Ready to make an impact with your legal skills in house? Support iconic projects at Buro Happold.
The role can be based in our London or Bath office on a hybrid working model. 
Buro Happold is a global consultancy driven by innovation, collaboration and a shared purpose to shape a better world. Our Commercial & Legal team plays a critical role in supporting the delivery of complex, sustainable and technically ambitious projects across the built environment.
Your next role:
We are looking for an Associate (Solicitor) to join our Commercial & Legal team in Bath or London. This is an excellent opportunity for a newly qualified solicitor or someone with up to two years’ post‑qualification experience who is keen to gain early responsibility and develop their expertise within a supportive in‑house environment.
What you’ll be doing
You will contribute to the mitigation of commercial and contractual risk across Buro Happold’s global portfolio of projects by:
- Reviewing, negotiating and finalising a wide range of contractual documentation, including consultancy and sub‑consultancy agreements, collateral warranties, novation agreements, letters of reliance, framework agreements, letters of intent, joint venture agreements and teaming agreements across UK and international projects.
- Advising project and commercial teams on contract operation, risk allocation, contract administration and early‑stage dispute avoidance throughout the project lifecycle.
- Supporting the business in ensuring compliance with relevant corporate governance requirements.
- Providing clear, pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice to non‑legal stakeholders across the business.
- Assisting senior stakeholders, Project Principals and Project Directors in closing out contractual negotiations.
- Supporting the development and implementation of systems, processes and procedures to improve efficiency within the Commercial & Legal team and the wider business.
- Helping to prepare and deliver training sessions and workshops on commercial and contractual topics for colleagues across Buro Happold.
- Working collaboratively with other business service functions to support delivery of Buro Happold’s broader strategic objectives.
About You
You will be well‑suited to this role if you can demonstrate:
- Newly qualified solicitor status or 1–2 years’ PQE, with experience in construction law or a construction seat completed during your training contract.
- Exposure to the built environment, infrastructure or engineering sectors, either in private practice or in‑house (desirable but not essential).
- Strong technical drafting skills and commercial negotiation experience.
- Excellent attention to detail and the ability to identify and explain legal and commercial issues clearly and concisely to non‑lawyers.
- The ability to manage a varied workload, prioritise effectively and work under pressure to tight deadlines.
- Confidence in knowing when to seek support or escalate matters to more senior colleagues.
- A collaborative, proactive and solutions‑focused approach, with a genuine interest in understanding how the business operates.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
- A commitment to continuous learning and professional development, and staying up to date with developments in construction and commercial law.
- An interest in working on innovative, sustainable and multidisciplinary engineering projects.
- Alignment with Buro Happold’s values, including client care, inclusion and equal opportunities.
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 and benefits package including, private medical insurance, life assurance and income protection.
- 10% Car allowance.
- Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum (exclusive of bank holidays) and flexible holiday arrangements.
- Generous company pension scheme.
- We celebrate you - every employee gets their birthday as a paid day off.
- Flexible benefits including cycle scheme, dental insurance, optical cover, travel insurance, season ticket loans, and corporate discounts.
- Enhanced parenthood leave policies.
- 3pm finish on the last Friday of the month.
- A strong commitment to your 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. 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 the exceptional.
Apply now and be where exceptional is everywhere.
A place for everyone
Buro Happold values 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