Managing Consultant – Water Circularity, Wastewater

ERM

. Lead technically rigorous water circularity assignments helping industrial and infrastructure clients reduce freshwater dependence, manage wastewater and effluent risk, evaluate reuse and recycling options, and make operational and investment decisions .

Posted 10/9/2026full-timeManchester • United KingdomMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in industrial water systems, including wastewater treatment, water reuse, and circular water systems, while providing technical direction and project leadership. Proficient in data analysis, technical writing, and client communication to support water efficiency and compliance initiatives.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Industrial Water Systems ExpertiseWater Balances and Opportunity CalculationsTechnical Writing and Data AnalysisProject Leadership and Risk ManagementTrade-Effluent Permitting and Compliance

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Water TreatmentWater ReuseWastewater ManagementData AnalysisTechnical WritingScenario ModelingEcotoxicologyWater AuditsOpportunity CalculationsTechnology Screening

Soft Skills

Structured Problem-SolvingClient CommunicationSound JudgementTeam Leadership

Tools & Technologies

QUEST MethodologyWater Quality MatchingSampling StrategiesMeasurement Plans

Industry Keywords

Environmental EngineeringCircular Water SystemsIndustrial Discharge CompliancePharmaceuticalsFood and BeverageManufacturingEnergyMiningEcotoxicityMicropollutants

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead technically rigorous water circularity assignments helping industrial and infrastructure clients reduce freshwater dependence, manage wastewater and effluent risk, evaluate reuse and recycling options, and make operational and investment decisions
Lead technical workstreams and projects from scoping through fieldwork, analysis, client workshops, reporting and close-out
Interrogate client data, identify gaps and design proportionate evidence-gathering plans, including site visits, interviews, sampling or specialist studies where justified
Prepare and review calculations, models, option matrices, technical memoranda, reports and client-ready decision products
Provide senior technical direction to consultants and analysts working on data compilation, water balances, research and opportunity calculations
Coordinate specialist inputs from process engineering, civil engineering, hydrogeology, hydrology, ecotoxicology, permitting, economics and digital teams
Act as a trusted technical adviser to client operations, engineering, EHS, sustainability and procurement stakeholders
Support proposals and extensions by defining evidence protocols, methods, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, accuracy levels and resourcing plans
Maintain project commercial control, quality, health and safety, risk management and governance consistent with the CL3 Consulting profile
Contribute to development of the Water Circularity offer through methods, templates, case studies and technical proof points arising from live work
Perform water audits, maturity assessments, data-quality reviews, water balances, metering strategies and diagnostic analysis
Identify, quantify and prioritise no-cost, low-cost and capital water-efficiency opportunities
Develop water reuse and recycling options using water-quality matching, source-to-use matrices, volume matching and constraints assessment
Characterise wastewater and trade effluent, review sampling strategies and discharges, and evaluate source control and treatment performance
Screen treatment technologies and conduct technical due diligence, including comparison with conventional options, readiness, operating requirements, residuals and implementation risk
Conduct true-cost-of-water and water-energy-chemical trade-off analysis, including avoided costs and unintended-consequence checks
Develop scenario analyses and business-case inputs with transparent assumptions, ranges, confidence levels and feasibility or engineering gates
Assess water-quality and emerging-contaminant interfaces, including pharmaceuticals, ecotoxicity, micropollutants, mixing zones and industrial discharge risk
Assess industrial and mine-impacted water where treatment, risk, reuse or operational optimisation are central

Requirements

What you’ll need

Demonstrable professional experience in industrial water, wastewater, environmental engineering, water efficiency, treatment, reuse or circular water systems
Ability to lead a site or portfolio water assessment independently and convert incomplete operational data into a transparent, technically defensible analysis
Practical understanding of industrial water systems such as cooling, cleaning, process use, boilers, wastewater treatment, effluent discharge and reuse interfaces
Experience with water balances, opportunity calculations, technology screening, treatment-performance review and implementation constraints
Sound judgement about the boundary between screening, conceptual optioneering, feasibility, design and implementation, and ability to explain that boundary clearly to clients
Experience working with industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, technology/data centres or mining
Strong technical writing, structured problem-solving, data analysis and client communication
Experience leading projects or technical teams, with responsibility for scope, budget, programme, risk and quality
Relevant degree or equivalent professional background in environmental, chemical, civil or water engineering, environmental science or a closely related field
QUEST or comparable industrial resource-efficiency and audit methodology experience
Experience in trade-effluent permitting, industrial discharge compliance, ecotoxicology or micropollutants
Experience constructing true-cost-of-water, marginal-abatement or scenario models for water investment decisions
Experience conducting field audits, specifying sampling or measurement plans, or working alongside engineering teams on feasibility and implementation
French or another European language, particularly where it supports EMEA industrial and pharmaceutical delivery

Benefits

Comp & perks

Inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive
Equal opportunities for every candidate
Accommodations during the selection process for candidates with disabilities, neurodivergence, or other needs
Tools, support, and adjustments provided after joining to help employees succeed