Associate Architect - Laboratory Consulting

Buro Happold; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive salary

25 days holiday

Pension scheme

Flexible benefits

CPD

Job summary

Buro Happold is seeking an Associate Laboratory Architect to lead and design complex science facilities from concept to delivery. Based in London with a hybrid working model, you will drive project leadership, client coordination and design excellence within our Laboratory Consulting team.

You will bring laboratory briefing experience, strong graphic communication, and proven ability to coordinate multidisciplinary consultants to deliver innovative, human-scale research spaces.

Qualifications

• Experienced architect or laboratory designer with strong leadership in Science & Technology projects.
• Experience briefing, planning and designing laboratories.
• Ability to coordinate with clients and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong graphic communication and project delivery skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead laboratory consulting projects as Project Leader with design coordination responsibilities.
• Direct design, analysis and consultancy activities with Project Directors and teams.
• Assist with workload planning, prioritisation and performance monitoring.
• Develop resource plans balancing project demand and team capacity.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to junior and mid-level staff and review outputs.
• Represent the firm with clients and contractors, supporting work-winning opportunities.

Skills

Revit modelling

Graphic communication

Project leadership

Laboratory design

Client coordination

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Tools

Photoshop

InDesign

MS Office

Job description

Shape the future of science. Join Buro Happold as an Associate Architect in Laboratory Consulting. This person can be based in our London office on a hybrid working model.

Buro Happold is a global, independent consultancy delivering innovative, sustainable solutions that shape the built environment. Our multidisciplinary teams work on some of the world's most complex and ambitious projects bringing together expertise across engineering, architecture, science and technology to create places that make a lasting difference. We are looking for an Associate Laboratory Architect to join our specialist Laboratory Consulting team, working on some of the most challenging and exciting projects across the Science & Technology sector.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced laboratory architect or designer who is ready to take the next step in their career, combining technical expertise and project leadership with the opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of a specialist team.

Buro Happold's laboratory designers bring decades of experience delivering complex, human scale research facilities for world leading clients. From design concept through to delivery, peer review and post occupancy evaluation, our teams provide specialist consultancy throughout the project lifecycle.

Our portfolio spans laboratories, research facilities, innovation districts and university research buildings across a wide range of scientific disciplines and technologies. We work closely with clients to understand how their spaces need to function today while designing for changing technologies and future needs.

Our recent workload includes UCB Project Apple where we supported Heatherwick Studio to create a major new headquarters for a global biopharmaceutical company. With Kadans and the Canary Wharf Group we supported KPF Architects on One North Quay, Europe’s tallest purpose-built commercial lab.

About The Role

As an Associate Laboratory Architect, you will play a key role within our specialist Laboratory Consulting team, leading projects and contributing to the continued development of our capability within the Science & Technology sector. You will operate as a Project Leader on laboratory consulting projects, taking responsibility for effective project management, design coordination and the promotion of multidisciplinary working.

This role also offers a clear opportunity to develop towards Associate Director level, supporting the Discipline Lead with the operational management of the Laboratory Consulting team and contributing to workload planning, resource management, project prioritisation and delivery against commercial and discipline objectives.

You will have the opportunity to work directly with clients, lead architects, consultants and contractors, providing expert consultancy advice and helping to develop creative solutions to complex project challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead laboratory consulting projects as a Project Leader, overseeing project management, design coordination and multidisciplinary delivery.
• Lead design, analysis and consultancy activities, working closely with Project Directors and wider project teams.
• Support the Discipline Lead with workload planning, project prioritisation, performance monitoring and delivery against discipline objectives.
• Contribute to resource planning across laboratory projects, balancing project demand, individual capacity, skills and commercial priorities.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to junior and mid-level team members, setting clear expectations, reviewing outputs and supporting their development.
• Promote a positive team environment through effective communication, constructive feedback and proactive management of workload, risk and wellbeing.
• Represent Buro Happold with clients, lead architects, consultants and contractors, providing trusted consultancy advice.
• Develop strong internal and external relationships that contribute to work winning, repeat business and the growth of the Laboratory Consulting service.
• Support bids and fee proposals and, where appropriate, develop personal work-winning opportunities.
• Develop and present creative solutions to complex challenges, clearly articulating the benefits and potential limitations of different approaches.
• Produce high-quality reports, presentations, models and drawings as required.
• Identify opportunities to enhance Buro Happold's capabilities, services and market position within Laboratory Consultancy and the wider Science & Technology sector.
• Maintain your professional development and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

About You

• You will be an experienced architect or laboratory designer with significant experience leading projects within the Science & Technology sector, together with relevant experience in other sectors, particularly fit-out.
• You will bring first hand experience of laboratory briefing, planning and design, alongside strong graphic communication and the ability to coordinate effectively with clients and multidisciplinary consultant teams.
• We are looking for someone who is ambitious to develop their leadership career and who can combine strong technical and project delivery skills with the ability to support and develop others.
• Significant professional experience acting as a job/project leader on Science & Technology projects.
• First hand experience of laboratory briefing, planning and design.
• Experience coordinating complex projects, particularly fit-out around building services.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Experience of team and resource management, including workload planning, mentoring, development, feedback and line management.
• Strong verbal and graphic communication skills, with the confidence to communicate with clients and multidisciplinary stakeholders.
• A strong analytical and problem-solving mindset.
• A genuine interest in the life sciences sector and a desire to develop your career within this area.
• Strong Revit modelling skills.
• Working knowledge of Photoshop, InDesign and Microsoft Office.
• The ability to work collaboratively and openly within a multidisciplinary environment.
• Most importantly, you'll be someone who enjoys solving complex problems, developing people and working collaboratively to create outstanding environments for science and innovation.

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

• Hybrid working arrangements.
• Attractive salary and benefits package.
• Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum (exclusive of bank holidays) and flexible holiday arrangements.
• Generous company pension scheme.
• 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.

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.