Summer Placement - Sustainability Engineer - Leeds

From helping shape entire cities to adapting infrastructure to deal with the climate emergency, a career at Buro Happold presents the chance to make a difference. This is an exciting opportunity to join our Sustainability team in our Leeds office for an 8‑week summer placement.

What is Sustainability Engineering?

Sustainability engineering can be extremely broad; however, we tend to split this down in Building Performance Engineering, Environmental Design Engineering and broader Sustainability Consulting. Building Performance Engineering includes energy modelling, advanced simulation, micro‑climate analysis and parametric modelling. Sustainability consulting includes embodied carbon analysis, sustainability assessments (BREEAM, LEED, Living Building Challenge etc), building performance (e.g. post‑occupancy evaluation), social value, health & wellbeing and circular economy. Wherever you would like to focus, you can have high‑value, low environmental impact solutions that meet sustainability objectives while creating comfortable, productive and effective environments valued by the people who use them. The team works across a range of scales and project types, from policy, strategy and masterplanning through to building design, soft landings, monitoring and management. Our clients and collaborators include world leading corporates, developers, institutions, architects and government across a wide range of sectors including commercial property, higher education, arts and culture.

What sort of projects would I work on?

Our team of sustainability experts are responsible for some of the UK’s highest‑rated sustainable buildings, such as Apple HQ at Battersea Power Station and London College of Fashion, Stratford, both recently achieving a BREEAM Outstanding. We work extensively with C40 Cities to generate original research, thought leadership, tools and methodologies and pilot these with cities across the world. Our team led a major two‑year programme of technical assistance to 25 global cities to assess the air quality, health and economic benefits of climate action. Our sustainability consultants also led a C40 study into the multiple benefits of deep retrofit, including job creation, as well as reduced energy poverty, asthma and cold mortality.

What will I do?

• Advise clients, engineers, architects and urban planners on sustainable measures for buildings, masterplans and strategic consultancy projects.
• Undertake research to develop design solutions, such as:
• Climate change resilience
• Health, wellbeing and productivity
• Embodied carbon strategies to reduce whole‑life impacts
• Circular economy strategies within building design
• Undertake assessments to help clients achieve sustainable certifications.
• Prepare reports on sustainability, whole‑life carbon and circular economy to accompany Planning Applications.

What degree will I be studying?

We welcome people into our team with a broad range of experience. Typical degrees include:

• Architectural Engineering
• Sustainable Development
• International Development / Urban Planning
• Environmental Design / Science / Management
• Building Services / MEP Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Water Engineering

Application Process

Please note, to be eligible for this summer placement, you must be living in or near Leeds, or have accommodation available for the 8‑week duration of the opportunity. We expect our placement students to regularly attend our office to get the best out of the experience. This is a paid role for current university students continuing their studies past this summer, for an 8‑week placement taking place during Summer 2026. Exact dates can be flexible depending on candidate and team availability. The annual salary for this placement will be in‑line with the UK Real Living Wage.

Diversity & Inclusion

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. A strong part of our culture is celebrating diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds, and experiences. We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment and particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels underrepresented. We want employees to feel they don’t have to mask elements of their identity to thrive. 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 the application.