Design Manager (Associate Director)

Thrive on openness, respect and collaboration? Good. Us too. Join our UK Projects team in this key role and create transformative outcomes for people, planet and places.

This opportunity will suit a candidate with a proven track record of securing new opportunities and driving business growth through industry engagement. It’ll also be key that you are used to actively contributing to team operations – attending key meetings, leading initiatives, supporting knowledge share, etc.

Above all, you’ll have strategic influence and commercial acumen, with the ability to shape team culture and align talent strategy with organisational objectives.

More about the role…

You’ll work within the practice on some of our large multi-disciplinary projects, both in the UK and overseas. These projects will be projects of significant scale and value and will vary in nature including commercial, residential, cultural, and sport. The position will be based in our London office but will potentially involve travel overseas for site visits and meetings.

This role will require a proven ability to lead strategically, influence business growth, and actively engage with the wider industry to position our team as market leaders.

Key duties

• Project Delivery: Manage projects to meet brief, time, quality, budget, and safety targets.
• Client Network: Establish internal and external client connections for new and repeat business.
• Client Relationship: Proactively manage client relationships to exceed expectations.
• Leadership Role: Lead project teams with direction, technical advice, and by example.
• Financial Targets: Achieve or exceed financial goals.
• Project Completion: Finish projects with motivated teams, satisfied clients, and profitability.
• Strategic Growth: Demonstrate a proven track record of securing new opportunities and driving business growth through industry engagement and client development.
• Market Influence: Actively represent the organisation externally, contributing to thought leadership and reinforcing our reputation for excellence.
• Effective Leadership: Provide sound leadership, technical advice, and champion quality culture.
• Team Communication:

You will have considerable freedom to manage project activities within your portfolio, including approving fees and defining the scope of services. You will be responsible for achieving revenue generation and client satisfaction targets, and you are expected to exercise strategic autonomy to influence and shape the growth of the London team and contribute to discipline-wide strategic objectives.

Qualifications, skills & experience:

• Proven ability to lead and manage multidisciplinary teams (designers, consultants, engineers) while delivering strong business outcomes.
• Track record of securing new opportunities and driving business growth, supported by active engagement in the industry.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience in bid management, opportunity qualification, and contractual negotiations.
• Excellent client-facing skills: able to build enduring relationships, influence at senior levels, and represent the organisation externally.
• Ability to mentor and develop high-performing teams, fostering collaboration and innovation.
• Degree or equivalent in a relevant subject; chartered professional status preferred.
• Global perspective and adaptability, with experience operating across regions and supporting complex, high-value projects.

Key competencies and values

• Project Leadership: Demonstrates strong leadership in managing complex projects.
• Relationship Management: Builds and maintains positive internal and external relationships.

Style and behaviours

• Professional and Engaging: Responsive to clients and collaborators, adapts communication style appropriately, and safeguards the practice’s interests.
• Strategic and Decisive: Focuses on critical issues, solves problems effectively, and balances client needs with commercial considerations.
• Clear Communicator: Operates confidently at senior levels, chairs meetings, and communicates across disciplines.

What we offer

• Hybrid working arrangements.
• Generous pension contribution of 10%, car allowance, life assurance and income protection.
• Performance incentive scheme, up to 8% of salary.
• Flexible benefits including cycle scheme, dental insurance, optical cover, travel insurance, season ticket loans, and corporate discounts.
• Enhanced parenthood leave policies.
• 3pm finish on the last Friday of the month.

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 recruitment@burohappold.com so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.