Sustainability Consultant Graduate/Carbon and ESG - Birmingham - start date June - Sept 2025

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

11/19/2024

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of nearly 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Due to exceptional growth in demand for our services we are currently recruiting for enthusiastic graduate Sustainability/Environmental Social Governance Consultants to join our well-established and growing UK-wide Carbon & Environmental Social Governance Practice in Birmingham.

About our Team

Are you ready to be part of the change? We're expanding our Carbon & Environmental Social Governance Practice and looking for dynamic, self-motivated individuals to help us deliver groundbreaking projects that redefine the standards of sustainability.

Building on our well-established expertise and proficiency in carbon accounting, net-zero road-mapping, and Environmental Social Governance reporting, our Practice has been a trailblazer in sustainability for over two decades. Recognised as a leader in the field, AECOM has secured a spot in the Environment Analyst latest rankings of the 25 leading players in the UK environmental and sustainability consulting landscape. This accolade underscores our commitment to excellence in addressing climate-related issues, including climate justice, circular economy, waste management, and human rights, aligning our strategies with global objectives and fostering lasting positive impacts.

With a rich track record spanning over 20 years, we have been advising clients across diverse sectors, including infrastructure, energy, industrial, and corporate, on sustainability and social governance. Our comprehensive support enhances the resilience of businesses and projects, emphasizing key areas such as net-zero carbon, climate resilience, sustainable production and consumption, and social equality.

Projects

Renowned for our reliable climate assessments and carbon footprints, our active engagement in various climate projects for both UK and multinational businesses is a testament to our expertise. Examples of our work include major infrastructure developments in highways, rail, aviation, power, and urban regeneration. We contribute to the development and review of carbon calculation tools, guide clients on low carbon strategies using a science-based approach and assist in creating associated mitigation plans. Our involvement extends to supporting clients with climate and nature reporting frameworks, undertaking waste management and circular economy assessments for government clients, and conducting social equality impact assessments and research studies for large developments and public sector clients.

Here's what you'll do:

• Provide technical assistance and desk-based support to senior members of the team, including research tasks, data synthesis and analysis, calculations, report writing.
• Specific tasks could include:
• Undertake carbon footprinting and management projects including for environmental impact assessment projects;
• Conducting climate change risk assessments and developing adaptation plans and strategies;
• Supporting our work on Environmental Social Governance reporting for business;
• Providing support on wider sustainability and resource efficiency projects conducted by the team to include desk-based research, qualitative and quantitative assessment, data analysis and report writing; and,
• Undertake qualitative or quantitative research to inform social and equality impact assessments.
• Work with the team and Project Managers/Project Directors to ensure the smooth running of projects;
• Participate in team meetings, client briefs and other meetings as and when required;
• Help prioritise project actions and meet commitments on an on-going basis while taking ownership and responsibility for the quality and completion of work;
• Understand and implement project management principles and appreciate the need to work within project budgets;
• Stay abreast of climate change/sustainability legislation/policy/guidance;
• Ensure health and safety issues are addressed throughout a project; and,
• Contribute to business development proposals to enhance our service offering.

This is a fantastic opportunity to establish and further your career, gaining valuable work experience, within the largest Environmental consultancy in the UK and Ireland working on some of the most challenging and high-profile projects our clients are developing.

Enjoy the Perks

At AECOM, you'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Here is what you will get from us!

On the job support and learning

When a graduate starts at AECOM, we pair them with a senior member of the team who will guide and mentor them through their initial period working on live projects and business development tasks, to support with any technical queries.

Graduate Development Programme

Our 2 year graduate ADVANCE programme is designed to help you build your career in AECOM. You will attend a number of instructor-led training sessions where you will meet and hear from people across the business and take part in a series of interactive activities to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in your role. Alongside the instructor-led elements of the ADVANCE programme, you will also engae with an online curriculum via AECOM University and have the opportunity to join the ADV ANCE webinar series. We will provide you with all the support and tools you need to achieve your professional development ambitions, which may include Chartership with the relevant international professional institution.

We have more than 750 graduates on our programmes across the UK and Ireland from more than 40 different disciplines, each making a tangible difference to the environment in which we live and work.

See our digital early careers e-brochure here

Professional institute qualifications you may be able to work towards include the Institute for Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) and Institute of Environmental Science (IES).

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

The ideal candidate will have a science based background i.e. relevant MSc or equivalent qualification in Sustainability, Carbon, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Sustainable Waste Management, Earth/Environmental Sciences, Geography, Social Sciences or similar, and a strong undergraduate degree in a STEM based subject.

Required knowledge, skill and experience areas:

• Ability to work as part of a team, collaborating with colleagues, client and stakeholders as appropriate.
• Understanding of a selection of these technical areas:
• Carbon accounting (covering Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions) and some familiarity/experience working with GHG reporting standards, guidance and regulatory regimes for example PAS 2080; PAS 2050; EU ETS; ESOS etc.
• Climate risk drivers including physical and transition risks and opportunities and familiarity with UK climate projections (experience of using UKCP18 projections within research is desirable);
• Range of aspects of sustainability, including circular economy, sustainable consumption and production, sustainable design, designing out waste;
• Sustainable waste management practices;
• Social impacts and social outcomes of infrastructure projects and other development interventions;
• Strong research skills and attention to detail with an emphasis on delivering technically excellent outputs;
• Great communication skills in English, fluency in other languages an advantage;
• Solid numeracy skills, confidence in working with large data sets and competent user of Excel;
• Ability to work flexibly under pressure, responding to changing project and programme demands. Problem solving abilities. Self-starter, who can design and deliver work under their own initiative; and

Desirable knowledge, skill and experience areas:

• Previous experience working in a consultancy environment, including work placements or relevant voluntary experience;
• Commercial awareness for business development activities (i.e. previous experience preparing proposals and marketing materials); and,
• Awareness of project management principles and project finances.

Additional Information

Apply early for your future: Seize the Opportunity!

We strongly encourage applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible, as CVs will be reviewed with candidates selected on a rolling recruitment basis for either immediate or advanced offer starts. Our recruitment drive targets start dates in June, July and Sept 25. Please indicate your preferred joining date in your application .

In your application, please include a cover letter and provide all predicted and/or obtained academic grades. Demonstrate your keen interest in this position and articulate how your skills and education align with the requirements.

To be considered, you must have the permanent right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Location Matters: Tailor Your Application!

Our recruitment extends to the following UK offices: Basingstoke, Birmingham, Croydon, Edinburgh, Manchester and Nottingham. We have multiple advertisements on our website that correspond to each position. Apply specifically to your preferred location, and feel free to express interest in more than one of these offices within your application— you only need to apply once .

Bring your bold ideas and big dreams.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

ReqID: REF39891L

Business Line: Environment

Business Group: DCS

Strategic Business Unit: Europe & India

Career Area: Consulting Services

Work Location Model: Hybrid

Legal Entity: AECOM Infrastructure and Environment UK Limited