Managing Consultant - Water Circularity & Wastewater

ERM; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

ERM is seeking a technically rigorous water circularity specialist to lead site and portfolio assessments for industrial and infrastructure clients. You will translate evidence into practical options, transparent calculations and clear next steps while balancing feasibility with evidence limitations.

This role sits between strategy and engineering, requiring strong data analysis, fieldwork planning and the ability to manage scope, budget and risk across multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated professional experience in industrial water, wastewater, environmental engineering, water efficiency, treatment or circular water systems.
• Ability to lead site or portfolio water assessments and convert incomplete data into defensible analyses.
• Strong communication of complex technical concepts to clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical workstreams from scoping through fieldwork, analysis and reports.
• Interrogate client data, identify gaps and plan proportionate evidence gathering.
• Prepare calculations, models, matrices and client-ready decision products.
• Coordinate inputs from process engineering, hydrogeology, economics and digital teams.
• Support proposals and maintain project governance and safety standards.

Skills

Water engineering

Data analysis

Project leadership

Technical writing

Client liaison

Education

Environmental/Civil/Water Eng degree

Job description

Purpose of the role

To lead technically rigorous water circularity assignments that help industrial and infrastructure clients reduce freshwater dependence, manage wastewater and effluent risk, evaluate reuse and recycling options, and make defensible operational and investment decisions. The role sits between strategy and engineering: it must convert site and portfolio evidence into practical options, transparent calculations and proportionate next steps without claiming a level of feasibility or certainty the evidence cannot support.

Purpose of the role

To lead technically rigorous water circularity assignments that help industrial and infrastructure clients reduce freshwater dependence, manage wastewater and effluent risk, evaluate reuse and recycling options, and make defensible operational and investment decisions. The role sits between strategy and engineering: it must convert site and portfolio evidence into practical options, transparent calculations and proportionate next steps without claiming a level of feasibility or certainty the evidence cannot support.

Technical scope

• Industrial water and wastewater management, including process and utility water use, wastewater generation, discharge routes and treatment interfaces.
• Site water audits, maturity assessments, data-quality review, water balances, metering strategies and diagnostic analysis.
• Identification, quantification and prioritisation of no-cost, low-cost and capital water-efficiency opportunities.
• Water reuse and recycling optioneering, including water-quality versus use-requirement matching, source-to-use matrices, volume matching and constraints assessment.
• Wastewater and trade-effluent characterisation, sampling strategies, discharge review, source control and treatment-performance evaluation.
• Treatment-technology screening and technical due diligence, including comparison with conventional options, readiness, operating requirements, residuals and implementation risk.
• True-cost-of-water and water-energy-chemical trade-off analysis, including avoided costs and unintended-consequence checks.
• Scenario analysis and business-case inputs, with transparent assumptions, ranges, confidence levels and clear gates for site-specific feasibility or engineering.
• Water-quality and emerging-contaminant interfaces, particularly pharmaceuticals, ecotoxicity, micropollutants, mixing zones and industrial discharge risk.
• Industrial and mine-impacted water assessments where treatment, risk, reuse or operational optimisation are central.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical workstreams and projects from scoping through fieldwork, analysis, client workshops, reporting and close-out.
• Interrogate client data, identify gaps and design proportionate evidence-gathering plans, including site visits, interviews, sampling or specialist studies where justified.
• Prepare and review calculations, models, option matrices, technical memoranda, reports and client-ready decision products.
• Provide senior technical direction to consultants and analysts working on data compilation, water balances, research and opportunity calculations.
• Coordinate specialist inputs from process engineering, civil engineering, hydrogeology, hydrology, ecotoxicology, permitting, economics and digital teams.
• Act as a trusted technical adviser to client operations, engineering, EHS, sustainability and procurement stakeholders.
• Support proposals and extensions by defining a credible evidence protocol, method, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, level of accuracy and resourcing plan.
• Maintain project commercial control, quality, health and safety, risk management and governance consistent with the CL3 Consulting profile.
• Contribute to development of the Water Circularity offer by codifying sound methods, templates, case studies and technical proof points. This is secondary to delivery and should arise from live work rather than become a separate team-building mandate.

Essential experience and capability

• Demonstrable professional experience in industrial water, wastewater, environmental engineering, water efficiency, treatment, reuse or circular water systems.
• Ability to lead a site or portfolio water assessment independently and convert incomplete operational data into a transparent, technically defensible analysis.
• Practical understanding of industrial water systems such as cooling, cleaning, process use, boilers, wastewater treatment, effluent discharge and reuse interfaces.
• Experience with water balances, opportunity calculations, technology screening, treatment-performance review and implementation constraints.
• Sound judgement about the boundary between screening, conceptual optioneering, feasibility, design and implementation, and the ability to explain that boundary clearly to clients.
• Experience working with industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, technology/data centres or mining.
• Strong technical writing, structured problem-solving, data analysis and client communication.
• Experience leading projects or technical teams, with responsibility for scope, budget, programme, risk and quality.
• Relevant degree or equivalent professional background in environmental, chemical, civil or water engineering, environmental science or a closely related field.

Desirable capability

• QUEST or comparable industrial resource-efficiency and audit methodology experience.
• Experience in trade-effluent permitting, industrial discharge compliance, ecotoxicology or micropollutants
• Experience constructing true-cost-of-water, marginal-abatement or scenario models for water investment decisions.
• Experience conducting field audits, specifying sampling or measurement plans, or working alongside engineering teams on feasibility and implementation.
• French or another European language, particularly where it supports EMEA industrial and pharmaceutical delivery.

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 2026 Sustainability Report.