Advisory Associate Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

BC, a leading environmental services firm whose purpose is to unlock the potential of water and a healthy environment to create thriving communities, has established a new Advisory Services enterprise group. 

This group responds to the evolving needs of our public and private clients, who are operating in increasingly complex environments with competing priorities, limited capacity, and growing pressure to deliver results. While technical and engineering excellence remain foundational, they are no longer sufficient on their own to ensure successful outcomes. Advisory Services enables organizations to translate strategy into action—helping clients navigate complexity, remove barriers to execution, improve decision-making, and ensure the right investments are made at the right time to support long-term performance and community outcomes.  

The Advisory Services group works across the full client lifecycle, supporting strategy and decision-making, communications and stakeholder alignment, planning and financing, and operational performance and modernization through technology. Through this integrated approach, BC deepens its understanding of client organizations, strengthens long-term partnerships, and enhances the impact of its traditional engineering and technical services—positioning the firm as a trusted partner in delivering sustained outcomes. 

The mission and vision of this group is:  

• The BC Advisory Services Vision:“A future where organizations confidently turn strategy into measurablevalue, sustaining their gains to earn lasting public trust”. 
• The BC Advisory ServicesMission:“enable clients to overcome complex challenges to advance their mission, drive performance, and create sustainable valuefor customers and community.” 

Job Summary 

The Advisory Services Enterprise Unit Leadership guides the Advisory Servicesteam and BCtooperationalize our mission andtorealize our vision for the company, for our clients, and for the water industry.    

This rolewillinspire change andestablish, lead, and integrateAdvisory Servicesacross Brown and Caldwell’s businessto build it as a core enterprise capability.  The role guides the Advisory Services group which oversees work across the full client lifecycle, supporting strategy and decision-making, communications and stakeholder alignment, planning and financing, and operational performance and modernization through technology. This leadership position provides strategic and operational direction for Advisory Services organizational structure, talent, and delivery models, while instituting organizational changes across the company through program design and internal partnership collaboration:   

Thepositionoverseesthenewly formed and evolvingenterpriseteamcomprisedofmajor services including:  

• Strategy and Performance practice,inclusiveofManagement Consulting, Asset Management, O&M Consulting, and Enterprise Technology Consulting. 
• Digital Solutions practice,inclusiveofData/AI Services, Data Engineering, GIS, Cybersecurity, Automation, and Applied Technology 
• Funding and Financing Advisory Services 

The advisory services teams focus is helping clients translate strategy into tangible outcomes by aligning priorities, strengthening operational readiness, supporting execution, and enabling sound decisionmaking, leveraging current and future technologies, aligning key stakeholders, and more to be successful in today’s increasingly complex environment.  

Reporting to the Executive Vice President of Strategy & Growth, the role works closely with Strategy & Growth Enterprise Leadership, Client Service Managers (CSMs), Practice Leaders, Utility Performance, Digital Solutions, Strategic Funding & Finance, and delivery teams to ensure Advisory Services consistently integrates into business plans, hiring practices, project and program delivery, internal operations, and overall support for winning and delivering client work.   

As a builder of a new service, this role requires strong change leadership and implementation to advance strategic direction, organizational design, and operational execution, to achieve a disciplined, scalable, and adaptable Advisory Services enterprise capable of responding to evolving client and market needs. 

Responsibilities  

Enterprise Accountability  

• Serve as an enterprise leader accountable for the longterm effectiveness, credibility, and integration of Advisory Services within BC. 
• Partner with leaders across Strategy and Performance, Strategic Funding and Finance, and DigitalSolutionsand other advisory roles to align responsibilities,interconnections, and delivery expectations. 
• Advance organizational performance to meet established organizational milestones and longtermobjectives. 
• Advance operating models, governance structures, and performance measures appropriate for a growing enterprise service, specific to Advisory services, aligned with BC. 
• Advance Advisory Services growth for BC and achieveperformance metrics for Advisory Servicesbusinessandforindividuals within the group. 

StrategyandGrowth  

• Establish andmaintaina clear strategic direction for Advisory Services. 
• GrowAdvisory Servicesin a way that is sustainable, wellgoverned, and aligned with Brown and Caldwell’s strategy,valuesand operating model. 
• Reinforce Advisory Services as an enabling function,necessitatingorganizational change and adoption tostrengthenoverall delivery and client service. 
• Monitor external trendsand opportunitiesaffecting client decisionmaking, organizational capacity, funding and finance, technology, and governance to inform service evolutionand drive business outcomes. 
• Make and communicatedifficult decisionswhen priorities, capacity, or approaches are misaligned, ensuring clarity, accountability, and forward progress. 
• Reinforce enterprisefirst decisionmaking by aligning Advisory Services priorities with broader organizationalobjectives, delivery needs, and longterm strategy. 
• Engage with Marketing &Communications to advance the Advisory Services brand inthe marketplace. 
• Maintain a visible presence with clients and at key conference events. 

Service DevelopmentandIntegration (Change Leadership)   

• Translate the Advisory Services vision and mission into company-wide service areas, operating norms, and execution expectations. 
• Foster organizational change toadvancepractical andcultural adoptionofAdvisory Servicesacross BC, securing it aspart of the core business. 
• Lead the evolution of Advisory Services as an integrated capability thatcollaboratesto enhancedelivery andworksinpartnershipacross BC’stechnical, delivery, and client service teams. 
• Leverage enterprise systems, support services, and shared resources to enable effective delivery and integratedadvisory workacross BC. 

Clientand InternalCollaborationforDeliverables-   

• Work collaboratively with Growth & Strategy Enterprise Leadership, Client Relations and Development, Client Service Managers, Practice Leaders, and delivery teams to support effectiveclientandprojectproblem definition, prioritization, and execution. 
• Ensure consistency, quality, and clarity in how Advisory Services is applied across different clients, practices, and regions. 
• Provide leadership presence in complex client situations where alignment, sequencing, or decision support isrequired. 
• Support internaleducation andaccountable practices that define when and how Advisory Services requires engagement tooptimizeclient service and deliverables. 
• Actively advance enterprise collaboration by working across business units, practices, and support teams to ensure Advisory Services strengthens—not fragments—delivery and outcomes. 
• Address organizational friction or ambiguity related to advisory work by clarifying roles, expectations, and interfaces across teams. 

Financial, Risk,andOperational Oversightfiscal/business responsibility  

• Provide oversight of resource planning, staffing models, and investment decisions related to Advisory Services. 
• Maintain accountability for Advisory Services performance across financial stewardship, staff development, delivery quality, and enterprise alignment. 
• Provide enterprisesupport and technicalexpertisefor risk management related to Advisory Services work, including governance, contracting considerations, and delivery models, in coordination with legal, risk, and operational leaders. 
• Exercise sound judgment in balancing innovation, execution needs, and risk exposure as Advisory Services evolves and scales across the organization. 
• Track and assess performance of Advisory Services activities using outcomeoriented measures rather than activity volume alone. 
• Adjust organizational structures, priorities, and operating approaches as the service matures and client needsevolve. 

TalentandCulture Leadership  

• Build, lead, and develop a multidisciplinary Advisory Services leadership team, including leaders in Strategy and PerformanceStrategic Funding and Finance,Digital Solutions Practice Leadership. 
• DefineAdvisoryServicescapability and capacityfor BC tohire,grow, meet the needs of the marketplace, anddeliver on commitments. 
• Establish clear roles, expectations, and development pathways for advisory professionals focused on strategy, execution, and transformation, consistent with BC’s Career Framework. 
• Foster a culture that emphasizes clarity, collaboration, learning, accountability, and ethical judgment. 
• Model professionalism, integrity, and sound decisionmaking, particularly in situations involving ambiguity, competing priorities, and organizational change. 
• Be a change-leaderdemonstratingrespect, transparency, and consistency as Advisory Services grows and adapts over time. 
• Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing team by setting clear expectations, providing feedback, and fostering a culture of engagement, growth, and accountability. 
• Oversee workload planning, performance management, and team operations to align resources with businessobjectiveswhile ensuring compliance with company policies and regulations. 
• Flexibility to adapt and execute variousadditionalassignments based on evolving needs. 

Skills and Competencies  

• Demonstrated ability to build and lead new organizational capabilities within a complex, matrixed enterprise. 
• Expertise inorganizationaland cultural change leadership,aligning and integrating priorities. 
• Inspirational, motivational,guidingtowardmissionand vision. 
• Advanced strategic and systems thinking proficiency. 
• Able toadapt andsucceed amid ambiguity. 
• Highly advance in relationship-building abilities. 
• Strong technical awareness of skills and services Advisory Services provides and the value it creates. 
• Ability to define market and client needsand advance organization toward defined growth outcomes. 
• Sound business and operational judgment, including experience with organizational design, governance, and resource management. 
• Self-aware, valuinglistening,learning, and partnering withcolleagues and team members. 
• Collaborative in leading senior professionals across multiple disciplines and aligning work without relying on direct authority. 
• Effective, clear communication and collaboration skills suited to complex problemsolving and decision support. 
• High adaptability and comfort leading in environments with evolving scope, structure, and expectations. 
• Demonstrated experience and track record of managing and measuring work, establishing meaningful metrics, and achieving milestones. 
• Highly skilled in both direct command and influence leadership styles and knowing when to leverage each style as needed to achieve optimal outcomes. 

Experience  

• Typically requires a minimum of 20 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in advisory, strategy, consulting, delivery, or related professional services roles.  
• Experience Leading at a senior level in a municipal or private sector organization and working in a consulting environment, preferred. 
• Prior experience building, scaling, or integrating services or functions within an enterprise organization is strongly preferred. 
• Preference for candidates with a mix of experience in consulting, public utility management, and advisory services. 

Education  

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred.