Senior Advisor – Emergency Preparedness & Response

GHD; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

GHD is seeking a Senior Advisor for its FIRST program in the United States. You will mentor a team of environmental professionals and lead projects in emergency response planning, drills, and field deployments, coordinating with clients and staff to deliver high-impact solutions.

With 5–10+ years of project management experience, you will drive business development, manage client relationships, and contribute to regional visibility through seminars, conferences, and strategic initiatives across

Qualifications

• 5–10+ years of project management experience in environmental emergencies and remediation.
• Proven ability to manage drills, exercises, and tactical planning.
• Strong client relationship development and business development skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present technical information clearly.
• Willingness to mentor ER&P staff and collaborate with SME teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead environmental and emergency response drills projects, managing scope, schedule, and budget.
• Act as first point of contact for new emergency projects and coordinate with GHD FIRST.
• Serve as SME for risk assessors, industrial hygienists, and remediation specialists.
• Mentor a team of ER&P and environmental professionals.
• Drive business development and regional visibility through seminars and client events.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across GHD service lines.

Skills

Project management

Emergency response planning

Client relationship management

Business development

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering

Geology

Environmental Science

Job description

There’s no pledge more important than the one we make to look after our environment, and we’re committed to helping you do exactly that. Join us as we strive to ensure a sustainable future for our communities and the world we live in.

Become part of our global network of skilled engineers, scientists, auditors, planners and environmental specialists, all working together to leave this world better than we found it.

As a Senior Advisor at GHD, you will not only mentor and guide your team but will help develop opportunities in coordination with GHD staff related to existing and new clients associated with emergency response planning, tactical plans, drill development, facilitating spill drills. There may also be opportunities to mentor and train GHD and third party staff in various emergency response areas. Your role will extend beyond Senior Manager to include business development and client expansion activities, where your expertise in environmental engineering, geology, or related fields will shine. With 5-10+ years of project management experience under your belt, including a proven track record in emergency response, client relationship management, and business development, you'll bring a wealth of knowledge to the table. From spearheading industry events, national programs and regional visibility initiatives, your passion for environmental stewardship and problem-solving will drive our success. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, possess exceptional communication skills, and are committed to making a difference, join us in shaping a sustainable future.

This opportunity can be based out of most GHD offices within the US.

Who is GHD FIRST:

GHD Fast Incident Response Services Team (GHD FIRST) delivers turnkey, 24/7/365 incident response and management services throughout North America. The GHD FIRST team provides the following core services:

• Emergency Preparedness, Planning, and Drills
• Environmental/ Remediation Services
• Incident Management / Incident Command System (ICS)
• Air Monitoring/ Industrial Hygiene
• Waste Management
• Toxicology/ Risk Assessment
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)/ Database
• Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Technique (SCAT)
• Digital Technology/ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Services
• Construction/ Construction Management Services
• Crisis Communication and Community Engagement
• Litigation Support

GHD has more than 100 offices across North America with over 200 staff trained in emergency response and emergency management procedures.

Responsibilities of the position will be but are not limited to:

• Business development and client expansion activities, where your expertise in environmental engineering, geology, or related fields will shine.
• Project management and leadership of various environmental and emergency response drills projects including maintenance of project scope, schedule, budget, reporting, and quality through the coordination of project teams and via direct client/stakeholder communication
• Act as the first point of contact for clients for new emergency projects, with ability to delegate tasks and request support as required from GHD FIRST team.
• Act as a GHD subject matter expert and/or work closely with other GHD SMEs to ensure technical accuracy on project deliverables (i.e. risk assessors, industrial hygienists, remediation specialists, etc.).
• Mentor a team of ER&P and environmental professionals on an as needed basis.
• Identify and support business development, client expansion and proposal development activities for the USA business working with our regional business and market leadership
• Identify and register for regional activities that will raise visibility regionally for GHD by way of seminars, conferences, client events, speaking opportunities, sponsorships, and charity-related events (this would include some participation in key seminars/conferences)
• Participate in cross-functional team communication with other GHD service lines

What you will bring to the team:

• 5-10+/- years of project management experience including the coordination and management of projects consisting of environmental emergencies, environmental investigation, remediation, and monitoring
• Keen interest for long term career growth and development within the GHD FIRST program.
• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Geology, Environmental Science or a related field
• Demonstrated experience responding to environmental emergencies, leading drills and exercises, tactical planning.
• Positive attitude, strong interpersonal skills, team player and leader
• Experience in client relationship development/management and business development with strong client relationships
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to conduct effective client presentations and written report preparation
• Ability to present technical information in a concise and professional manner
• Strong problem-solving abilities and skill
• Experience with railroad and pipeline related emergencies a plus
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to multi-task and prioritize to meet project timelines
• Advanced computer skills in a Windows-based platform

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.