Building Regulations Principal Designer / Senior Project Architect
Lead compliance in the future of social housing retrofit
Remote-first | UK-wide
Salary: £55,000 to £65,000 depending on experience, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate
About Ambue
Ambue is a RIBA Chartered Practice and multidisciplinary retrofit consultancy using technology, data and professional expertise to help improve homes and accelerate decarbonisation across UK social housing.
We work with housing providers on the retrofit of thousands of existing homes, from individual houses and low-rise blocks through to complex and higher-risk buildings.
Our work brings together architecture, retrofit design, retrofit coordination, assessment, energy and sustainability expertise. Alongside this, we are developing technology that makes retrofit delivery more efficient, consistent and easier to manage at scale.
Ultimately, our work is about more than improving buildings. It is about helping create warmer, healthier and more affordable homes for the people who live in them.
The opportunity
We are looking for an experienced Building Regulations Principal Designer / Senior Project Architect to take a leading role in how Ambue manages design and design compliance across our projects.
This would particularly suit an ARB-registered Architect with strong technical and Building Regulations experience, although we are equally interested in experienced building professionals from other relevant disciplines who can demonstrate the competence required for the Principal Designer aspects of the role.
You will not simply be checking designs at the end of a process. You will help shape how compliance is considered from the outset, supporting project teams to make good, evidenced design decisions while continually improving the way Ambue delivers its services.
For the right person, there is a genuine opportunity to shape and develop our organisational Principal Designer capability as Ambue grows.
What you will be doing
You will:
- Lead and advise on Ambue's duties as Building Regulations Principal Designer across a portfolio of retrofit and refurbishment projects.
- Lead the architectural design and technical coordination of selected projects, working with clients and multidisciplinary teams from brief through to delivery.
- Support architects, retrofit designers, coordinators and other professionals in understanding and demonstrating compliance with the Building Regulations.
- Plan, manage and monitor design compliance throughout the design process rather than treating it as a final-stage check.
- Review technical proposals, design information, products and systems and help teams determine whether appropriate evidence of compliance has been provided.
- Coordinate design and compliance responsibilities across clients, consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers.
- Help project teams resolve difficult or conflicting compliance issues and ensure decisions are clearly documented.
- Support the development and maintenance of appropriate records and the Golden Thread of information.
- Contribute to the continual development of Ambue's compliance processes, templates and quality systems.
- Help us translate regulatory requirements into practical digital workflows within Ambue's technology platform.
- On appropriate projects, take a direct role in leading the design, technical coordination and client relationship.
If you also have experience acting as Principal Designer under CDM 2015, there is an opportunity to help us further integrate our Building Regulations and CDM Principal Designer services.
What we are looking for
We are looking for someone with substantial experience in architectural design, technical design or building compliance who is comfortable taking professional responsibility and providing clear advice to others.
You will ideally bring:
- ARB registration or another appropriate UK professional qualification or accreditation.
- Typically five years or more of relevant post-qualification experience, although the depth and relevance of your experience is more important to us than a specific number of years.
- Strong working knowledge of the UK Building Regulations and their practical application.
- Experience of refurbishment, retrofit or work to existing buildings.
- Experience planning, managing and monitoring design work undertaken by multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong technical construction knowledge, including the ability to critically review specifications, products, systems and design proposals.
- Experience managing and documenting design responsibility and compliance decisions.
- Confidence advising clients, designers, consultants and contractors.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- The judgement and confidence to challenge decisions where necessary while maintaining positive working relationships.
- Strong organisational and record-keeping skills.
Experience of higher-risk buildings, the Building Safety Act regime, CDM 2015, PAS 2035, PAS 2030, TrustMark, BIM or BS EN ISO 19650 would be advantageous, but we do not expect every candidate to have experience in every area.
Most importantly, we are looking for someone who understands what good design compliance looks like and wants to help others achieve it.
You might be a good fit if...
You are naturally curious and enjoy getting to the bottom of complex technical problems.
You are comfortable saying "we need better evidence before we can sign this off", but you are equally interested in helping the team find a practical solution.
You enjoy working collaboratively rather than operating as a compliance gatekeeper.
You are interested in how technology, structured information and better processes can improve the traditionally fragmented way that design and compliance are managed.
And you want your professional expertise to contribute to something tangible: better, warmer and healthier homes at scale.
You do not need to tick every box
We recognise that the Building Regulations Principal Designer role is relatively new and that Building Regulations and CDM Principal Designer experience have historically developed through different career paths.
If you have deep Building Regulations and technical design expertise but less experience of CDM Principal Designer duties, we would still like to hear from you.
Similarly, experience of social housing retrofit or PAS 2035 would be valuable, but this is something the wider Ambue team can help you develop.
Working at Ambue
Ambue is a remote-first business, with colleagues working across the UK and a wider international technology team.
We are building a culture that combines professional rigour with experimentation and innovation. We want people who are willing to question how things have traditionally been done and help us find better ways of delivering retrofit at scale.
We offer:
- £55,000 to £65,000 salary, depending on experience, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate
- Remote-first and flexible working
- A strong emphasis on work-life balance
- The opportunity to influence how a growing professional practice develops
- Exposure to significant social housing retrofit programmes
- The opportunity to shape new technology and workflows rather than simply use existing systems
- Support for continued professional development
How to apply:
Please send us your CV together with a short note explaining why the role interests you and the experience you would bring to Ambue.
We would particularly like to hear about projects where you have been responsible for technical design, Building Regulations compliance, refurbishment or Principal Designer duties.
If the role interests you but you do not meet every one of the criteria above, we would still encourage you to apply.