Principal Technical Consultant, Water Resource Advisor

ERM; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 106,000; Part time

Job summary

ERM is seeking a Principal Technical Consultant, Water Resource Advisor to shape sustainable water management for global clients from its Walnut Creek office. You will lead water strategy, risk assessments, and advisory services, collaborating with ERM’s network of water professionals to deliver innovative solutions.

The role requires a Bachelor/Master in hydrology or related field, 6+ years in water resources consulting, and strong data analysis and client engagement skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master in hydrology, chemistry, geoscience, engineering or related field.
• 6+ years of relevant professional experience in water resources consulting, water stewardship, sustainability advisory services, ESG consulting, watershed management, or related disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Be part of multidisciplinary teams to execute water and climate-related studies in support of client needs.
• Collect and analyze data to benchmark ESG performance and assess client strategy, goals and reporting.
• Develop and implement water strategies for organizations with global operations.
• Support business development, proposal preparation, and client relationship management activities.
• Collaborate with ERM’s regional and global water resources teams to deliver integrated sustainability solutions.

Skills

Hydrology

Water resources

Data analysis

ESG

Project management

Client engagement

Communication

Travel

Education

Bachelor or Master in hydrology, chemistry, geoscience, engineering or related field

Tools

GIS

Water risk tools

Job description

Shape the future of sustainable water management with a global leader in environmental and sustainability consulting. ERM is seeking an energetic, casual part-time Principal Technical Consultant, Water Resource Advisor to join our growing Water practice in Walnut Creek, California. In this role, you will help leading organizations address complex water-related business challenges, strengthen resilience, and advance sustainable water stewardship. Working alongside multidisciplinary teams and ERM’s global network of water professionals, you will support clients in understanding water risks, developing strategic water goals, and implementing practical solutions that create long-term environmental and business value.

Why This Role Matters?

Water-related risks are increasingly influencing business performance, operational resilience, supply chain stability, and stakeholder expectations. As a Principal Technical Consultant, Water Resource Advisor, you will play a key role in helping organizations navigate these challenges through innovative, science-based solutions and strategic advisory services. Your expertise will contribute directly to advancing sustainable water management practices across industries while supporting the continued growth of ERM's Water practice.

What Your Impact Is:

Support clients in identifying, evaluating, and managing water-related risks and opportunities across global operations. Apply technical, analytical, and consulting expertise to address complex water resource challenges. Develop actionable strategies that help organizations achieve water stewardship objectives and sustainability commitments. Build and strengthen client relationships while contributing to business development initiatives within the Water practice. Collaborate with ERM’s global water resources network to deliver innovative and integrated solutions. Support the continued growth of ERM’s regional water services capabilities and client portfolio.

What You'll Bring:

• Required Bachelor or Master in hydrology, chemistry, geoscience, engineering or related field.
• 6+ years of relevant professional experience in water resources consulting, water stewardship, sustainability advisory services, ESG consulting, watershed management, or related disciplines.
• Experience conducting water-related risk assessments, strategy development, and advisory services for corporate clients.
• Strong analytical skills with experience evaluating complex environmental datasets and translating findings into business-relevant recommendations.
• Experience supporting ESG performance assessments, benchmarking, strategy development, and sustainability reporting initiatives.
• Knowledge of water resource management principles, watershed assessments, groundwater and surface water systems, and water quality considerations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deliver high-quality client service.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and client presentation experience.
• 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.
• Preferred 10+ years of relevant professional experience in water resources consulting, water stewardship, sustainability advisory services, ESG consulting, watershed management, or related disciplines.
• Experience implementing water stewardship programs and supporting Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification efforts.
• Familiarity with geospatial analysis, water risk screening tools, modeling platforms, and sustainability analytics.
• Experience developing enterprise-wide water strategies for multinational organizations.
• Understanding of climate-related water risks and resilience planning.
• Existing client relationships and business development experience within environmental consulting, sustainability, or water resources sectors.

Key Responsibilities:

• Be part of multidisciplinary teams of practitioners to execute water and climate-related studies in support of client needs.
• Collect and analyze data to benchmark peer performance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, as well as assess client ESG performance, including strategy, goals, performance, and public disclosure/reporting.
• Assist in data collection, analysis, reporting, and client engagement activities to evaluate a wide variety of physical, regulatory, and reputational water stress factors and their business risk impacts.
• Develop and implement water strategies for organizations with global operations.
• Develop and deliver roadmaps that support achievement of corporate water and sustainability targets while partnering with individual facilities.
• Assist clients in implementing the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard and pursuing certification.
• Perform watershed assessments and water resource/water quality evaluations across a variety of surface water and groundwater environmental settings.
• Support business development, proposal preparation, and client relationship management activities.
• Collaborate with ERM’s regional and global water resources teams to deliver integrated sustainability solutions.
• Contribute technical expertise to strategic client engagements and complex water-related projects.

For the Principal Technical Consultant, Water Resource Advisor position, the anticipated annual base pay is $60.52 per hour –$77.40 per hour (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.

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, 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.

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.

Thank you for your interest in ERM! 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.