Sustainability Associate or Associate Director, Manchester

Atelier Ten; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Atelier Ten seeks an Associate or Associate Director in Manchester to lead innovative and sustainable building projects. You will guide teams, manage client relationships, and advocate for environmentally responsible design practices. Join their mission for climate-positive architecture and advance your career in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Private healthcare benefits

Generous paid time off

Flexible working environment

Matched pension contributions

Structured training and career progression

Qualifications

• At least eight years of experience in a design consultancy, architectural or engineering practice.
• Deep technical knowledge in sustainability and environmental design.
• Experienced with benchmarking such as BREEAM, LEED or carbon assessments.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary project teams through all design phases.
• Champion sustainable and climate-positive design outcomes.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to your team.

Skills

Sustainability expertise

Technical excellence

Project management

Leadership

Communication skills

Job description

Location: Manchester (Hybrid)

Type: Full-Time | Level: Associate or Associate Director | Sector: Sustainability & Environmental Consultancy

Who is Atelier Ten?

Thank you for asking! Kindness and curiosity are some of Atelier Ten’s core tenets.

We are a team of building services engineers and environmental designers championing for a healthier planet leveraging our vast, collective knowledge of sustainable spaces. We help bring elegance and efficiency to every building, and we work with architects, engineers, owners, and other stakeholders to accomplish their sustainable vision. We don’t just follow the trends of the industry, we trailblaze new paths to create high-performing, sustainable, and award-winning buildings.

Our Manchester office combines deep technical expertise with a modern, flexible approach to work and life. We are proud of our friendly culture, our national network of industry-leading engineers, and a pipeline of climate-positive projects with signature architects, clients, and design teams.

What is this role on a high level?

We are seeking a visionary candidate to join us as a team leader, technical innovator, and client champion. You will play a pivotal role in delivering environmentally responsive, high-performance buildings, and in shaping the next generation of environmental talent.

You’d be responsible for leading a range of amazing projects with your team. You will also be responsible for leading and co-ordinating the internal efforts of junior staff across Atelier Ten, providing appropriate frameworks and tools, agreeing appropriate standards and co-ordinating delivery against these standards.

What Your Day-to-day Looks Like

We work across a variety of projects from museums to offices, labs to large masterplans. We promise to keep you challenged and never bored. Here are some regular tasks you may encounter:

Leading climate-positive design

• Champion sustainable and climate-positive design outcomes
• Apply your sustainability and environmental expertise to deliver innovative, efficient, and environmentally responsible solutions
• Align all project outputs with our ethos of elegant simplicity, environmental sensitivity, and technical excellence
  
  

Delivering technical excellence

• Lead multidisciplinary project teams through all design phases, from concept to completion with an awareness and understanding of other disciplines
• Coordinate effectively between internal disciplines and with external Clients, stakeholders and/or consultants
• Ensure technical quality, compliance, performance, and consistency across all design outputs
• Managing programmes, resources and finances on environmental projects
• As an experienced consultant, take lead responsibility for co-ordination between the disciplines within the office and to external consultants
  
  

Growing and inspiring a high-performing team

• Provide mentorship, technical guidance, and leadership to your team
• Contribute to recruitment, team development, and fostering a motivated and collaborative team culture
• Promote technical excellence and continuous learning within your team
• Grow the environmental engineering team around you and your team
  
  

Building strong client relationships and industry presence

• Act as a key liaison for clients and external stakeholders, managing expectations, and developing trusted long-term relationships
• Represent Atelier Ten at industry events and professional forums, enhancing our visibility, and thought leadership
• Work closely with our wider UK network to share knowledge and elevate project outcomes
• Undertaking business development and proposal writing for environmental services, either as stand-alone services or as part of integrated services offered by Atelier Ten
  
  

What We Are Looking For

Hopefully you’re on board so far and excited about what your days in the Atelier Ten Manchester office will look like. We do have a few items on our wish list for you to become the next great Atelier Tenner. We are looking for someone who is curious, proactive, and self-motivated. And if we’re not pushing our luck, you ideally will possess:

• At least eight years of experience in a design consultancy, architectural or engineering practice
• Deep technical knowledge in sustainability and environmental design, with a track record of delivering sustainable, high-performance solutions
• Experienced with benchmarking such as BREEAM, LEED or carbon/impact assessments
• Experienced in leading multidisciplinary projects, managing budgets, timelines, and design quality
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to inspire clients and team members alike
• Passionate about sustainable design and aligned with our commitment to climate-positive outcomes
• Ability to prioritise and to think strategically about the timing and way of delivering project information
• Ability to identify project resource requirements
• Provide expert and strategic decarbonisation advice to clients, helping them achieve their sustainability goals and comply with industry standards
• Proactive and autonomous – you are a doer, someone who thrives on making things happen, problem solving and taking ownership
  
  

What We Offer

In return for your expertise, leadership, and commitment, we offer:

• Competitive salary
• Private healthcare benefits
• Generous paid time off from day one, with an additional four weeks of paid time off for long service
• A flexible, modern working environment that supports work-life balance
• Emphasis on work/home balance
• Matched pension contributions
• Highly engaged co-workers with a shared hunger for knowledge with access to a rich network of experienced engineers and technical mentors across our UK offices
• Mutual respect and support from colleagues and leadership
• Freedom to contribute ideas and make a personal difference that is not always possible in a large corporate environment
• Structured training and clear career progression opportunities within a growing and forward-thinking organisation
  
  

Join us

If you are excited to lead a team, shape the built environment, and drive climate-positive outcomes across a portfolio of exciting and meaningful projects, we would love to hear from you.

Research shows that some people are less likely to apply for a role unless they tick every box on the job specification. But to us, your experience, skills and passion are what are important. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your achievements, tell us about your journey, and about what you have learned.

To apply, please send a cover letter and your CV to [e-mail]. We can review expected duties for both our Associate and Associate Director level staff at interview.