Structural Fire Engineering Lead

Buro Happold; Bath; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Buro Happold in the United Kingdom seeks a Structural Fire Engineer Leader to drive design excellence and lead complex fire engineering projects. You will mentor teams, shape technical direction, and deliver performance-based fire safety solutions for high-profile buildings.

The role combines client liaison, business development, and leadership within the UK Fire Engineering group, working with senior engineers on challenging schemes and supporting growth across markets.

Qualifications

• Masters degree or higher in Structural Engineering or Structural Fire Engineering.
• Chartered engineer or nearing achieving it.
• Experience leading structural fire engineering teams in an engineering consultancy environment.
• Experience in managing structural fire engineering projects.
• Experience in designing and assessing current and historic structures at ambient temperatures and in fire.
• Experience in fire and heat transfer assessments followed by structural modelling at elevated temperatures.
• Experience using and checking SAFIR, VULCAN or similar.
• Experience writing and reviewing performance-based engineering reports.
• Excellent consultancy skills, strong communication abilities and stakeholder management.
• Confident, proactive leader capable of guiding junior engineers.

Responsibilities

• Drive market awareness, sales pipeline, and business development activities for Structural Fire Engineering propositions and capabilities.
• Lead delivery for the most complex engagements, ensuring client satisfaction and ongoing relationships.
• Inspire and support the professional development and well-being of team members and foster an inclusive environment.
• Be a key member of the UK Fire Engineering senior leadership team, contributing to strategy, service, propositions, and people.
• Own the technical competence and capability development for the team within Structural Fire Engineering.
• Collaborate with structural engineers on complex buildings to ensure life safety and optimise protection.
• Inform design aspirations, functionality and architectural form.
• Represent Buro Happold at design team meetings, internally and externally.

Skills

Team leadership

Project management

Fire engineering design

FEM analysis

Performance reports

Stakeholder management

Communication

Negotiation

Education

MSc in Structural Eng

Chartered Engineer (CEng) candidate

Tools

SAFIR

VULCAN

Job description

Want to work with the most sought-after minds and most-talked about projects? Your skills and team leadership experience in Structural Fire Engineering might just make you our new Structural Fire Engineer Leader.

Key Duties:

• Drive market awareness, sales pipeline, and business development activities for Structural Fire Engineering propositions and capabilities.
• Take a lead role in project delivery for our most complex engagements, ensuring successful outcomes, client satisfaction and an ongoing client relationship.
• Inspire, motivate, and support the professional development and well-being of team members by prioritising their growth and fostering an inclusive work environment.
• As a key member of the UK Fire Engineering senior leadership team, you will contribute to the overall success of the team, across strategy, service, propositions, and people.
• Own the "Technical" competence and capability development for the team embedding technical skills within the Structural Fire Engineering team.
• Working with structural engineers on exciting and complex buildings to ensure life safety and optimise protection.
• Informing and supporting design aspirations, functionality and architectural form.
• Representing Buro Happold at design team meetings, both internally and externally.

Your Skills and Experience:

• Masters degree or higher in Structural Engineering or Structural Fire Engineering.
• Being a chartered engineer or being close to achieving it.
• Experience in leading structural fire engineering teams in an engineering consultancy environment.
• Experience in managing structural fire engineering projects.
• Experience in designing and assessing current and historic structures at ambient temperatures and in fire.
• Experience in undertaking and supervising fire and heat transfer assessments followed by structural modelling at elevated temperatures.
• Experience in using and checking of structural fire engineering FEM packages like SAFIR, VULCAN or similar.
• Experience in writing and reviewing performance-based engineering reports.
• Excellent consultancy skills, good communication abilities and the experience to deal with complex situations, negotiation and understanding the differing needs of our clients and within stakeholder groups.
• Confident, proactive character, able to take the lead in challenging situations and guide less experienced engineers.

Exposure to the following areas is advantageous...

• Experience designing for structural fire protection for buildings in the following sectors:
• Sports Stadia and Arenas
• Large commercial developments.
• Experience in international markets

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.