Associate or Senior Associate Electrical Engineer - Bristol or Cardiff

Hoare Lea; Almondsbury; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day fortnight

Private medical cover

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice

Stock options

25 days annual leave

Hybrid working

Job summary

Hoare Lea is seeking an Associate or Senior Associate Electrical Engineer in Bristol or Cardiff. You will lead client relationships, coordinate multi‑discipline project teams, and deliver high‑quality electrical building services designs for complex projects.

The role offers hybrid working and opportunities for development within a supportive, high‑performing environment. Suitable candidates will have substantial project leadership experience, Chartered status (or progress toward it), and strong

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical/Building Services Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered status required for Senior Associate, desirable/working towards for Associate.
• Extensive project and client leadership experience.
• Strong technical competence in electrical building services and related standards.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary client contact for projects and represent Hoare Lea professionally.
• Lead and coordinate project teams; manage workloads and internal meetings.
• Deliver profitable, high‑quality schemes and monitor costs and resources.
• Maintain awareness of procurement routes and commercial risks to mitigate them.
• Contribute to technical knowledge sharing and ensure compliance with standards.

Skills

Client relationship management

Team leadership

Communication skills

Commercial awareness

BIM workflows

IT literacy

Education

Degree in Electrical/Building Services Engineering

Chartered status (Senior Associate) or working towards

Tools

BIM software

Job description

Associate or Senior Associate Electrical Engineer

Bristol or Cardiff

About Us

Hoare Lea is a human-centric and planet-conscious engineering consultancy. We offer intelligent and sustainable solutions to complex design challenges for the built environment throughout the UK and further afield. We provide a wide range of engineering and consultancy services, including acoustics, air quality, building services (MEP), fire, lighting, security and sustainability to name but a few. Together, our highly skilled teams use technical expertise and problem-solving skills to bring buildings to life. We ensure that whatever the building, its design is outstanding, and its operations meet the needs of the communities it serves.

Important

the job title "Associate" at Hoare Lea refers to a senior-level position (not an entry-level role); please check the role description for responsibility and seniority.

We are as committed to providing an environment where everyone can realise their unique potential. So, in joining Hoare Lea, you will experience a business that enriches your knowledge, supports your wellbeing, and welcomes your individuality. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in our 9-day fortnight scheme, thriving community groups, varied social and networking events, and extensive professional and technical development schemes. We also offer an extensive benefits package, including private medical cover, an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, stock options, and 25 days of annual leave (increasing with service), alongside flexible and hybrid working. Whatever your ambitions or circumstances, our aim is to enable everyone to develop their knowledge, give their best, and enjoy what they do.

• 9-day fortnight scheme
• thriving community groups
• varied social and networking events
• extensive professional and technical development schemes
• private medical cover
• electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• stock options
• 25 days of annual leave (increasing with service)
• flexible and hybrid working

About The Role

We have an opportunity for an Associate or Senior Associate Electrical Engineer to play a key role in delivering high quality, sustainable electrical engineering solutions across multiple projects in the built environment. You will join our Electrical team based in either our Bristol or Cardiff office. We have a strong, long-standing presence across both Bristol and Cardiff, delivering outstanding built environment design throughout the Southwest and beyond. Bristol — our second largest office — is a vibrant, dynamic city with a rich cultural heritage and ambitious plans to become carbon neutral within the next ten years; our team of more than 100 MEP engineers and growing specialist disciplines has worked on many of the city’s landmark projects. Cardiff is an equally thriving creative capital with a similar heritage and bold growth and carbon neutrality ambitions; join us at an exciting stage in the Hoare Lea Cardiff journey in our new city centre office. We are a recognised leader in the built environment, shaping some of the most ambitious and technically demanding projects across the residential, hospitality, leisure, commercial, and complex engineering sectors.

Our work spans cutting-edge healthcare and research facilities, high-performance data centres, critical infrastructure and state-of-the-art manufacturing and technology environments projects that push boundaries and deliver real-world impact. Driven by a commitment to excellence, we combine innovation, technical expertise, and practical delivery to create solutions that are not only robust and reliable, but forward-thinking and sustainable. Our teams work at the forefront of the industry, collaborating with leading clients across the public and private sectors, both locally and internationally. Working alongside a range of specialist engineers and consultants, you will be joining a collaborative, knowledgeable, highly engaged team who love what they do, and offer a supportive, flexible, and high-performing work culture.

We are seeking an Associate Electrical Engineer or Senior Associate Electrical Engineer to lead client relationships and deliver technically excellent, commercially sound electrical design across building services projects. This vacancy will suit an experienced Associate who manages project delivery and client engagement, or a Senior Associate who leads larger, multi‑discipline schemes, contributes to business development and helps shape a high performing local team.

• Act as primary client contact for projects; define and agree briefs and represent Hoare Lea professionally at project meetings.
• Promote Hoare Lea’s services to create opportunities and support client objectives.
• Lead and coordinate project teams (including specialist groups), prioritise workloads and host/ chair internal project meetings.
• Deliver profitable, high-quality schemes; monitor project expenditure, report costs and resource needs to line managers/partners.
• Delegate, review and check work from junior staff; contribute to staff development and performance objectives.
• Maintain awareness of consultant appointment conditions, procurement routes and commercial risks; identify and mitigate business risks.
• Contribute to technical knowledge sharing across the firm and ensure technical accuracy and compliance with relevant standards.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with clients, consultants and contractors to support repeat business and growth.

Additional Responsibilities For Senior Associate

• Lead larger scale, multi‑discipline schemes, attend interviews and support bid preparation.
• Support development and leadership of the local team and report regularly senior management.

About You

• Degree in Electrical/Building Services Engineering or equivalent.
• Chartered status required for Senior Associate, desirable/working towards for Associate.
• Extensive project & client leadership experience.
• Strong technical competence in electrical building services, working to applicable regulations and design guides.
• Ability to lead integrated design teams, coordinate with other disciplines and deliver technically accurate designs.
• Excellent client‑facing, written and verbal communication skills; able to manage difficult situations.
• Demonstrable commercial awareness: monitor project costs, identify/mitigate risks and contribute to profitable delivery.
• Proven people leadership: motivate, delegate and develop team members — leads projects (Associate) or leads teams and local practice (Senior Associate).
• Highly organised with strong planning skills; able to work under own initiative and deliver to demanding timescales.
• IT literate with proficiency in industry software and BIM workflows.
• Committed to continuous professional development and knowledge‑sharing.

Adjustments and accommodations

If there are adjustments or accommodations that we can put in place to help you participate and give your best at any stage of the recruitment process (whether relating to disability, neurodivergence or anything else) please let us know.

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