Job Details

Associate Director - Building Performance & Sustainability

Job Description

Associate Director - Building Performance andamp; Sustainability

London, UK
Hybrid Working - 3 days in the London office per week
Permanent position

-75,000+ per annum (dependant on level of experience)

An internationally recognised engineering consultancy is seeking an experienced Associate Director or Technical Director to lead and expand its Building Performance andamp; Sustainability capability within its London team.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an ambitious sustainability professional with deep technical expertise in building performance, operational energy, embodied carbon, and sustainable design delivery. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping low-carbon strategies across major UK developments while helping clients achieve net zero and wider ESG objectives.

Working within a multidisciplinary environment, you will lead the delivery of complex and high-profile projects across a broad range of sectors, influencing sustainability outcomes from concept through to completion.

The Opportunity

You will provide strategic and technical leadership across building performance and sustainability services, acting as a trusted adviser to clients, design teams, and internal stakeholders. The role combines technical excellence, project leadership, client engagement, and team development within a growing national sustainability network.

This position offers the opportunity to work on landmark projects and major frameworks, helping to shape future-focused sustainable environments across the UK.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

  • Lead the development and assurance of energy, carbon, and sustainability strategies for complex developments and mixed-use schemes.
  • Provide expert guidance on:
    • Operational energy and operational carbon
    • Embodied carbon reduction
    • Building performance optimisation
    • Low-carbon and net zero design strategies
  • Oversee technical modelling inputs, reporting quality, and evidence-based sustainability recommendations.
  • Advise on UK sustainability legislation, planning policy, and industry standards including BREEAM, WELL, NABERS, and LEED.
  • Ensure technical consistency, governance, and quality assurance across project delivery.

Project andamp; Team Coordination

  • Coordinate multidisciplinary sustainability inputs across live projects and bids.
  • Act as the primary sustainability lead between clients, consultants, and wider project teams.
  • Translate ambitious sustainability goals into practical and commercially deliverable solutions.
  • Support programme management, resourcing, and workload prioritisation across multiple commissions.
  • Maintain oversight of project performance, delivery quality, and commercial health.

Client Engagement andamp; Business Development

  • Develop strong client relationships and represent the business in meetings, workshops, and design reviews.
  • Lead and support major bids, proposals, and framework submissions.
  • Shape technical approaches, scopes, delivery strategies, and value propositions.
  • Identify opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and business growth.
  • Promote innovation and industry best practice within sustainability and building performance.

Team Leadership andamp; Capability Development

  • Mentor and support consultants and senior team members through coaching, peer review, and technical guidance.
  • Contribute to recruitment, capability building, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
  • Support delivery forecasting, fee management, and financial awareness across projects.
  • Help drive continuous improvement through technical standards, frameworks, and training initiatives.

Requirements

The successful candidate is likely to demonstrate:

  • Significant experience delivering sustainability and energy strategies on large-scale or complex developments.
  • Strong technical expertise in:
    • Building performance
    • Energy strategy
    • Operational and embodied carbon
    • Sustainable building design
  • Excellent client-facing and stakeholder management skills.
  • Strong understanding of the UK design and construction process.
  • Experience leading bids, proposals, and work-winning activities.
  • Commercial awareness including fees, forecasting, and project delivery performance.
  • Knowledge of UK planning policy and sustainability requirements relating to net zero carbon outcomes.
  • Previous people management, mentoring, or team leadership experience within a consultancy environment.
  • Ability to obtain UK Security Check (SC) clearance.

Qualifications

  • Degree qualified in Engineering, Sustainability, Environmental Design, Architecture, or a related discipline.
  • Chartered status (or working towards chartership) with a relevant professional institution is desirable.

What's on Offer

  • Opportunity to work on nationally significant and high-profile sustainable development projects.
  • Flexible hybrid working arrangements.
  • Strong commitment to professional development, mentoring, and chartership support.
  • Inclusive and collaborative working culture.
  • Comprehensive wellbeing and flexible benefits package.
  • Clear pathway for career progression within a growing sustainability and building performance practice.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior sustainability professional looking to take on a strategic leadership role within a highly respected consultancy delivering industry-leading sustainable design solutions across the built environment.

If this position sounds of interest, then please apply below or get in touch with Zoe Elliott at; (url removed)

Eden Brown is committed to equality in the workplace and is an equal opportunity employer.