Graduate Energy Engineer

Leeds, England, United Kingdom

10/31/2024

We are looking for a Graduate to join our Energy team in either our Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester or London office. 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. 

Join our Energy Consulting team

An exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Energy Graduate to join our Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds or London teams. This role will see you consulting on energy use in individual buildings through to national level energy strategy.

We have three Energy Consulting Graduate roles available for an Autumn 2025 start.

Our energy consulting work extends from single buildings and campus scale projects through to district, regional and national level assessment. We’re passionate about guiding clients towards low carbon, low-cost solutions that are suited to the challenges we face due to climate change.

The energy consulting team is multi-disciplinary with engineers, analysts, consultants, and geographers working together to develop solutions to problems that need imagination, deep knowledge of existing and new technology, design expertise and computational skillsets.

To find out more about our Energy discipline please click here .

What sort of projects will I work on?

We are one of the few consultant Energy teams that offer opportunities to work at the full scale of projects both nationally and internationally, including;

• National spatial analytics using innovative techniques in mapping and big data
• District energy feasibility studies, re-configuring the way we generate, distribute and use energy
• Campus scale systems; modelling, designing and helping our client transition to net zero carbon
• Building retrofit; trading off the potential to reuse our existing building versus building new.
  
  
  

We work on projects throughout the lifecycle from research to concept to design to implementation, including optimising and decarbonising legacy systems.

Example UK projects include:

Leeds University Net Zero Carbon Pathway

In ascertaining how best to meet the net zero objective, Buro Happold’s energy reduction specialists undertook a technical, commercial and institutional feasibility review of the available pathways. We worked with our client to review existing information and collaborated on the emerging systems and approaches, ultimately creating a tangible implementation plan and set of tools. Selected via analytical rigour by our specialist team, a suitable approach could then be recommended with confidence.

Communiheat

How one rural community’s commitment to transition from oil to low carbon heating is fuelling the UK’s intention to reach net zero by 2050. CommuniHeat seeks to develop a roadmap and ‘write the book’ that will enable rural communities to switch from expensive and carbon intensive fossil fuels to low carbon heating over the next 10 years. With fossil fuel based domestic heating accounting for 18% of the UK’s carbon emissions, this would be a considerable victory in the struggle to save our planet. Our Energy team are working on a range of innovative first of a kind projects which will impact directly on not just the immediate client but also influence policy and thinking throughout the industry .

Olympic Park Energy Centre, London, UK

Legacy venues and infrastructure will deliver a reduction in operational carbon emissions of 50%+ versus a 2006 baseline (original target). Electrical utilities resilience assessments, including peak energy demand modelling for the site, venues and environs, and risk assessment management for all utilities, shaped the System Recovery Plans in case of critical failure. Buro Happold have continued to work on this truly amazing area of London, supporting existing and new development clients on optimized building systems, and with the energy company to further decarbonise and extend the system.

Cornwall Energy Island, UK

Energy is essential to provide our daily needs and power economic activity. However, our current energy systems are primarily fossil fuel based, contributing to more than 50% of global GHG emissions. Many places are reliant on imported energy, leading to a flow of wealth out of the local economy, as well as reduced resilience.

These dynamics are particularly visible in islands, where the technical constraints that islands face are often met with ingenuity and innovation. We wanted to explore how island thinking can promote creativity in a context which is not quite an island - the peninsula of Cornwall.

What will I do?

• Contribute to live projects from the start and have real responsibilities and deadlines; advise clients, other engineers, architects and urban planners on holistic solutions
• Specific project exposure will include district energy projects and masterplan development including Energy Centre design, load calculations, conventional and renewable technologies and energy policy
• Work alongside experienced engineering colleagues and attend client meetings
• Make an impact from the start and manage your workload
• Undertake testing, reporting and presentations to develop design concepts. Think 'outside the box' to demonstrate creativity and diversity when approaching engineering problems to arrive at workable solutions
• Engage in Energy team activities so you feel ownership for its success; being at the centre of our online presence and technical development.
  
  
  

We would like to hear from you if  you are studying (or have graduated) in any of the below degrees:

• Hold an Energy-related engineering degree (e.g. energy, mechanical, chemical, electrical, or civil), or environmental science with spatial analytical skills and energy considerations.
• Passionate about engineering design, sustainability, research and making a meaningful contribution to society
• Proactive in taking initiative
• Thrive in a team environment
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Highly motivated and committed to professional development.
  
  
  

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.

Application Process

We typically complete shortlisting after the role has closed. Therefore, you can expect to hear from us with 2-4 weeks of the job closing on our website. Should you wish to contact us to find out more information or to get an update, please contact earlycareers@burohappold.com

Please note that this role is for an Autumn 2025 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. Contact recruitment@burohappold.com so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.

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