Senior Climate Change and Sustainability Specialist

We are looking for a Senior Climate Change and Sustainability Specialist who will provide leadership for a growing practice in the sustainability field. This position has a strong focus on greenhouse gas accounting, planning greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction opportunities and assisting federal and commercial clients with efforts to advance organizational sustainability. The ideal candidate will have a relevant and strong technical background and expertise in GHG management with an eye towards work quality, such that they can both manage and provide technical leadership on projects and proposals. This position will be to primarily support a team of project directors in ICF’s climate business and has ample opportunity for growth.

ICF is at the forefront of preparing leading-edge technical and policy analyses, identifying viable market solutions, building real-world management tools, and implementing programs to reduce GHG emissions. In climate change and environmental markets, ICF has advised more than 30 governments and international institutions and served more than 60 companies in the FT Global 500.  We develop emissions inventories and carbon footprints; conduct GHG reduction analyses; support organizational sustainability; assess the performance of global programs; and identify ways they could improve; and support federal, state, local, international, and private sector clients on analyses related to climate change impacts and vulnerabilities, among other service offerings.  We offer our clients around the globe unparalleled analytical, policy, and business management services.

What you’ll be doing…

• Project Management and Execution: Drive successful execution of projects through day-to-day activities, working closely with a team of project directors; understand clients’ current and emerging needs and deliver innovative and efficient services. Serve as project manager or task lead. Develop and execute work plans, direct teams of support staff, and perform quality assurance for work products such that they are ready for client delivery with minimal additional editing. The mix of projects and clients will depend on success and is expected to evolve over time. In total, approximately 85% of time will be devoted to project work at the onset.

• Program Growth: Collaborate with project directors and other colleagues to identify emerging trends associated with organizational sustainability. As examples, supply chain GHG accounting, climate-related disclosures, and regulatory developments to tailor ICF’s service offerings to client needs.

• Opportunity Capture and Proposal Development: Responsible for understanding emerging needs in the practice area, positioning ICF for success through client capture conversations, persuasive proposal writing and technical approach development. Work across a team of staff to pull together high-quality proposals, reflecting ICF’s experience and technical skills.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in Sustainability, Physical Sciences (e.g., Chemistry, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Physics), Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or related subjects.

• 5+ years of relevant experience, at least 2 years of project management experience.

• Experience with GHG accounting, planning, and inventorying, decarbonization and emission reduction strategies, and relevant regulatory or policy developments.

• Experience building and managing client relationships.

• Experience managing cross-functional teams, staff resources, schedules, and budgets.

• Experience working with and leading multi-disciplinary teams.

Additional Skills:  

• Exceptional quality assurance/quality control methods and execution.

• Outstanding oral and written communication skills; ability to communicate complex climate information to non-scientists to inform decision making processes.

• Be organized, detail-oriented, and have the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects.

• Proficiency in MS Office Applications (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel).

Our Preferred Skills/Experience:

• 8+ years of relevant experience, at least 4 years of project management experience.

• Experience with supply chain greenhouse gas accounting.

• Experience with sustainability management, organizational sustainability and reporting to disclosure organizations.

• Experience planning emission reduction scenarios.

• Experience with consulting, working on a sustainability program within the private sector or working for a federal agency on sustainability-related