Asset Management, Senior Advisor - Water (US)

GHD; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K plan

Paid time off starting at 16 days

Wellness benefit reimbursement up to $250 annually

Job summary

A leading advisory firm in California is seeking an experienced asset management consultant to lead projects in municipal water and wastewater sectors. The role involves client and project leadership, team growth, and business development while delivering high-quality consulting services. A Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field and Professional Engineer licensure are required, along with 10+ years of experience in consulting. The position offers a hybrid work model, competitive salary, and various benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in municipal asset management consulting.
• Professional Engineer licensure required.
• Proven success in leading programs and teams.
• Comfortable facilitating cross-functional teams.
• Willing to travel 20-40% as needed.

Responsibilities

• Serve as account lead for utilities, shaping service roadmaps.
• Grow and mentor a high-performing team in asset management.
• Lead business development for municipal asset management.
• Deliver bespoke training and workshops for senior management.
• Manage project delivery quality and maintain client satisfaction.

Skills

Municipal water/wastewater asset management

Project management

Team leadership

Risk/LoS/lifecycle frameworks

CMMS/EAM systems (Maximo, Infor, SAP, Cityworks)

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant engineering field

Professional Engineer licensure

Tools

CMMS/EAM (Maximo, Infor, SAP)

GIS/SCADA

Job description

Overview

To solve complex challenges, you need to challenge the status‑quo. At GHD Advisory we are invested in creating sustainable commercial outcomes with clients driving change in water, energy and urbanization. Join a team committed to solving complex challenges across the value chain, from capital deployment to asset management, enabling resilience, growth and sustainability. Together, we’ll help create a future for generations to come.

Work Model

This position can be based in most US‑based locations. Be part of the dynamic culture! Our workplace thrives on a hybrid model, combining in‑office collaboration and flexibility. Join us in the office three days a week to contribute, connect and excel in our vibrant environment.

Responsibilities

• Client & Project Leadership: Serve as the account and engagement lead for city, county, and regional utilities—shaping roadmaps for levels of service, risk, lifecycle and cost optimization, and capital program alignment. Direct programs across the asset management lifecycle, including asset data and criticality, condition/RUL modeling, risk registers, O&M/RCM optimization, CIP prioritization, resilience and climate adaptation, and performance management. Oversee CMMS/EAM delivery (IBM Maximo, Infor, SAP, Cityworks), guiding requirements, configuration, data governance, and change management.
• Practice Building: Grow a high‑performing team and mentor project managers and analysts in IAM/GFMAM competencies and ISO‑aligned delivery methods. Develop playbooks and methodologies for risk‑based decision making, lifecycle costing, and reliability strategies.
• Business Development: Own pipeline creation and capture—leading positioning, solutioning, scoping, pricing, and proposal development for municipal asset management, O&M optimization, and digital water pursuits. Represent GHD at industry forums such as AWWA, WEF, and IAM, and author thought leadership that shapes the future of water infrastructure.
• Data Collection and Analysis: Make authoritative recommendations that have a significant impact on the business over the short and long term.
• Community of Practice Management: Contribute strongly on a strategically significant area to a community of practice in a defined area of expertise or consulting, or lead on an area of expertise or consulting practice, to contribute to thought leadership and to develop innovative practice among colleagues.
• Consulting Project Content Development: Develop innovative approaches and write materials that are highly visible—such as slide decks for presentations on innovative solutions to top management or bespoke and market‑leading client reports—to complete the work of client team.
• Consulting Project Delivery: Deliver bespoke training, facilitate workshops with senior management, and provide advice and reports to address identified senior management issues. Manage the delivery quality of the work in own area of specialism to ensure maximum client satisfaction.
• Consulting Project/Program Design: Design the project/program architecture, building on the initial proposal and the strategic client interviews to develop multiple solutions that meet the client’s stated requirements and address complex client issues.
• Personal Capability Building: Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team and beyond in the function. Maintain external accreditations and in‑depth understanding of current and emerging technologies, external regulation, and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.
• Project Management: Manage a portfolio of major projects in line with overall project management strategy.
• Client & Customer Management (External): Manage key client and customer relationships. Likely to involve using account teams to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Environmental, Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial/Systems Engineering (Master’s degree in engineering, asset management, data analytics, or public administration a plus)
• Professional Engineer licensure required
• 10+ years in municipal water/wastewater asset management consulting with progressive responsibility leading programs and teams
• Proven success implementing risk/LoS/lifecycle frameworks and translating results into prioritized capital & O&M plans for utilities
• Hands‑on leadership with CMMS/EAM (Maximo, Infor, SAP PM, Cityworks) and integration with GIS/SCADA/B
• RCM, maintenance planning/scheduling, and reliability analytics (FMECA/criticality, PM optimization)
• Comfortable facilitating councils/boards and cross‑functional utility teams (operations, engineering, finance/treasury)
• Able and willing to travel 20‑40% as projects require

Benefits

• 401K – Employees are eligible to participate on the first day of the month following 3 months of service.
• Paid time off – PTO starts at 16 days per year and increases with years of service.
• Holiday Pay – GHD observes 9 holidays per year; holiday pay is based on the regular schedule for the employee.
• Wellness Benefit – Regular full‑term employees eligible to participate in the wellness reimbursement program. GHD will reimburse 50% of the cost of items such as health club membership, home exercise equipment, bicycles, race/run & marathon entrance fees, smoking cessation programs, weight loss programs (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig), Fitbits and fitness tracking devices, up to $250 annually.

Salary

Salary range: $147,000‑$300,000 based on experience and location.

As a multicultural organization, we encourage individual achievement and recognize the strength of a diverse workforce. GHD is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, genetic information, national origin, sex (including same sex), sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, disability or handicap, citizenship status, service member status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.