Director - Economics

Location: Greater London

# Director - Economics## Buro Happold is seeking an exceptional Director of Economics to join the UK Advisory team, with a focus on shaping and delivering economics-led advice to clients across priority sectors and driving growth in our economics capability. In this role, you will act as a visible market leader, build and lead a specialist team, and work closely with colleagues across Buro Happold to deliver evidence-based, commercially grounded insights that support strategic investment and development decisions.
** More about the role…
** You will provide strategic leadership for our economics offering within the UK Advisory team, setting the vision, goals and market focus for the service line, and integrating economics thinking into our multidisciplinary work. You will combine a strong external market presence with hands-on project delivery (a “seller–doer” model), building enduring client relationships and expanding our footprint in target sectors such as sports and entertainment, urban development, government and infrastructure, health and life sciences, and aviation.
** Key duties
*** Provide strategic leadership for the Economics Advisory capability, defining the service proposition, go-to-market strategy and growth plan within the UK Advisory team.
* Lead and deliver high-impact economics projects, through defining and developing a route to market for economics led propositions such as policy and strategy, business case and viability, real estate and planning, impact analysis and evaluation, and economic development.
* Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders on economics and investment decisions for complex programmes and major projects across two or more of: sports and entertainment, urban development, government and infrastructure, health and life sciences, and aviation.
* Drive proactive business development as a clear market-maker, including originating opportunities, shaping pursuits, leading bids and proposals, and representing Buro Happold in client forums and industry networks.
* Build, lead and mentor a high-performing economics team, taking it from a small nucleus to a sustainable critical mass, including recruitment, capability development and performance management.
* Collaborate closely with colleagues across UK and Global Advisory in the fields of digital, capital projects and programmes, sustainability and climate resilience and across our wider engineering service lines in order to develop integrated, economics-led advisory offerings.
* Develop and refine tools, models and methodologies to strengthen our economics insights and create repeatable, scalable solutions for clients.
* Represent Buro Happold at conferences, events and thought leadership platforms, positioning the firm as a leader in applied economics within the built environment and infrastructure sectors.
* Maintain up-to-date knowledge of UK economic policy, funding and appraisal frameworks (e.g. HM Treasury Green Book / Magenta Book), and relevant international approaches, and share insights with colleagues and clients.
** Your skills & experience
*** Master’s degree or PhD in Economics or a closely related discipline; additional qualifications in fields such as finance, public policy, or urban planning are advantageous.
* Extensive experience in economic advisory or consultancy, with a strong track record in applied economics for the built environment and infrastructure sectors.
* Demonstrable experience operating as a “seller–doer”, including originating work, leading key client relationships and delivering major assignments end-to-end.
* Clear evidence of market-making capability: establishing or significantly growing an economics offering, developing new service lines or entering new sector/geographic markets.
* Experience working across at least two of the following: sports and entertainment, urban development, government and infrastructure, health and life sciences, and aviation, ideally on large and complex programmes and working direct with client orgaisations.
* Deep knowledge of UK markets, institutions and policy frameworks, with experience of UK public and/or private sector clients as a primary…