Associate or Senior Associate - Building Physics

Associate or Senior Associate - Building Physics - (2142)

Location

Travel

Job Type

Full Time

Category

Sustainability

Associate or Senior Associate – Building Physics
London

Hoare Lea is a human‑centric and planet‑conscious engineering consultancy. We offer intelligent and sustainable solutions to complex design challenges for the built environment throughout the UK and further afield.

We provide a wide range of engineering and consultancy services, including acoustics, air quality, building services (MEP), fire, lighting, security and sustainability to name but a few. Together, our highly skilled teams use technical expertise and problem‑solving skills to bring buildings to life. We ensure that whatever the building, its design is outstanding, and its operations meet the needs of the communities it serves.

We are as committed to providing an environment where everyone can realise their unique potential. So, in joining Hoare Lea, you will experience a business that enriches your knowledge, supports your wellbeing, and welcomes your individuality. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in our 9‑day fortnight scheme, thriving community groups, varied social and networking events, and extensive professional and technical development schemes.

We also offer an extensive benefits package, including private medical cover, an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, stock options, and 25 days of annual leave (increasing with service), alongside flexible and hybrid working.

Whatever your ambitions or circumstances, our aim is to enable everyone to develop their knowledge, give their best, and enjoy what they do.

We’re hiring an Associate/Senior Associate to join our building‑physics team working on CFD, data‑centre thermal performance and whole‑building energy modelling. You will lead and deliver modelling studies, translate results into practical design and operational guidance, and help grow our technical capabilities and reproducible workflows across the team.

We are looking for an experienced, client‑facing engineer with hands‑on CFD and data‑centre modelling experience plus a strong grounding in building physics (heat transfer, ventilation/HVAC optimisation, dispersion and wind‑microclimate analysis, and dynamic thermal modelling). You should be comfortable setting technical standards, leading projects, mentoring colleagues, and communicating results to clients and project teams. If you meet many of the criteria but not every bullet, we encourage you to apply.

It's an exciting time to join our Building Physics team. Working alongside a range of specialist engineers and consultants, you will be joining a collaborative, knowledgeable, highly engaged team who love what they do, and offer a supportive, flexible, and high‑performing work culture.

• Lead data‑hall CFD studies (rack‑ and room‑scale): containment and airflow strategies (hot/cold aisles, perforated‑tile & raised‑floor flows, fan walls, in‑row/rear‑door cooling, liquid‑cooling), transient resilience/time‑to‑critical analyses, hotspot mitigation, and assessment of re‑entrainment risks from plant equipment (generators, chillers).
• Oversee production CFD across sectors (Residential, Science & Research, Workplace): set meshing and solver standards, enforce convergence and QA/QC practices, and recommend higher‑fidelity approaches (e.g., LES) where justified.
• Evaluate HVAC and ventilation strategies: model ventilation effectiveness and control strategies to improve thermal comfort, air distribution and energy performance.
• Execute dispersion and wind‑microclimate studies: contaminant transport and tracer‑gas approaches, pedestrian wind comfort/safety assessments (Lawson criteria, City of London guidance), and interaction with site plant.
• Integrate local CFD findings into whole‑building energy model.
• Build and maintain automation and parametric workflows (Python; Rhino + Grasshopper/Ladybug/Honeybee), creating reusable components and batch‑run pipelines for scenario studies.
• Define and implement model validation and uncertainty approaches: calibration, sensitivity analysis and…