Principal Advisory Consultant

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Discretionary bonus

Company pension

25 days annual leave + banks

Salary Sacrifice Pension

Mobile phone and laptop provided

Training and career progression

Life Assurance 4x salary

Employee Assistance Programme

Medicash health plan

Refer a friend scheme

Enhanced parental leave

Job summary

Aqua Consultants is seeking Principal Advisory Consultants to join a growing team delivering strategic insights and delivery support for clients in the Water and Energy sectors. You will lead advisory projects across five capabilities and travel to client sites as needed, with mentoring and structured development from day one.

You will guide projects, develop robust regulatory and asset management solutions, and build client relationships while delivering high-quality outputs on time and within

Qualifications

• Degree in a related field (e.g. Engineering, Environmental Science, Geography, Economics, Business, Data Science, Sustainability) or chartership/professional training.
• Typical 8+ years of relevant professional experience in infrastructure management within water, gas, or electricity industries.
• Strong understanding of strategic planning, asset management, or regulatory frameworks.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor teams and manage multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Deliver strategic advisory services across five core capabilities: Strategy & Performance, Asset Planning, Environment & Sustainability, Regulatory Economics, Data & Insights.
• Lead projects to develop justified regulatory business plans and optimise asset data usage.
• Build long-term adaptive strategies and ensure robust governance and decision-making.
• Prepare reports and presentations for senior audiences and support business development.
• Mentor junior team members and foster a collaborative culture.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Education

Degree in a related field

Job description

Location:We operate a hybrid working model, the role can be based at any of our offices combined with working from client locations and home. You will be required to travel to client offices 2 days a week.

Permanent full-time(40 hours)

Competitive salary plus benefits

Job Description

We are seeking Principal Advisory Consultants to join a dynamic and growing team that provides strategic insight and delivery support to help clients navigate change, optimise performance, and achieve sustainable outcomes.

You will work across a range of projects and sectors, primarily in Water and Energy, supporting the delivery of Aqua’s five core advisory capabilities:

• Strategy & Performance– shaping strategic thinking and enabling transformation
• Asset Planning– improving asset decision‑making and lifecycle value
• Environment & Sustainability– supporting environmental programmes and climate adaptation
• Regulatory Economics– providing insight into regulatory frameworks and cost intelligence
• Data & Insights– using data to drive performance and decision‑making

You’ll be supported through structured development, mentoring, and on‑the‑job learning, with opportunities to contribute to high‑impact work from day one.

In this role, you will lead and deliver high‑impact advisory projects, applying Aqua’s expertise to help clients navigate change, optimise performance, and achieve sustainable outcomes. Your responsibilities will include:

• Deliver strategic advisory services across Advisory’s five core capabilities: Strategy & Performance, Asset Planning, Environment & Sustainability, Regulatory Economics, and Data & Insights.
• Lead projects in activities such as, the development of justified and efficient regulatory business plans for clients.
• Improve and make best use of asset data to deliver optimal business solutions.
• Support the creation of long‑term adaptive strategies to address future uncertainties.
• Undertake regulatory‑focused governance and assurance activities to ensure compliance and robust decision‑making.
• Analyse complex data sets to identify trends and provide actionable insights that drive performance.
• Organise and facilitate meetings and workshops with clients to enable collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Prepare high‑quality reports and presentations to inform client and internal decision‑making.
• Deliver projects to excellent time, cost, and quality standards, exceeding client expectations.
• Contribute to business development activities, including supporting bids and proposals.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, ensuring Aqua consistently understands needs and adds value.
• Mentor and coach junior team members, fostering a culture of growth and collaboration.

Qualifications

Degree in a related field (e.g. Engineering, Environmental Science, Geography, Economics, Business, Data Science, Sustainability) or relevant professional training or chartership.

To succeed in this role, you’ll bring a blend of technical expertise, consultancy skills, and leadership capability. Clients are at the heart of everything you do, and you’ll demonstrate the ability to constructively challenge accepted norms and always seek a better way.

• Typically 8+ years of relevant professional experience in infrastructure management within the water, gas, or electricity industries.
• Strong understanding of strategic planning, asset management, or regulatory frameworks.
• Ability to apply best practice and develop innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Skilled in building and maintaining excellent stakeholder relationships.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and trends.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deliver to time, cost, and quality standards.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to simplify complex concepts.
• Experience preparing reports, business cases, and presentations for senior audiences.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of project delivery principles.
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring and supporting team development.

What we can offer you:

• Competitive salary + discretionary bonus
• Company pension
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays + option to purchase additional leave
• Salary Sacrifice Pension scheme
• Company mobile phone and laptop provided.
• Training and career progression opportunities
• Life Assurance Scheme 4 x annual salary
• Employee Assistance Programme (with access to GP appointments, Physio appointments and Mental Health Support)
• Medicash cash plan (Money back on everyday healthcare costs such as dental, glasses, contact lenses)
• Refer a friend scheme.
• Enhanced maternity,paternity and adoption pay and leave

Why Aqua Consultants?

We are a fast growing organisation with highly experienced staff at the heart of everything we do. We offer more than just a day job – Aqua offers very competitive salaries and a great working environment. You’ll be able to input into the development and growth of our business whilst we help you progress in your career.

Additional Information

Adler and Allan are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We proudly embrace equal opportunities for all applicants, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.If you require any support with your application, whatever the circumstance, please let us know.