Smart People Working on Big Interesting Challenges - Anonymous employee Arup Employee Review

3.0
Apr 10, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Arup is a super interesting, multi-disciplinary firm working on some of the most complicated and exciting projects in the built environment globally. Planning new cities, designing transportation hubs, engineering complex buildings and structures that may seem impossible. It's filled with technically masterful engineers and consultants. It's got a strong brand (especially in Europe) built on a long legacy of high profile projects (starting in it's early years on the Sydney Opera House). It's a nice place to work. The company has stated values and tries to live by them. Supporting the employees is one way it does that. It's ostensibly employee owned (paying out a share of profits to the employees every year depending on the performance of the company). It also has an internal funding mechanism open to all employees interested in doing R&D to develop new knowledge that could lead to future value for the organization and its clients. Employees across all levels of seniority and across all disciplines propose ideas and submit them for consideration on a quarterly basis. All in all, a great place for curious engineers, technical experts, city planners and beyond.

Cons

Not always the most strategic organization. Values technical excellence and often more interested in solving the technical challenges for projects rather than thinking through the fuzzier strategic challenges. For the most part, fairly rigid promotional structure with pre-determined promotion phases and timelines and raises.

Explore other reviews about Arup

5.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working at Arup was a great experience, surrounded by smart, motivated, and mission-driven peers.

Cons

This may have since improved, but at least previously, the America's region felt rather second-class compared to UK. Most/all senior leadership, even in the US, was British.

3.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great company with lots of good benefits, interesting large scale projects, and a fantastic team of people to work with.

Cons

Be prepared to work long hours, overnights and weekends at times. At the end of the day, it is a consulting firm so the clients needs will always come first over employee health and wellbeing.

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