Project Lead - Estates Energy & Decarbonisation

Manchester
Full time, permanent contract

About the role

Take ownership of the delivery of estate-wide energy, infrastructure and decarbonisation commissions. Combine strong practical building services knowledge with advanced analytical capability to produce robust, coherent and phased strategies that build client confidence and secure repeat work.
This is a hands-on role. The successful candidate will lead projects, produce technical and analytical outputs directly, and be accountable for quality, programme and performance.
Project locations will vary geographically and will involve elements of travel for stakeholder engagement and discovery.

About us

BDP is a leading, global, multidisciplinary design practice united by a shared purpose: to design a world that's built for good. For more than 60 years, we've been solving problems, creating innovative spaces, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From the start, we've been pioneers in the world of design, and our legacy is built on the meaningful, people-centred places we've brought to life.

We are a diverse, international practice of architects, engineers, designers, and urbanists. We work closely with our clients, users, and communities to craft spaces for living, working, learning, and enjoying life across the globe. With studios spanning the UK, Ireland, Europe, Asia, and North America, our reach is as broad as our expertise. And since joining forces with Japan's Nippon Koei in 2016, our ability to deliver integrated, impactful design has only grown stronger.

Our work is rooted in creativity, quality, and collaboration. We believe that great design removes barriers and opens new possibilities, all while meeting the demands of a constantly evolving world. Whether we're designing homes, workplaces, or public spaces, we always put people at the heart of our thinking, ensuring that the environments we create are not just functional, but also inclusive, beautiful, and socially and environmentally responsible.

We're proud of the places we've shaped and the lives we've touched, and we are committed to continuing our mission of designing a better, more connected world-one that leaves every place better than we found it.

Key Responsibilities

1. Project Leadership & Ownership

• Lead estate-wide decarbonisation, heat transformation and infrastructure strategy projects from instruction to final reporting.
• Building on existing methodologies and templates take responsibility for scope definition, programme management, resource coordination and financial performance.
• Act as primary day-to-day client lead on projects, building trusted relationships.
• Ensure outputs are technically robust, clearly communicated and delivered within agreed budgets.

2. Technical & Analytical Delivery

• Personally develop and oversee energy models, scenario analyses and technical feasibility studies.
• Assess and optimise building services and energy infrastructure across complex estates.
• Coordinate and integrate with wider teams - including masterplanning, estates, and lifecycle costing.
• Translate building-level technical insight into coherent portfolio-level investment strategies.
• Develop credible heat decarbonisation roadmaps, net zero pathways and prioritised capital plans.
• Evaluate low carbon technologies including heat pumps, heat networks, thermal storage, renewables and smart controls in real-world operational contexts.

This role requires direct production of analysis and reporting, building on existing templates and methodologies.

3. Data & Digital Capability

• Lead interrogation of large datasets including utility data, BMS exports and metering information.
• Use tools such as Excel and Power BI to analyse performance, identify inefficiencies and test scenarios.
• Building on existing tools, produce clear dashboards, visuals and evidence packs that support executive decision-making.
• Embed data-driven thinking into estate optimisation projects.

4. Client Engagement & Communication

• Present complex technical information in clear written, verbal and visual formats tailored to varied audiences.
• Facilitate workshops, stakeholder sessions and technical interviews.
• Build confidence through clarity, rigour and practicality.
• Contribute to proposals and support work-winning activity in the decarbonisation and energy space.

5. Team Contribution

• Work collaboratively building physics engineers, retrofit architects and specialist mechanical and electrical engineers.
• Mentor junior engineers and analysts within live project environments.
• Contribute to the refinement of internal tools and methodologies through project delivery experience.

About you
Essential:

• Strong practical understanding of building services, estate operations and energy optimisation.
• Proven experience delivering estate-wide heat decarbonisation plans and energy strategies.
• Demonstrable experience leading projects, including scope, programme and fee budget.
• Advanced analytical capability including modelling, data handling and visualisation (Power BI or equivalent).
• Experience personally producing strategic reports and analytical outputs.
• Confident client-facing capability with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience working with public sector estates (NHS, education, local authorities) and/or large private portfolios.

Desirable:

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or working towards chartership.
• Knowledge of relevant policy and standards
• Experience with building analytics platforms or digital estate tools.
• Understanding of capital planning, lifecycle costing and investment appraisal.

Personal Attributes:

• Delivery focused and accountable.
• Comfortable operating independently and taking ownership.
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with the ability to see portfolio-level patterns.
• Pragmatic and solution-oriented in complex, live estate environments.

BDP offers

In return, BDP can offer you a wide range of learning opportunities to encourage personal and professional career development. From sponsorship to profession led CPD events, we also offer annual appraisals and a mentoring scheme that is supported by our internal online learning platform.

We are committed to being an employer of choice and offer a competitive remuneration and benefits package that includes an employee profit share scheme, tax efficient smart benefits, private medical insurance, life insurance, long term sickness insurance, interest free season ticket loans, health screening, opportunity to buy/swap holidays and enhanced maternity and paternity provision, plus many more.

We offer regular international, and studio based social, sporting and charitable events. Some recent events include month-end socials, a hiking club, wellbeing webinars and toolbox talks. Our variety of employee forums gives everyone the platform to have a voice and be heard which drives cultural changes and helps to create an engaged, inclusive organisation.

To find out on more detail about what BDP can offer you, please visit: https://www.bdp.com/en/careers-at-bdp/why-join-bdp/.

To apply

To apply please click on the 'Apply' button below. You will then need to complete the online application form and attach a CV and cover letter (<400 words) that outlines how your skills and experience fulfil the requirements of this position.

BDP is actively fostering an inclusive organisation where people can be themselves and everyone has a sense of belonging. We want our teams to be diverse at every level, reflecting the communities we design for. As designers, we will create spaces for all that promote equity, wellbeing and participation within the built environment. We actively encourage people from a variety of backgrounds with different skills, professional and life experiences, to join us and help us to achieve our aspirations. We also welcome applications from candidates who wish to work flexibly. BDP also operates a hybrid working policywhich is usually three days in the office and two days working from home.

No agency or third-party applications please.