Help Shape How World‑Class Engineering Teams Work - Join Us as Our UK Support Lead
This person can be based in any of our UK offices (Bath, Leeds, London, Manchester) on a hybrid working model.
At Buro Happold, we believe that exceptional engineering begins with exceptional support. Our UK Engineering Support team plays a vital role in enabling our technical specialists to focus on innovative project delivery by providing skilled, reliable and proactive administrative and coordination expertise across all disciplines.
We are now looking for a UK Engineering & Office Support Lead on a 9-month fixed term contract to oversee this critical, UK‑wide function. This is an exciting opportunity for a confident and collaborative leader who is passionate about operational excellence, people development and driving continuous improvement.
About The Role
As the UK Engineering & Office Support Lead, you will shape the future of how support is delivered across our engineering teams. You will ensure consistency and quality across all offices, champion best practice, and guide the team through new technologies, changing business needs and evolving ways of working.
Success in this role means building on strong foundations, creating clarity, nurturing talent and fostering a positive, inclusive and high‑performing culture. Your leadership will empower the team to excel, embrace change and deliver a service that enables our engineering teams to do their best work.This role offers the opportunity to lead Buro Happold’s UK Asset Consulting and Building Surveying team, shaping strategy, growing capability and delivering impact across a diverse portfolio of clients and sectors. You will provide business, strategic and people leadership for a team of specialists, ensuring technical excellence, strong commercial performance and an inclusive, supportive culture.
Key Responsibilities
You will be responsible for leading a UK‑wide team of Lead Group Coordinators, Group Coordinators and Admin Assistants, ensuring they feel supported, motivated and equipped to deliver an excellent service. Key responsibilities include:
- Providing clear, confident and empathetic line management to direct and indirect reports.
- Overseeing resourcing and recruitment to ensure optimal team coverage.
- Leading performance management, appraisals and career development.
- Acting as a point of escalation and resolving issues constructively and promptly.
- Embedding a positive, inclusive and wellbeing‑focused team culture.
- Identifying skills gaps and guiding upskilling and development initiatives.
- Leading the team through organisational change with clarity and confidence.
- Maintaining strong, consistent communication within the team and with stakeholders.
- Championing the Engineering Support function and promoting its value across the business.
- Working collaboratively with Business Support leadership to drive improvement.
- Building proactive relationships with engineering teams to ensure support meets their needs and evolves with the business.
About You:
We’re looking for someone who brings strong leadership capability, excellent communication skills and a proactive, solutions‑focused mindset. You will need to demonstrate:
- Previous experience as a Team Leader or Line Manager.
- Strong relationship‑building, negotiation and communication skills.
- High levels of emotional intelligence, professionalism and attention to detail.
- Confidence in decision‑making and the ability to think on your feet.
- Proficiency in MS365 and enthusiasm for new technologies.
- Sound judgement, discretion and the ability to handle sensitive information.
- A collaborative, approachable and supportive working style.
- Adaptability, creativity and a positive, calm demeanour in changing environments.
Why Join Buro Happold?
At Buro Happold, we believe in creating a better, more sustainable world. You’ll be part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and excellence. We offer a supportive environment where your contributions make a real difference
What we offer you
Bring your knowledge and expertise to one of the world's most respected consultancies.
- Hybrid working arrangements
- Attractive salary
- Discretionary bonus
- Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum (exclusive of bank holidays) and flexible holiday arrangements
- Generous company pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
- Flexible benefits including cycle scheme, dental insurance, optical cover, travel insurance, season ticket loans, and corporate discounts
- Enhanced parenthood leave policies
- A strong commitment to continuous development. Whatever stage in your career, we have a learning and development programme that will enable and empower you
- Entitlement to two memberships to professional bodies or subscriptions
- A commitment to your wellbeing through a comprehensive employee assistance programme and wellbeing activities
- An opportunity to support your local community and those in society that are most in need, wherever they are located in the world through our Share Our Skills (SOS) programme
- A supportive and inclusive environment that will welcome you through social and outreach activities from the Young Employees Forum to mentoring
- An international culture that wherever your career takes you at Buro Happold, you won't be far from exceptional.
Apply now and be where exceptional is everywhere.
A place for everyone
Buro Happold values an individual's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of the way you work and achieve balance. We welcome applications from those who are seeking flexibility in their careers.
Our exceptional portfolio of projects is the result of the diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds and experiences that shape us. Appreciating each other’s differences is key, we want employees to feel they don’t have to mask elements of their identity to thrive.
We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment and are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing difference allows us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.
Please let us know if there are any adjustments we could make to the application process to make it easier and more comfortable for you. Contact recruitment@burohappold.com so we can work with you to support you throughout your application. #LI-EM1 #LI-Hybrid