Architectural BRPD

Architects aren’t legally required on a HRB. Building Regs Principal Designers are. Your responsibility keeps increasing, the risk is rising, but the rewards in traditional architecture aren’t. Meanwhile, Building Safety has changed the rules entirely and suddenly the people advising the project matter more than the people doing the drawing. You already know architecture isn’t where the leverage is anymore. This is the very best alternative.

You’ll be based around Manchester, with the freedom to work from home most of the week. One or two days in the office when it makes sense. Occasional design team meetings or site visits. No presenteeism required. The workload in this job doesn’t rely on hours billed so you don’t need to do unpaid extra hours to help the business function. There’s no overtime and burning yourself out isn’t an admired trait. What really matters is where this takes you. Building Regulations consultancy isn’t a sidestep from architecture — it’s an upgrade. Architects aren’t legally required on projects. A Building Regs Principal Designer is. That single fact is why salaries, influence, and long-term security in this space are accelerating faster than architecture ever can. Your experience will be in demand everywhere, practices, developers, contractors and consultants. And financially? You’re not far away from £80,000 as a very realistic next step.

What you’ll be doing:

• Acting as a senior Building Regulations Principal Designer advisor on HRBs - you’re not the duty holder, you’re an advisor.
• Supporting and guiding duty holder processes, gateways, and compliance strategy.
• Advising architects, consultants and clients of responsibilities.
• Attending design team meetings and occasional site visits where your input adds value.
• Helping shape best practice as part of a strong, growing building safety team.
• Managing a resource of your own and mentoring.

What you’ll need:

• An architectural background at Senior level or above.
• Direct experience working on HRBs.
• Solid involvement in Building Regs PD duties.
• Confidence advising others and holding technical ground when it matters.
• Openness to a short learning curve — which you’ll honestly find easier than you expect.

About the company:

This is a safety consultancy that’s taken the Building Regs role seriously from the early days. They invest properly, resource work sensibly, and build teams around expertise rather than exploitation. People are trusted, listened to, and developed because the business depends on it.

What you’ll get:

• Strong basic salary with a clear path for growth.
• Flexible working with 1–2 days a week in the Manchester office.
• Generous holiday allowance.
• No overtime culture.
• Long-term career security in one of the fastest-growing areas of the industry.
• Strong annual bonus that actually makes a difference to you and is worth having.

If you’re even slightly curious, that’s enough to have a conversation. No need for a perfect CV. Your old one or your LinkedIn profile is absolutely fine. Just get in touch and we’ll take it from there.