Senior Technical Lead - Climate Risk Solutions - RE Tech Advisors

RE Tech Advisors is seeking experts in decarbonization strategy, climate risk management, and carbon accounting in the built environment to join our Climate Risk Solutions (CRS) practice area!  Working across multiple sectors – including commercial real estate, private equity, and investment lending – we partner with clients to design and implement programs that accelerate building decarbonization and effectively manage climate risk. Our group of trusted advisors and problem-solvers is committed to delivering scalable and actionable solutions that transform the built environment and mitigate the impacts of climate change.   

This position offers strong opportunities for professional development and collaboration with industry thought leaders in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate possesses a growth mindset, competence in data analysis and visualization, excellent communication and collaboration skills, and the ability to combine technical analysis with big-picture thinking. 

Summary Description

Provide technical expertise and oversight on service offerings and products delivered by the Climate Risk Solutions Team. Train and serve as supervisor to members within the CRS Technical Services track. Provide and oversee the team in providing technical expertise on the design, development, and execution of client decarbonization and climate risk management programs across sectors that may include commercial real estate, government, private equity, lending, and public-private partnerships.

Essential Job Functions / Job Duties and Responsibilities 

• Ensure technical accuracy and excellence for all work delivered by the team supporting your projects/programs, engaging your CRS team leadership, the assigned CRS Senior Manager or Manager, and Account Managers as needed to ensure overall client satisfaction. 
• Engage with clients as a technical advisor and subject matter expert, providing actionable insights while building client trust, and serve as the technical lead on client work in consultation with the CRS Manager and Account Manager. Function well when working in interdisciplinary teams that include technical and non-technical staff.
• Regularly review client deliverables, ensuring the work is accurate, actionable, and consistent with best practices. Stay up to speed on emerging trends in climate risk assessment and decarbonization including target-setting frameworks, definitions of key concepts like net zero, best practices in carbon accounting, and innovative carbon reduction strategies.
• Provide input on level of effort to complete work to support the Management team in establishing budgets.
• Manage your team’s development, career progression, performance management, and engagement, and contribute to the professional development of RE Tech team members by developing and delivering training on decarbonization and climate risk topics.   
  • Implement formalized learning opportunities for your team’s development. 
  • Ensure execution and proper alignment of goals, professional development plans, and performance feedback for all team members, including indirect reports.
  • Contribute to team talent assessment, maintain clear understanding of where all team members are in their career progression, and use information gleaned to support employment and development decisions, including succession planning.
  • Manage, direct, and develop your direct and indirect reports. Evoke creative and innovative thinking while helping team members to develop their skills and align their career aspirations with business goals.
• Ensure your team is properly resourced and staffed. Work with CRS leadership to inform of potential staffing needs and resource allocation issues. Participate in the Talent Acquisition process, as directed by CRS leadership.  
• Contribute to business development efforts by participating in internal annual client strategy meetings, supporting development of scopes of work and budgets for client programs, and representing RE Tech at conferences, speaking engagements, and through thought leadership efforts.
• Monitor climate and decarbonization industry topics relevant within the built environment. Provide input on where RE Tech may need to enhance current offerings and develop new offerings or products.  Contribute to the development/enhancement of offerings, when assigned.
• Plan and deliver appropriate education, exposure, and experiences within your team. Ensure that existing, new staff, and managers within your team are trained as appropriate for their role in team offerings, services, and processes, as well as any changes or additions therein.
• Effectively and appropriately utilize the RE Tech Rotational Program staff. Identify appropriate tasks for this team, oversee training of team members and completion of work.
• Serve as a role model for the company and within the climate risks and decarbonization topics relevant within the built environment. Drive collaboration and connection internally and externally. Continue to be a part of or join an industry community serving as a representative of RE Tech. Identify and oversee opportunities for team member participation in industry groups. 
• Properly and accurately track all your time worked and expenses in BigTime, billing to the correct codes and using the correct labor categories.
• Know and follow company processes, ensuring your direct reports do as well.  
• Perform all other duties as needed and assigned.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Deep knowledge of greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonization strategies, to include all the following:
  • Carbon accounting—including methodologies, calculations, and guidance such as the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard
  • Carbon reduction targets and disclosures—including Science-Based Targets, CDP, carbon neutrality, net zero, TCFD, SFDR, renewable energy commitments, etc.
  • Decarbonization strategies—including energy efficiency, renewable energy, green power procurement, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and carbon offsets.
• Deep knowledge of climate risk related to physical and/or transition risk, including third-party climate risk analytics software tools and providers.
• Knowledge of ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and other energy/emissions data tracking platforms.
• Knowledge of supply chain sustainability and lifecycle assessment.
• Knowledge of clean energy project finance methods such as PACE, energy-as-a-service, power purchase agreements, solar tax equity, etc., and/or private equity, investment, and/or finance sectors is a plus.
• Strong understanding of building systems and the ability to think critically and creatively about energy efficiency.
• Advanced skills with data-driven tasks in Excel and other software platforms, including some complex calculations and estimation methods.
• Quantitative aptitude and the ability to conduct basic energy and financial analysis in Excel—including simple payback, IRR, NPV, and ROI.
• Understanding of energy auditing and retro-commissioning.
• Possess a growth mindset seeking continuous improvement and supporting a culture of learning, growing, and improving as an individual, our team members, our business, and our client work.
• Ability to foster inclusive and creative collaboration internally and externally to co-create successful outcomes.
• Ability to lead client engagements. 
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to diagnose client needs and market context to translate into compelling ESG and decarbonization strategies that drive value.  Strong attention to detail in your work and work produced by your team.
• Business acumen and knowledge of staff development, planning, resource allocations, and tracking against financial KPIs.
• Possess sound business ethics, including the protection of proprietary and confidential information. 
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to a changing landscape and client needs, handle multiple time-sensitive priorities, excel in a fast-paced environment, and ability to pivot and adjust priorities and approaches.
• Ability to expertly manage up, down, and across the organization, as well as outside clients and vendors. 
• Superior interpersonal skills including courtesy, professionalism, and a cooperative attitude. Ability to manage challenging interpersonal situations, including employee and client relationships. 
• Exceptional written communication skills with a propensity to write in a clear, concise manner to convey points effectively, creatively, and with the appropriate tone and professionalism.
• Excellent verbal communication skills to effectively interact with and build confidence with internal and external contacts, including public speaking.
• High degree of initiative, proactiveness, drive, enthusiasm, energy, and follow through.
• Advanced knowledge with online collaboration and file sharing tools, such as SharePoint and the Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).

Required Education and/or Experience

• At least 7 years of applicable work experience
• At least 5 years of experience serving in a role requiring in-depth technical and market expertise on topics of decarbonization, net zero, carbon neutrality, carbon accounting, and science-based targets.
• Experience independently managing teams performing the following types of work: the calculation of greenhouse gas inventories, energy efficiency and/or decarbonization strategies, climate risk assessment, and/or supporting identification of energy and/or decarbonization projects for clients at scale across large commercial estate portfolios.
• At least one year of experience managing people and teams, including some aspects of performance management, talent development, and hiring.
• Experience in a client facing consulting role, delivering professional services, and building relationships across clients and internal teams.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Travel Requirements 

Periodic travel is required for the role. Travel may include travel to RE Tech offices, if remote, or between RE Tech offices (Fairfax, VA and Dallas, Texas) for meetings (estimate of four times per year), as well as for Legence and/or client business needs.

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