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 you are traveling through or living nearby. Our U.S. offices are in New York City; Washington DC; Oakland, California; Boulder, Colorado, and Basalt, Colorado.  

We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home office set up and necessary supplies. 

We love seeing each other in person! We occasionally gather for shared time together like retreats and learning experiences. Be ready to travel for occasional in-person meetings (and of course, we cover travel costs). Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed during the hiring process.

Compensation    

RMI compensates based on the level and requirements of the role. Salary within our ranges may also be determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as required by the role, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. The salary for this role is in between $70,000.00 to $103,00.00. You would also have an additional 5% bonus target!

Benefits     

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:     

Medical, dental, vision insurance    
403b retirement options (5% match immediately)    
Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability    
Professional and personal development (including LinkedIn Learning access)    
Generous paid time off   
Parental leave    
Commuter and wellness benefits    
Casual work environment     

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion       

At RMI, our mission is to build a clean, prosperous, and secure energy future for all. For this to happen, every single person needs to be a stakeholder in the energy transition. Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve is critical to our success. We need the widest range of perspectives to understand the systems we are trying to change. That doesn’t just mean bringing a diverse team to the table; it also means working proactively to give all job seekers and employees equitable experiences. Visit our DEI page for more information on our DEI initiatives and commitments. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

About RMI  

RMI is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization of experts across disciplines working to accelerate the clean energy transition and improve lives. Since our founding in 1982 by Amory Lovins, RMI’s chairman emeritus, we continue to grow and have a global reach and reputation.

For 40 years, RMI has utilized our unique techno-economic expertise and whole-systems thinking to publish groundbreaking research and analysis. We bring together collaborations of rare reach, range, and expertise—creating unconventional partnerships and mobilizing action to drive change on the massive scale needed to combat the climate crisis. 

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.