Application Guide
How to Apply for Climate Adaptation and Resilience Senior Consultant
at AECOM
🏢 About AECOM
AECOM stands out as a global infrastructure consulting firm that specifically emphasizes 'building sustainable legacies' through innovation. Their focus on integrating environmental solutions with large-scale infrastructure projects offers a unique opportunity to implement climate resilience work at a tangible, impactful scale. Working here means contributing to projects that shape communities and physical landscapes for decades.
About This Role
This Senior Consultant role is central to translating climate science into actionable plans for communities and infrastructure systems. You'll be directly involved in assessing vulnerabilities (particularly to sea level rise), developing adaptation strategies, and engaging with stakeholders to build resilience. Your work will influence policy, guide infrastructure investments, and help protect communities from climate impacts.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve analyzing GIS data to map flood risks for a city client, drafting sections of a climate adaptation plan based on recent vulnerability assessment findings, and participating in a virtual workshop with community stakeholders to discuss resilience priorities. You'll likely collaborate with engineers, planners, and policy specialists, balancing technical analysis with strategic communication and project management tasks.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who AECOM Is Looking For
- Has hands-on experience conducting climate vulnerability assessments, with specific knowledge of sea level rise methodologies and tools.
- Demonstrates a portfolio of developing or implementing resilience strategies that bridge infrastructure planning, governance frameworks, or policy development.
- Possesses strong technical writing skills for creating strategic plans, reports, and guidelines, coupled with the ability to communicate complex climate concepts to diverse audiences.
- Has practical GIS experience specifically applied to climate vulnerability analysis and creating mapping products to visualize risks and solutions.
📝 Tips for Applying to AECOM
Quantify your experience with climate vulnerability assessments: mention specific projects, tools used (e.g., specific SLR models, GIS software), and the scale (e.g., municipal, regional).
Tailor your resume to include keywords from the job description: 'climate adaptation plans,' 'resilience strategies,' 'capacity-building,' 'decision-support tools,' and 'community engagement.'
Highlight any experience at the intersection of infrastructure and policy, as AECOM's work often involves advising public agencies and navigating regulatory environments.
If you have urban planning or policy modeling experience, detail how you've used it in a climate context, as this is noted as beneficial.
Prepare a writing sample or portfolio piece that showcases your ability to synthesize technical climate data into a clear, strategic plan or report for decision-makers.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Express specific alignment with AECOM's mission of 'building sustainable legacies' and describe how your background contributes to innovative infrastructure and environmental solutions.", 'Provide a concise example of a past project where you developed or implemented a climate resilience strategy related to infrastructure, governance, or policy.', 'Detail your experience with the full project cycle mentioned: from vulnerability assessment (using GIS if applicable) to plan development and community engagement.', 'Mention your understanding of the practical challenges in adapting infrastructure and communities to climate change, showing you can think beyond theoretical frameworks.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore AECOM's recent projects and thought leadership in climate resilience and adaptation (e.g., reports, case studies on their website) to understand their approach and client base.
- → Investigate AECOM's 'Sustainable Legacies' strategy and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) commitments to speak knowledgeably about their corporate goals.
- → Research the specific challenges and policies related to climate adaptation in the USA, particularly at the federal (e.g., FEMA, NOAA), state, and municipal levels where AECOM likely operates.
- → Look into the key tools and frameworks prevalent in the industry for vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning (e.g., those from the IPCC, USGCRP) to demonstrate technical familiarity.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application that doesn't explicitly connect your skills to climate vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, and the use of GIS as outlined in the core responsibilities.
- Focusing solely on climate science knowledge without demonstrating experience in the practical application and implementation of resilience strategies.
- Failing to show an understanding of how climate adaptation integrates with the built environment and infrastructure, which is core to AECOM's engineering and consulting work.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!