Principal Consultant, Mining Impact Assessment

Environmental Resources Management (ERM); Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 102,000 - 131,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Parental leave

401(k)

Job summary

ERM seeks a Principal Consultant – Environmental Impact Assessment to drive mining sector growth and deliver international ESIA projects. You will lead business development, provide technical leadership, and mentor teams while collaborating with ERM's global practice to expand client relationships and ensure high-quality outcomes.

The role emphasizes international project leadership, World Bank and IRMA-aligned standards, and delivering sustainable, compliant environmental and social assessments

Qualifications

• BS/MS in sciences, environmental studies, planning, geography, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 6-8+ years of consulting experience with impact assessment and multi-media permitting, particularly on international projects.
• Established relationships with mining companies and ability to drive business development.

Responsibilities

• Drive strategic growth of ERM’s environmental and social impact assessment practice within the mining sector.
• Lead client engagement, business development, and technical delivery activities.
• Provide technical leadership on complex international mining and capital project assessments.
• Mentor and develop high-performing consulting teams.
• Collaborate across ERM’s global organization to deliver innovative client solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Team-building

Collaboration

Influencing

Business development

Client relationships

Education

BS/MS in sciences or related field

Job description

Lead Global Mining Impact Assessments and Shape Sustainable Project Delivery Worldwide. As a Principal Consultant – Environmental Impact Assessment, you will play a critical leadership role in expanding ERM’s global mining sector business while delivering complex environmental and social impact assessment projects across international markets. This role offers the opportunity to influence major mining developments, partner with leading global clients, and contribute to the successful delivery of projects aligned with international financing and sustainability standards.

Why This Role Matters?

ERM is seeking an experienced Principal Consultant – Environmental Impact Assessment with international consulting experience in the mining sector to play a key role in growing our business. The ideal candidate will have established relationships with mining companies, along with technical expertise leading multi-media environmental and social impact assessments on large-scale mining projects. We are particularly looking for someone who has experience overseeing international mining projects, projects requiring World Bank financing, and projects following IRMA or other recognized best-practice standards. As a senior leader, you will be accountable for successfully selling and consulting on a range of environmental, social, and health impact assessment projects. You will collaborate with ERM's global technical team to share best practices across the industry. This is a partner-track opportunity for a senior-level professional looking to advance their career with a global environmental leader and make a significant impact in successfully implementing ERM's global strategy.

What Your Impact Is:

Develop and implement strategic business/action plans, provide leadership, and deliver performance results to expand our capital project delivery service offerings and client base in the mining industry. Serve as a key member of the mining industry team to drive double-digit profitable growth. As a seller/doer, contribute to business development efforts within ERM’s global capital projects service area. Identify and develop new opportunities, prepare effective technical proposals, and take an active leadership role in developing business with both new and existing clients. Develop and expand client relationships that generate repeat business and long-term strategic partnerships. Serve as a senior resource for environmental and social impact assessment projects and related activities supporting ERM clients’ capital projects, including mining, diversified energy, power, electrical transmission, and renewable energy projects. Contribute to preparing environmental assessments (EA), environmental impact statements (EIS), environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA), and associated management plans, serving in roles ranging from lead technical expert to QA/QC reviewer. Deliver results that meet client expectations for scope, budget, schedule, and quality. Lead, manage performance, hire and retain, inspire, and mentor technical team members. Capitalize on existing ERM client relationships to expand ERM’s profile and market share through technical excellence and business development. Collaborate with internal teams to deepen relationships with key clients and establish new client relationships that result in significant net revenue growth. Support the growth and development of ERM’s international technical community. Partner with global practitioners to execute impact assessment projects and participate on multidisciplinary teams across ERM’s worldwide organization.

What You’ll Bring:

Required BS/MS in sciences, environmental studies, planning, geography, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience. 6-8+ years of consulting experience with impact assessment and multi-media permitting, particularly on international projects. Proven track record of developing and implementing successful business growth strategies within the mining, energy, or capital projects sectors. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain long-term client relationships and generate bookable sales. Established relationships with mining companies. Strong understanding of key impact assessment and management issues within the mining sector. High degree of technical competence and broad knowledge of impact assessment best practices. Recognized technical expertise and established reputation in the marketplace, including credibility with regulators involved in impact assessment approvals. Excellent leadership, team-building, collaboration, and influencing skills. Demonstrated integrity, executive presence, and ability to address complex client and business challenges effectively. Positive outlook, collaborative mindset, and commitment to the success of ERM as a global organization. Preferred Experience leading environmental and social impact assessments for projects financed by international lending institutions, including the World Bank. Experience supporting projects aligned with IRMA or comparable international sustainability standards. International project leadership experience across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks. Experience working within multidisciplinary global consulting teams.

Key Responsibilities:

Drive strategic growth of ERM’s environmental and social impact assessment practice within the mining sector. Lead client engagement, business development, and technical delivery activities. Provide technical leadership on complex international mining and capital project assessments. Mentor and develop high-performing consulting teams. Collaborate across ERM’s global organization to deliver innovative client solutions. Build and strengthen long-term client relationships while expanding market presence.

For the Principal Consultant, Mining Impact Assessment position, the anticipated annual base pay is $102,200–$131,100 (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).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off (vacation, sick, and floating holidays), parental leave, medical, dental, vision, life, disability, AD&D insurance, 401(k), and other applicable benefits to eligible employees.

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.

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, 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.

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 partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities.

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.

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.