Graduate Bridges & Civil Structures Engineer - London or Edinburgh

Buro Happold; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Graduate Connect learning programme

Young Employee's Forum

Flexible hours

Job summary

Buro Happold invites graduates to join its Bridges & Civil Structures team in London or Edinburgh. The role focuses on detailed bridge analysis, concept design, and collaboration with architects and clients on iconic projects.

You will contribute to sustainability assessments and learn advanced design tools while pursuing professional accreditation. The graduate programme provides mentorship, exposure to international projects, and a clear path to chartership within a supportive, hybrid-working

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil or Structural Engineering with the ability to hit the ground running.
• Ability to contribute to concept designs and preliminary engineering solutions.
• Experience with engineering software and analysis tools is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Detailed bridge analysis and design.
• Attend workshops with architects and clients.
• Learn new software and methods for design optimization.
• Perform embodied carbon calculations and sustainability checks.
• Carry out design verification and independent checks.
• Assess erection techniques and construction sequencing.
• Support toward professional accreditation and chartership.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across projects.

Skills

Concept design

Finite element analysis

Computational analysis

Education

Civil or Structural Engineering degree

Tools

Grasshopper

CAD/Revit

Job description

Graduate Bridges & Civil Structures Engineer

Join us to design iconic bridges that connect communities and transform cities.

An exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Civil or Structural Engineering Graduate or early-career Engineer to join our Edinburgh or London Bridge team. This role will see you designing the construction of all types of bridge, from architectural footbridges like the Lille Langebro in Copenhagen, to major bridge crossings such as the Northern Spire in Sunderland.

A career at Buro Happold presents the chance to make a difference, such as helping to shape entire cities to adapting infrastructure to deal with the climate emergency. With a world class reputation, our creativity and our people have delivered positive change to clients, the environment, and communities alike. If you want to be part of something bigger, this is your chance.

Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship now or in the future for graduate level roles, so candidates must have the full right to work in the UK upon application (now and in the future).

We encourage you to explore early careers opportunities in our other regions where you hold full work rights, such as the EU, India, UAE, KSA, and others. If no suitable roles are currently open, we recommend creating an account on our careers page and setting up a job alert to stay informed as new opportunities become available.

Join our Bridges team

Working closely with our infrastructure design teams, we have designed and supervised the construction of dozens of bridges, underpasses, cut and cover tunnels and culverts in many countries over the past decade. We provide input into the design of roads and railways, into the viability of major infrastructure projects and their environmental impact.

We participate actively in the research and the development of materials, new technology, sustainability strategies and methods of analysis, in order to develop our core competencies. This equips us to develop innovative design concepts, such as parametric design tools to enable rapid prototyping to help make early carbon saving design decisions.

In fact, you’ll be working with, and helping to develop, our 3D parametric modelling software ( BHoM ). It enables us to make state-of-the-art structural analyses. This was a real benefit in testing the unique design of the award-winning Lille Langebro swing bridge which uses a locking mechanism which allows the two halves to separate and open for boats to pass through.

Not only will we help you develop your technical engineering skills, but we will also train you in all areas required to gain your professional accreditation, such as becoming chartered with the Institution of Civil Engineers.

We work for public clients, contractors (design-build projects) and private developers. We advocate a close dialogue with our clients to optimise the design and the construction process, such as enabling the Stratford Town Centre Link that spans 11 railway lines to be launched over an operational station.

What sort of projects will I work on?

Bow Bridge Road - Buro Happold

Opened last year (2025), this architectural bridge has unlocked a new development area for the city Chelmsford. It was delivered successfully under budget and on programme.

New Danube Bridge, Budapest

The new road bridge structure will be a new landmark bridge to add to Budapest’s collection of great bridges.

Lille Langebro, Copenhagen

The recently completed Lille Langebro is a pedestrian and cycle bridge in Copenhagen which sits beside the Langebro traffic bridge, it improves the accessibility for cyclist in the city and enhance the vibrancy of the waterfront.

Red Sea Project, King of Saudi Arabia

This project allowed Buro Happold to ask the question, “do we need a bridge, and if so, what type and where” ? This extraordinary project is one of many large Buro Happold projects in KSA which offer unique engineering challenges at a large scale . Amongst other aspects, these projects also enable Buro Happold to have significant impact on the expenditure of carbon .

Stratford Town Centre Link

This footbridge is a landmark structure in east London providing a generous and exciting link between Stratford town centre, Westfield, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park . It was the first bridge in the UK to be launched over a live railway.

Design Competitions

We enter multiple design competitions every year with our architectural collaborators. These competitions allow us to consider both form and function within a very creative environment. They also offer fantastic opportunities for our graduates to lead.

What will I do?

• Detailed analysis and bridge design.
• Attend workshops with architects and clients.
• Leaning new software such as visual programme tools e.g., Grasshopper.
• Embodied carbon calculations.
• Perform design verification and independent checks.
• Analyse erection techniques.
• Help the team move towards our internal and external sustainability goals.
• Assess strength and propose rehabilitation of existing structures.

About you:

You will be qualified to degree or master’s level in Civil or Structural Engineering.

It is expected that the candidate will need to be able to hit the ground running, with support from our senior team members and it would be beneficial for the successful candidate to demonstrate skills and knowledge in:

• Developing concept designs
• Working competently with some assistance from Engineers and above
• Preparing and taking responsibility for concept and preliminary engineering solutions for detail design
• Preparing Technical Specifications
• Finite Element Analysis
• Aptitude for coding and computational analysis
• CAD/Revit

Graduates at Buro Happold

When you join Buro Happold you are embedded into an exciting network of engineers and consultants, that supports your career development . We have a Graduate Connect learning programme that targets specific learning and supports your journey to chartership as well as our Young Employee's Forum that links all our young talent in terms of knowledge sharing, learning and very importantly socialising.

We place great importance on a having a safe and inclusive environment and will seek to make any arrangements that may be required to enable all who work with us to thrive. We have flexible working hours and hybrid working, and welcome applications from all backgrounds and walks of life. If you have any questions about how this could apply to your specific circumstances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us .

Check out what our YEF Global team thought of their 2024 Global Meet

Please see our Early Careers Candidate Pack for further guidance and information.

Please note that this role is for an Autumn 2027 start.

A place for everyone

Buro Happold values an individual 's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of how 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. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing differences 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 .