Environmental Performance Specialist

Environmental Performance Specialist

KPF is seeking an Environmental Performance Specialist, passionate about sustainable design, to join the Environmental Performance (KPFep) team in London and bring their expertise to the design of high-performance, climate responsive buildings. KPFep is a specialised global team focused on environmental design, building performance simulation, and tool development.

The ideal candidate for this position will work within KPFep, supporting project design teams, participating in thought leadership efforts around KPF’s commitments to decarbonisation, climate action and sustainable design, and contributing to external marketing and business development pursuits. They will work closely with designers, providing early conceptual environmental studies, developing detailed energy, thermal, daylight, and lifecycle carbon simulations, and participating in the oversight of sustainability and wellness certifications for projects, such as BREAAM, LEED or WELL. In addition, they will be tasked to develop and implement training and thought leadership programs for KPF’s London office, with an especial focus on decarbonisation, expanding the team’s reach and commercial offerings. This role will provide opportunities to collaborate with other Design Technology teams (e.g. Urban Interface, Data Science, Computation) and contribute to a broad range of research and educational activities.

Job Responsibilities:

Project Design and Coordination (65%)

• Assist KPF design teams by leading the development of design strategies and metrics regarding sustainability, resilience, and wellbeing

• Prepare, run and interpret analysis and simulations for: Climate data, solar radiation, daylight availability and glare, energy use for early design models, outdoor/indoor thermal comfort, and embodied carbon of construction systems

• Develop presentation materials to communicate building performance and sustainable design concepts to KPF design teams, consultants and clients

• Research and document environmental design solutions and precedent projects, and prepare best practice case studies for internal/external use

• Assist in the certification (BREEAM, NABERS, LEED, WELL) of projects

• Assist in developing energy/carbon targets and benchmarks for RIBA 2030

New Business Development (10%)

• Assist KPF leadership in pursuing business opportunities regarding environmental design services, including competitions, proposals, and new digital services

Firmwide Resources and Training (15%)

• Develop training resources for junior and senior KPF design staff, supporting the use of KPFep developed tools and workflows and expanding staff capabilities

• Lead the implementation of energy benchmarking, modelling and tracking firm wide workflows, in the context of KPF’s RIBA 2030, AIA 2030 and material commitments

Development and Innovation (10%)

• Support the research and development of new building modelling workflows and tools, working with other KPF technology teams

• Participate in the research and development of new environmental modelling and design workflows for KPFep, regarding LCA and energy modelling

• Represent KPFep at professional and academic conferences, advancing thought leadership initiatives, especially within London’s design community

Qualifications Required:

• Degree in Architecture or Engineering

• Master’s Degree with focus on Sustainable Design, Building Science or Engineering

• 3-7 years of applicable professional experience or equivalent academic work

• Knowledge of fundamentals in building technology and environmental modelling

• Proficiency with Rhino and Grasshopper, and related energy, thermal and daylight simulation tools, including Climate Studio and Ladybug tools (LB, HB, BF, etc.)

• Experience working with UK Part L, Part O and BREAAM requirements

• Experience working on and/or coordinating energy models and LCA models

• Passion for designing sustainable and high-performance buildings

• Good communication skills to collaborate with design teams and partners

• Effective organisational skills to juggle multiple tasks and work towards deadlines

• BREAAM, LEED or WELL accreditation (Highly valued but not required)

• Experience with additional sustainability specialties, such as LCA modelling, HVAC design, CFD modelling or water systems modelling (Highly valued but not required)

• Proficiency developing C# and/or Python applications (Valued but not required)

Work Environment

This position requires you to be in person in our London office 5 days per week, 9am – 6pm.

Why KPF?

KPF’s mission is to elevate cities through impactful design, collaborating closely with the world’s most forward-thinking clients to create high performing, carefully crafted buildings that are unique to their physical, social, and environmental contexts.

• Career Growth: Opportunities for training, development, and career progression.

• Company Culture: Collaborative, high-performance environment with a focus on innovation and excellence.

• Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance including medical and dental, pension scheme with generous company-matching contributions, enhanced paid family leave and other benefits.

This position requires you to be in-person 5 days per week.

Applications submitted without a resume will not be considered.