Senior Associate - Carbon Free Buildings

Job Description:

Senior Associate – Carbon Free Buildings Program:

Embodied Carbon / India Initiatives

Do you love solving challenging problems, thinking about dynamic systems, and working in groups? Do you also have the self-motivation, curiosity, creativity, and ability to persuade others toward meaningful results? Do you have a passion for making the world a better place? If yes, then join our growing team! RMI is leading the clean energy transition by creating market and technological solutions to address climate change.

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is seeking a Senior Associate to support our Embodied Carbon and India initiatives. RMIers bring a variety of skillsets, and we welcome candidates with diverse educational and work backgrounds. We will carefully review each application to determine the appropriate starting position level and this will be communicated during the interview process. 

Program Overview

RMI’s Carbon Free Buildings Program (CFB) is working to build and power our homes and businesses without fossil fuels. The Carbon-Free Buildings Program is the largest building decarbonization advocacy program in the country, with over 70 team members. We work in efficiency and electrification, new construction and building retrofits, residential and commercial, in policy, finance and embodied carbon. Most of our work in North America, however we also work in India and China.

Within the CFB, the Embodied Carbon initiative addresses embodied carbon in building materials.  The Initiative aligns with metrics aimed with keeping the global building construction materials contribution to global warming below 1.5 degrees Centigrade. Specific areas of focus include: 

• Changing how builders build, by providing design tools​ and guidelines for builders to adopt new, profitable low-embodied carbon building practices 

• Increasing the demand for and adoption of low embodied carbon materials and products by changing the policy landscape.

• Demonstrating the economic benefits of low embodied carbon design and application in financial sectors including changing corporate procurement and the supply chain.

• Education and communication to broaden adoption and build professional capacity. 

CFB also supports the building related elements of the India Program.  This includes work on cooling, embodied carbon and affordable housing. While these are independent work streams with differing theories of how to succeed, they also are considered as intimately interrelated, with each are contributing to the success of the other.

Position Overview

RMI is looking to hire a Senior Associate for our CFB program, with a focus on research, analysis, and scaling our impact through strategic communications.

You will work with the Carbon Free Buildings leadership team, the embodied carbon team, the India team and RMI communications.

Your Key Responsibilities:  

• Provide research and technoeconomic analysis of a range of current topics

• Support and sometimes lead stakeholder relations with industry consultants, regulators, and academic researchers.

• Present quantitative information in a clear, visual format for public consumption, such as for white papers, journal articles, and RMI publications.

• Synthesize recommendations into clear and compelling presentations.

• Perform literature reviews and data sourcing to support development of quantitative models.

• Engage with community of industry leaders.

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s degree + 4 years of relevant work experience OR a M.S. degree in a related field + 2 years of relevant work experience.

• Driven, entrepreneurial, demonstrates initiative and creativity.

• Excellent communications skills and experience

• Strong problem-solving, research and writing skills.

• Alignment and commitment to the mission of encouraging carbon free buildings as a key element of addressing climate change

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the building industry, communications, consulting, project management, and related fields.

• Knowledge of the state of the industry regarding low embodied carbon materials.

• Experience with life-cycle assessments and emissions accounting.

We invite candidates with a variety of skill sets, educational and work backgrounds to apply.  

Location

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether yo