Executive Advisor- Water Economics & Infrastructure Investment Strategy

About the Role

GHD Advisory is seeking an Executive Advisor – Water Economics & Infrastructure Investment Strategy to lead and grow our water sector financial advisory and investment facilitation capabilities from the NYC Metro Area. This is a senior, client-facing leadership role for someone who operates at the intersection of water utility management, infrastructure economics, and private capital mobilization. You will serve as a trusted intermediary between municipal water and wastewater clients and private sector investors, helping utilities unlock new funding pathways, structure innovative financing, and deliver infrastructure more effectively.

You will bring deep knowledge of U.S. municipal finance alongside a working understanding of international alternative delivery and investment models — including P3/PPP frameworks used in Australia, the UK, Canada, and Asia-Pacific — and help translate those approaches for the U.S. market. This role will be central to GHD's strategy to build a nationally recognized Water Economics and Investment Advisory practice within our Asset Management group, backed by our global platform and track record across 61+ P3 projects worldwide.

This individual will act as a strategic financial and investment advisor to water and wastewater utilities, helping clients optimize capital investment, funding strategies, and infrastructure delivery. The position combines expertise in infrastructure finance, public-private partnerships (P3s), and alternative delivery models to develop innovative funding solutions, facilitate private sector investment, and guide complex procurement strategies. As a trusted advisor to utility executives, the role also leads business development, mentors multidisciplinary teams, and brings global best practices to deliver integrated, financially sustainable infrastructure solutions.

Responsibilities

• Assist expansion and mining of existing on-call contracts with municipal/regional water clients.
• Shape and win water AM task orders under newly awarded on-calls and future pursuits.
• Conduct market positioning, client outreach, opportunity qualification, and pursuit leadership.
• Lead proposal development, interview preparation, scope development, and pricing strategies.
• Build and maintain relationships with regulatory agencies, municipal utilities, private water companies, and partner firms.
• Serve as Project Manager or Technical Lead on water AM and economic advisory projects, including: asset management plans & maturity assessments; risk-based capital planning and prioritization; lifecycle costing and long-term financial modeling; investment strategies and rate/fee impacts; business case development using economic, financial, and risk frameworks; AM program governance, policy, and organizational design; digital AM enablement (CMMS, EAM, GIS, analytics); program management and owner advisor delivery.
• Integrate engineering, economics, finance, and asset performance insights.
• Manage multidisciplinary teams across advisory, engineering, and digital groups.
• Engage utility executives and senior decision-makers to provide trusted advisory insights.
• Mentor early-career AM professionals in financial modeling, risk frameworks, and program strategy.
• Contribute to development of GHD AM tools, methodologies, and sector strategies.
• Design the project architecture, building on the initial proposal and the client interviews to develop a solution that meets the client's stated requirements and addresses any identified client issues.
• Collate and conduct analysis of the tactical and operational information gathered through interviews and research to support the diagnosis of underlying client issues and problems and the design of single solutions.
• Conduct interviews following an established framework of questions to gather information on client issues.
• Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team. Maintain external accreditations and in-depth understanding of current and emerging external regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.
• Lead a highly complex business advisory process, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic initiatives and goals.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of experience in infrastructure finance, water/wastewater utility economics, investment advisory, or related fields.
• Professional Engineer (PE) or equivalent professional credential (CFA, PFM, or comparable financial certification also valued).
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Economics, Finance, Public Policy, or related field.
• Deep expertise in water and wastewater utility operations and finance — including rate structures, capital planning, CIP development, and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven experience structuring or facilitating P3/PPP transactions, alternative delivery, or private capital placement for municipal infrastructure.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. municipal finance instruments — municipal bonds, SRF, WIFIA, environmental impact bonds, credit facilities.
• Familiarity with international alternative delivery and financing models (e.g., Australian alliance contracting, UK DPC, Asian infrastructure investment models).
• Demonstrated ability to engage and advise C-suite utility executives and municipal finance leaders (GMs, CFOs, finance directors, elected officials).
• Experience working with or alongside private investors, infrastructure funds, investment banks, or development finance institutions.
• Strong understanding of asset management principles — lifecycle planning, risk-based investment prioritization, capital optimization — and their connection to financial strategy.
• Exceptional communication skills — able to translate complex financial and technical concepts into clear, executive-ready recommendations.
• A relationship builder with a strong network in the water/wastewater utility and infrastructure finance community.

Benefits

• 401K — Employees are eligible to participate on the first day of the month following 3 months of service.
• Paid time off — PTO starts at 16 days per year and increases with years of service.
• Holiday Pay — GHD observes 9 holidays per year; holiday pay based on regular set schedule.
• Wellness Benefit — Regular full-term employees are eligible for 50% reimbursement up to $250 annually for health club memberships, home exercise equipment, bicycles, race/run/marathon fees, smoking cessation programs, weight loss programs, Fitbits and fitness tracking devices.

Pay & Schedule

• Salary Range: $225,000–$300,000 based on experience and location.
• Hybrid Work Model: In-office collaboration three days per week.