Commissioning Area Business Class Lead

HDR; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee ownership

Network Groups for employees

Career development opportunities

Job summary

HDR is seeking a senior leader to guide the Building Commissioning business class within the UK, including Manchester, Glasgow and London locations. The role focuses on staff leadership, technical delivery, and strategic planning to ensure high-quality project outcomes.

You will mentor teams, manage budgets and timelines, and collaborate with regional leaders to foster a culture of excellence across HDR’s employee-owned organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 10 years of related experience.
• Demonstrated aspirations toward HDR's Officers, Professional Associates, and Associates Program.
• Maintains professional engineering registration and has relevant technical experience.
• Experience developing and managing diverse teams.
• Works cooperatively with other Business Class Directors, Operations Managers, Technical Directors and Marketing Managers.
• Commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and HDR values.
• Proven commitment to actively participating in HDR's employee-owned culture.
• Excellent people management, communication, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Represent HDR and BES as a leader with a client/customer service mentality.
• Work with Managing Principal and Area BES Leadership Team to facilitate group operations.
• Motivate individuals and the Business Class section.
• Engage with Area BES Leads to build a community of practice around technical excellence and project delivery.
• Collaborate to satisfy enterprise needs and align with Regional Leaders for a culture of technical excellence.
• Coordinate workload with Project Managers and Team Leads to align staffing with schedules and availability.
• Monitor project budgets and schedules within the Structural section and communicate scope, budget, and deliverables.
• Assist in forecasting and business planning for the business class.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Client relationship management

People management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, or related field

Professional registration

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

BIM software

Job description

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world? Watch Our Story:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story'

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

Primary Responsibilities

• Represent HDR and BES as a leader with a client/customer service mentality.
• Work hand in hand with the Managing Principal and fellow Area Business Class Leads as a member of the Area BES Leadership Team to facilitate the successful operation of the group.
• Motivate individuals and the Business Class section.
• Exert a positive influence in the work environment and help maintain team morale.
• Engage with fellow Area Business Class Leads throughout BES and build a community of practice around technical excellence and project delivery for the respective business class.
• Work collaboratively to satisfy and support enterprise needs.
• Work closely with Regional Business Class Leaders to align a culture of technical excellence within the Structural section.

Staff Leadership and Development

• Manage staff, including:
  • Addressing personnel issues
  • Delegating responsibilities
  • Hiring and termination decisions
  • Strategic planning for the business class group at the area level
  • Recruiting and developing talent
  • Mentoring staff
  • Conducting annual reviews and Outlook conversations
• Provide technical and professional guidance.
• Support staff with professional development and career growth plans.

Work Delegation and Staffing

• Coordinate workload needs with Project Managers.
• Work with Team Leads to assign staff to projects and align workload with project schedules, staff availability, and expertise.
• Coordinate with the Managing Principal for workshare opportunities outside the area as required.
• Monitor utilization performance against established goals for staff within the Structural section.

Project Delivery Accountability

• Take an active role in monitoring project budgets and schedules within the Structural section.
• Communicate with staff and Project Managers to ensure project information is clearly understood, including:
  • Scope
  • Budget
  • Deliverables
  • Programme
  • Forecasts

Forecasting and Business Planning

• Assist the Managing Principal in determining short-term, mid-term, and long-term forecasting for the business class.
• Assist with project proposals related to the Structural business class.

Technical Delivery

• Take an active role in monitoring technical delivery within the Structural section.
• Communicate with Team Leads and staff to promote quality, consistency, and delivery to deadlines.
• Liaise with the Digital Area Business Class Lead to ensure workflows and coordination processes between the Structural section and Digital teams are understood and followed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 10 years of related experience.
• Demonstrated aspirations toward HDR's Officers, Professional Associates, and Associates Program.
• Maintains professional engineering registration and has relevant technical experience.
• Experience developing and managing diverse teams.
• Works cooperatively with other Business Class Directors, Operations Managers, Technical Directors, and Marketing Managers.
• Commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and HDR values.
• Proven commitment to actively participating in HDR's employee-owned culture.
• Excellent people management, communication, and organizational skills.

What We Believe

HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust, and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment

As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected, and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, and Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Professional, Architecture, Engineering or closely related field
• 10 years of experience
• Committed to quality, improvement and HDR values
• Maintains a professional or engineering registration and has related technical experience
• Experienced in development and management of diverse teams
• Works cooperatively with other area business class leaders, operations managers, technical directors and marketing managers on business class efforts
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must

Primary Location:United Kingdom-England-London Other Locations:United Kingdom-Scotland-Glasgow, United Kingdom-England-Manchester Industry:Building Engineering Schedule:Full-time Employee Status:Regular BusinessClass:Building Commissioning Job Posting:Sep 9, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer (https://www.hdrinc.com/equal-employment-opportunity-employer). We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.