructured inputs into structured outputs
Familiarity with drone systems, robotics, or other physical-world technologies
Experience with CAD or engineering design data formats
Familiarity with construction, surveying, or land development
Compensation & Benefits
$75,000-$140,000 base salary + bonus
Strong health and benefits package
Full autonomy to choose your tools, models, and development workflow (e.g., LLMs, coding environments, infrastructure) with budget provided
Direct collaboration with founders in a low-bureaucracy environment
Rapid iteration cycles with real-world deployment on active construction sites
Daily team lunches and paid dinners when working late
Additional Context
This role will be permanently based out of Kitchener at the University of Waterloo’s Velocity startup incubator. During May-August 2026, you will be asked to temporarily relocate to the Ottawa area to support our initial pilot deployments with our design partner. Housing costs will be covered when temporarily relocating to Ottawa for the pilot project. Exceptional candidates who cannot fully relocate to Ottawa for May-August 2026 may be considered.
You will also be trained and certified to operate drones to provide operational coverage when needed.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit their interest via the form at: https://apply.linkhorizon.com/
For any questions, please contact Tyler West at: [email protected]
