Principal Consultant, Geologist

Environmental Resources Management (ERM); Boston (MA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Parental leave

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life insurance

Disability

AD&D insurance

401(k)

Other benefits

Job summary

ERM seeks a motivated Principal Consultant, Geologist to join our Liability Portfolio Management & Remediation team in Boston, MA. You will manage complex site investigation, risk assessment, and remediation projects under CERCLA, RCRA, and state programs, collaborating with experts and ERM Partners to deliver sustainable solutions.

You will lead field work, mentor staff, prepare proposals, and grow client relationships across manufacturing, energy, and technology sectors while traveling as

Qualifications

• Required Bachelor's degree in engineering, geology, or closely related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform and coordinate site investigation, risk assessment, and remediation for manufacturing, power, chemical, oil & gas, and technology sector clients.

Skills

Project management

Technical consulting

Communication

Team collaboration

Safety adherence

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or geology

Master’s degree (preferred)

Professional licensure (PE/PG/LEP/LSP) or ability to obtain

Tools

EQuIS

Job description

Turn complex environmental challenges into practical, sustainable solutions that create lasting value for clients and communities. ERM is seeking a motivated, hands‑on Principal Consultant, Geologist to join our growing Liability Portfolio Management & Remediation team in Boston, MA. In this experienced consulting role, you will manage and contribute to complex site investigation, risk assessment, and remediation projects under CERCLA, RCRA, and state programs throughout New England, as well as in other U.S. and international locations. You will collaborate with technical experts, project leaders, and ERM Partners to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions, strengthen client relationships, develop new opportunities, and support the continued growth of our business.

Why This Role Matters?

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on technically challenging environmental projects while continuing to grow your project management, technical consulting, leadership, and client relationship skills. You will work with technical experts to implement innovative and sustainable site investigation and remediation technologies while delivering exceptional value to clients across multiple industry sectors.

What Your Impact Is:

As a Project Manager, you will be responsible for safely performing project work, supervising and mentoring junior staff, representing ERM in the marketplace through technical presentations and papers, working with ERM Partners to grow client relationships and develop new opportunities, and preparing winning proposals. You will support projects involving manufacturing, power, chemical, oil & gas, and technology sector clients, helping them address moderate to complex technical and regulatory issues.

What You' ll Bring:

• Required Bachelor’s degree in engineering, geology, or a closely related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 6-8 years of experience, with progressive project management and technical experience for moderate to complex site investigation/remediation projects under CERCLA, RCRA, and state programs.
• Effective written and verbal communication, organizational, and analytical skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• ERM will likely request a writing sample to review.
• Environmental field work experience and 40-hour OSHA HAZWOPER certification.
• Strong commitment to safety, including following established Health and Safety protocols.
• Driver's License Required: This position requires a valid driver's license and/or the ability to operate a company vehicle due to the nature of job duties, which include frequent travel to various client locations across a large geographical area.
• Ability to multi-task, maintain flexibility, travel, and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Preferred Master’s degree.
• Professional license, including PE, PG, LEP, or LSP, or the ability to obtain one of these licenses in the near future.
• An understanding of environmental data management using EQuIS.

Key Responsibilities:

Perform and coordinate project work involving site investigation, utility location and clearance, risk assessment, and remediation of soil, groundwater, and sediments with moderate to complex technical/regulatory issues for manufacturing, power, chemical, oil & gas, and technology sector clients. Plan and coordinate field work including sampling, drilling, well installation, soil, groundwater and LNAPL/DNAPL assessment; vapor intrusion assessment; high-resolution site characterization, including passive soil gas surveys, MIP, and Waterloo Profiler; and remedial construction and O&M. Plan, install, and implement vapor intrusion investigations and remediation efforts in both commercial/industrial spaces and residential locations. Review and interpret environmental data; evaluate quality assurance/quality control data; develop conceptual site models; identify data gaps; prepare or peer review a variety of work plans and reports; and develop scopes of work, schedules, costs, and health and safety plans for projects under RCRA, CERCLA, and other state programs. Support internal and external projects utilizing new technologies to improve efficiency, quality, and achievement of project objectives, including electronic field data collection, management, and reporting. Evaluate remedial alternatives and assist clients in developing cost‑effective closure strategies and negotiating them with regulatory agencies. Appropriately delegate assignments to project team members, mentor junior staff, and engage technical experts so that ERM can bring the most value to our clients. Prepare proposals and participate in business development with existing clients and identified leads. Maintain and grow client relationships to generate repeat business. Build strong collaborative relationships with ERM employees, clients, and subcontractors.

For the Principal Consultant, Geologist position, the anticipated annual base pay is $119,100–$155,300 (USD). Actual pay will depend on factors such as education, experience, skills, location, performance, and business needs. In some cases, pay may fall outside this range. This role may be eligible for bonus pay subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are not bonus eligible).

Benefits:

• Paid time off (vacation, sick, and floating holidays)
• Parental leave
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life
• Disability
• AD&D insurance
• 401(k)
• Other applicable benefits to eligible employees

Who We Are:

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations. At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients. Our diverse team of world‑class experts supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability, underpinned by our deep technical expertise in addressing their environmental, health and safety, risk and social issues. We call this capability our “boots to boardroom” approach for its comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.

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.

ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.