Associate Director HR Consultant

Are you ready to lead HR beyond the traditional business partner role? Drive strategic change, champion innovation and help build a high-performing, inclusive organisation. This person can be based in our Bath office on a hybrid working model.

As a trusted strategic partner to our leaders, you will help shape the future of our people strategy across the UK+ business. Working closely with senior stakeholders, Partners and HR Centres of Excellence, you will ensure our people practices enable business success while maintaining the collaborative culture that defines Buro Happold.

You will lead initiatives across organisational development, talent and succession, employee engagement, performance, employee relations and change management. You will also champion a data‑led approach to HR, leveraging people insights, AI and automation to improve decision‑making and create greater value across the function. Alongside partnering with business leaders, you will support and develop members of the HR team, helping build capability and continuously improve the way we deliver HR services.

• Significant experience partnering with senior leaders to deliver strategic people solutions.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to align people initiatives with business priorities.
• Excellent employee relations expertise and confidence managing complex and sensitive people matters.
• Passion for using people data, analytics and AI to generate insight and improve business outcomes.
• Experience leading organisational change and embedding new ways of working.
• Collaborative, pragmatic and coaching approach that builds trusted relationships across all levels.
• Genuine commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing.

• Proven experience as a senior HR Business Partner or HR Consultant within a complex, matrixed organisation.
• Ability to influence, coach and challenge senior leaders, helping them make informed people decisions that support business performance.
• Strong expertise across the full employee lifecycle, including organisational design, talent management, succession planning, employee relations and performance management.
• Confidence managing complex employee relations matters, balancing commercial outcomes with legal compliance and employee experience.
• Data‑driven mindset, using people insights, metrics and emerging technologies such as AI to inform decisions and improve HR services.
• Experience leading organisational change, supporting business growth and embedding new ways of working.
• Collaborative approach, with the ability to work effectively across HR Centres of Excellence and wider business teams to deliver shared goals.
• Genuine passion for creating inclusive, high‑performing teams where people feel supported to grow and succeed.

We believe in creating a better, more sustainable world. You’ll be part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and excellence, and you will contribute to projects that shape the built environment.

• Hybrid working arrangements.
• Attractive salary and benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance and income protection.
• 10% car allowance.
• Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum (exclusive of bank holidays) and flexible holiday arrangements.
• Generous company pension scheme.
• 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.
• Strong commitment to your continuous development with a learning and development programme.
• Entitlement to two memberships to professional bodies or subscriptions.
• Wellbeing support through a comprehensive employee assistance programme and activities.
• Supportive and inclusive environment with social and outreach activities, mentoring and a Young Employees Forum.
• International culture with opportunities to work on projects worldwide.

Buro Happold values flexible working patterns and welcomes applications from those seeking balance. We actively support underrepresented groups in the built environment and encourage anyone who feels underrepresented to apply. We strive to create an environment where employees can thrive without masking their identities.