Structural Fire Engineering Lead

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

Job summary

Buro Happold is seeking a Structural Fire Engineer Leader in Manchester to drive market activities, lead complex projects, and mentor a team of engineers. The role focuses on delivering life-safety outcomes, advancing technical capability, and shaping client relationships across high-profile buildings.

You will work within the UK Fire Engineering leadership, guiding strategy, services, and people development while collaborating with structural engineers on challenging projects.

Qualifications

• Masters degree or higher in Structural Engineering or Structural Fire Engineering.
• Chartered engineer or near achieving it.
• Experience leading structural fire engineering teams in a consultancy.
• Experience managing structural fire engineering projects.
• Experience in fire/heat transfer assessments and structural modelling.

Responsibilities

• Drive market awareness, sales pipeline, and business development for Structural Fire Engineering propositions and capabilities.
• Lead project delivery for complex engagements, ensuring client satisfaction and ongoing relationships.
• Inspire and support professional development and well-being of team members.
• Contribute to the UK Fire Engineering senior leadership team and overall team success.
• Own technical competence development for the Structural Fire Engineering team.

Skills

Team leadership

Structural Fire Engineering

Client relationship management

Consultancy skills

Excellent communication

Education

Masters degree in Structural Engineering or Structural Fire Engineering

Chartered engineer or near achievement

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.

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. Contact [e-mail] so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.