Research Analyst
Water and Wastewater Technology | Advisory Services
| Reports to | VP, BlueTech Research with day-to-day direction from Senior Research Analysts |
| Location | Remote. Must be based in Canada or the United States (Pacific to Atlantic time zones) |
| Employment | Full-time, permanent |
| Experience | 1 to 3 years, with a clear water or wastewater technical component |
| Travel | Occasional: client meetings and industry events |
About BlueTech Research
BlueTech Research is a water technology market intelligence and advisory firm. We help investors, technology companies, utilities and industrial water users make better decisions about water technology: where markets are heading, which technologies will win, and which companies are worth backing. Our Advisory Services team delivers custom market studies, technology assessments and commercial due diligence for private equity firms, investment banks, Fortune 500 companies and leading water technology companies. We also host the BlueTech Forum and produced the award-winning documentaries Brave Blue World and Our Blue World.
The role
As a Research Analyst, you will be the technical engine of our advisory engagements. You will take a water technology question, break it into its engineering and commercial parts, and build the evidence that answers it: the market model, the technology benchmark, the competitor map and the expert interview notes.
You will work alongside Senior Research Analysts and the VP, Advisory Services, and we will train you in the consulting and commercial side of the work.
The kind of work you will do
Representative examples of our engagements (illustrative, not a client list):
- Sizing the North American market for PFAS treatment across municipal drinking water and industrial wastewater, segmented by technology (granular activated carbon, ion exchange, high-pressure membranes and destruction).
- Benchmarking a dozen MBR, MABR and aerobic granular sludge suppliers on energy use, footprint, effluent quality, capex and opex for a strategic buyer.
- Running a horizon scan of emerging nutrient and resource recovery technologies for a chemicals company planning its next five years.
- Mapping technology and asset solutions across a utility’s treatment value chain to show where water reuse, biosolids and digital investments fit.
- Supporting commercial due diligence on a UV disinfection or instrumentation company for a private equity fund: market growth, competitive position, voice of customer and technology risk.
- Building a competitive landscape of industrial water treatment providers serving semiconductor fabs, data centers and mining operations.
Key responsibilities
Technology assessment and benchmarking
- Research and profile water and wastewater technologies and the companies behind them: how the technology works, where it sits in the treatment train, its performance envelope, maturity, cost drivers and barriers to adoption.
- Build structured benchmarks that compare competing technologies and suppliers on technical and commercial criteria such as removal performance, energy, footprint, chemicals and residuals, capex, opex and reference sites.
- Develop technology and asset solution maps that position technologies across the water value chain and a client’s asset base.
Market sizing and modeling
- Build bottom-up and top-down market sizing and forecast models in Excel using installed base, plant capacity, regulatory drivers, replacement cycles and unit pricing.
- Document every assumption, triangulate against multiple sources, and sense-check results with engineering logic.
Horizon scanning and market intelligence
- Run horizon scans of emerging technologies, start-ups, patents, pilots and regulation (for example PFAS, nutrient limits, water reuse and industrial discharge) and explain what matters for the client.
- Track M&A, investment, partnerships and project announcements, and keep BlueTech’s market intelligence datasets accurate and current.
Competitive landscapes, market studies and due diligence
- Map competitive landscapes: players, offerings, positioning, market share estimates, channels and business models.
- Support commercial and technical due diligence on water companies, covering market growth, competitive position, technology risk and customer feedback.
- Carry out primary research, including expert and customer interviews, and draft interview guides, screeners and surveys.
Communication and delivery
- Turn analysis into clear, executive-ready slides and short reports.
- Present findings in internal reviews, client calls and web briefings as your confidence grows.
- Manage your own workstream against time and budget, and raise risks early.
AI-enabled research
- Use generative AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot to speed up literature, patent and company research, data extraction and first drafts, and verify every output against primary sources.
- Handle client-confidential data responsibly with AI tools, and share workflows that work.
What you bring
Must haves
- A bachelor’s degree in civil, environmental or chemical engineering, or a closely related water science. A master’s in water, wastewater or environmental engineering (or similar) is a strong plus.
- 1 to 3 years of experience with a clear water or wastewater component: for example, a process or design engineer at an engineering consultancy, an application engineer at a water technology company, an engineer or operator at a utility, or graduate research on water or wastewater treatment. Master’s research counts.
- A solid grasp of core treatment processes (coagulation and clarification, filtration, membranes, biological treatment, disinfection, sludge and biosolids) and familiarity with at least one emerging area such as PFAS, reuse, nutrient recovery or digital water.
- Strong Excel skills and the confidence to build a quantitative model from first principles.
- Clear, concise writing and the ability to explain technical topics to non-technical audiences.
- Well organized and reliable across several deliverables and tight deadlines.
- Based in Canada or the United States and eligible to work here.
Bonus points
- An internship, co-op or early-career exposure to market research, consulting, technical due diligence or business development.
- Python, R, Power BI or Tableau for data analysis, and regular hands-on use of AI tools for research with a healthy skepticism of their output.
- Working knowledge of the regulations that drive the water market, such as US EPA drinking water and PFAS rules, Clean Water Act permitting, Canadian federal and provincial requirements, or the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
- Exposure to industrial water in sectors such as semiconductors, data centers, mining, power or food and beverage.
- Progress toward EIT, P.Eng. or PE designation.
- Published research, conference presentations or a sample of analytical work you can share.
