Consulting Associate - Water Management Sustainability (Entry Level)

Environmental Resources Management (ERM); Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

ERM, a global leader in sustainability advisory, is hiring an early-career water specialist in the Manchester area. The role supports water balance development, industrial water management, wastewater and water risk projects, with emphasis on data analysis and reporting.

Ideal candidates hold an MSc in a relevant field and have 6–12 months of professional experience. You will work across data gathering, GIS mapping, and client-ready deliverables within a hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• MSc in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Civil Engineering or related discipline.
• Some relevant professional experience is preferred (consultancy, industry placement, internship, research assistantship or graduate role).
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data.
• Good written communication and ability to produce clear, structured technical summaries.
• Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
• Interest in water stewardship, corporate water risk, industrial water management, wastewater and sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Support water risk, water resilience and industrial water management projects.
• Undertake desk-based research, literature reviews and baseline data gathering.
• Compile, clean, validate and analyse operational water data from client sites and public datasets.
• Support development of water balances, water accounting tools and Excel-based project trackers.
• Support GIS/spatial analysis and mapping where required, including compilation of water, catchment and environmental datasets.
• Assist with preparation of technical reports, PowerPoint outputs, workshop materials and client deliverables.
• Support site-audit preparation, fieldwork planning and post-site-visit data organisation, where relevant.
• Contribute to proposal development through research, credential gathering, formatting and first-draft technical inputs.
• Participate in internal knowledge-sharing and help build reusable tools/templates for the Water team.

Skills

Analytical skills

Data handling

Excel proficiency

Written communication

Team collaboration

Water management knowledge

Education

MSc in Environmental Engineering/Water Resources/Hydrology/Hydrogeology/Environmental Science/Civil Engineering

Tools

ArcGIS Pro

QGIS

Power BI

Excel

SharePoint

Job description

Role Overview

A fantastic opportunity for an early-career water specialist with an MSc in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering or a related discipline, and approximately 6-12 months relevant professional experience. The role will support delivery across water balance development, industrial water management, wastewater, mining water management, water stewardship, water risk, water accounting and sustainability programmes.

Specific responsibilities

• Support water risk, water resilience and industrial water management projects.
• Undertake desk-based research, literature reviews and baseline data gathering.
• Compile, clean, validate and analyse operational water data from client sites and public datasets.
• Support development of water balances, water accounting tools and Excel-based project trackers.
• Support GIS/spatial analysis and mapping where required, including compilation of publicly available water, catchment and environmental datasets.
• Assist with preparation of technical reports, PowerPoint outputs, workshop materials and client deliverables.
• Support site-audit preparation, fieldwork planning and post-site-visit data organisation, where relevant.
• Contribute to proposal development through research, credential gathering, formatting and first-draft technical inputs.
• Participate in internal knowledge-sharing and help build reusable tools/templates for the Water team.

Skills & Experience

• MSc in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Environmental Science, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Civil Engineering or related discipline.
• Some relevant professional experience is highly preferred, which may include consultancy, industry placement, internship, research assistantship or graduate role.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data.
• Good written communication and ability to produce clear, structured technical summaries.
• Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
• Interest in water stewardship, corporate water risk, industrial water management, wastewater and sustainability.
• Ability to work collaboratively in project teams and respond constructively to review comments.

Desirable experience

• GIS experience, preferably ArcGIS Pro or QGIS.
• Familiarity with industrial water use, wastewater treatment, mining water management, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, consumer goods or data-centre water issues.
• Experience with data visualisation tools such as Power BI.
• Previous fieldwork, site audit or environmental monitoring experience.

Tools & Software

• Excel for data analysis, calculations and visualisation.
• Word, PowerPoint and SharePoint for document development and collaboration.
• GIS tools such as ArcGIS Pro or QGIS desirable.
• Power BI or other data visualisation tools desirable.

Summary

You will be expected to deliver assigned tasks with guidance and supervision, build consulting and technical capability, contribute positively to project teams, develop confidence in client-ready analysis and reporting, and progress toward owning routine technical tasks and small workstreams over time.

#LI-SG2 #LI-Hybrid

ERM is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive, it’s an essential part of what makes ERM a great place to build a career and helps us create better solutions for our clients. We welcome talent from all backgrounds and provide equal opportunities for every candidate. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or need accommodations during the selection process, we’re here to support you. Our commitment doesn’t stop at hiring. Once you join us, we’ll ensure you have the tools, support, and adjustments needed to succeed and feel a true sense of belonging. Learn more about our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB) efforts by visiting our website or exploring our 2025 Sustainability Report.

At ERM, sustainability is our business. We are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance. ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation. With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor. Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it). Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action. Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a boots to boardroom leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world. We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists. We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth. At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet.

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