Consulting Associate, Scientist at ERM in Rolling Meadows, IL

Ready to put your environmental science education into action on real‑world projects that shape communities, infrastructure, and sustainability outcomes?  

Why This Role Matters? 

In this role, you won’t just support projects—you’ll contribute to environmental assessments and solutions that help clients meet regulatory requirements and responsibly move development forward. At ERM, your work directly supports better environmental and social outcomes on local and global projects. 

What Your Impact Is: 

As a Consulting Associate, Scientist, you’ll be part of a collaborative technical team supporting a wide range of environmental projects—from ecological field surveys to permitting and impact assessments. You’ll gain hands‑on experience, learn best practices from experienced consultants, and build technical and professional skills in an environment that values curiosity, teamwork, and continuous learning.

What You’ll Bring: 

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural science, environmental engineering, or a related discipline (minimum 3.0 GPA) 

• Recent graduate to 2 years of relevant environmental experience, including internships or fieldwork 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing or contributing to technical documentation 

• Ability to manage multiple tasks, work independently, and adapt in a fast‑paced consulting environment 

• Commitment to safety and quality standards 

• 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.  

• This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship. 

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Preferred 

• Master’s degree in a related field 

• Field experience conducting ecological or biological surveys 

• Familiarity with NEPA processes or environmental permitting 

• Experience working with or supporting regulatory agencies 

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Key Responsibilities: 

• Support NEPA Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for domestic and international development projects 

• Assist with biological and ecological field surveys, data collection, and literature reviews 

• Prepare and contribute to technical reports, environmental documentation, and client deliverables 

• Support the preparation of multi‑media plans and permits, including coordination with agencies such as FERC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and state agencies 

• Provide technical support on land use planning, facility siting, risk assessment, and water resources management 

• Collaborate with Project Managers, clients, regulators, subcontractors, and internal teams 

• Deliver work within defined scope, schedule, budget, and quality expectations 

For the Consulting Associate, Scientist position, the anticipated annual base pay is $65,600–$81,353 (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 (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are not bonus eligible).

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

Note: Bonuses, commissions, and other forms of additional compensation are not guaranteed and subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures.

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.

Please submit your resume and brief cover letter.

ERM does not accept recruiting agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, ERM employees or any other company location. ERM is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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!

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