Senior Analyst, Corporate Sustainability Strategies

The Garretson Group, LLC, is an independent research and advisory firm that provides pragmatic and forward-looking advice to global leaders on corporate sustainability practices. Our work is focused on helping executives understand how current human activity and practices affect the long-term health of businesses, people, and, ultimately, the planet and on helping them capture economic advantage through environmentally sustainable business practices.

The Garretson Group is a startup company. We are looking for individuals who are excited by the opportunity to be part of a dynamic, early-stage company focused on making a positive difference in business and the world. While we expect to fill a number of full-time positions with full benefits over the next several months, our immediate need is for people willing to start with short-term, project-based contract work.

Position Overview:

The Garretson Group research teams serve senior executives who are responsible for defining corporate sustainability strategies. Research teams deliver thought-leading advice through written reports, executive interactions and workshops, and speeches.

Research focuses on such topics as: understanding the implications of sustainability for corporate strategy and positioning; metrics and benchmarks for measuring corporate sustainability performance (including such environmental impacts as carbon emissions and resource depletion); evaluating and communicating the implications of life-cycle analyses of products and services; and managing and minimizing corporate exposure to sustainability-driven customer demands and regulatory changes (including potential carbon pricing schemes and carbon emissions reporting and tracking).

The Senior Analyst is a critical member of a small, high-performance research team responsible for defining the future of corporate sustainability. Senior Analysts develop a deep understanding of how emerging requirements for sustainable development, such as regulatory obligations and customer demands, are shaping corporate business imperatives.

Based on this understanding, Senior Analysts provide a forward-looking view of the critical requirements for a sustainable corporate enterprise, evaluate the impact of emerging regulations and stakeholder requirements, help clients determine which aspects of sustainability matter, and develop decision-support frameworks and tools to help clients effectively manage sustainability opportunities and requirements.

Responsibilities:

The Senior Analyst is expected to:

• Lead research into all aspects of the responsibilities of corporate sustainability leaders, including business strategy, organizational design, and metrics and corporate performance management.
• Write 3 to 4 research reports per year that provide clear context, in-depth insight, actionable recommendations, and long-term implications.
• Write 8 or more short research briefs that provide quick looks at recent events, trends, or emerging scientific or technical insights and articulate implications for corporate sustainability leaders.
• Meet frequently with senior executives, sustainability-related technology and service providers, and sustainability experts (including academics and policy-makers) to understand emerging trends, identify and evaluate leading approaches to sustainability, and critique potential solutions and product offerings.
• Present findings to client executive teams and facilitate client workshops aimed at incorporating research insights into business activities. Speak at Garretson Group and industry events.
• Establish a reputation as a leading speaker and thinker on sustainability issues and build influence through the press and media.

Qualifications:

The Garretson Group seeks people who are driven to make a difference. Our people have a keen awareness of long-term sustainability issues and their impact on the health of businesses, governments, and people coupled with a desire to sustain near-term economic benefits (including economic growth in both developed and emerging economies). We look for intelligence, intellectual curiosity, and a passion to continually improve the world and human enterprise. The right candidate will have:

• Excellent research and analysis skills - demonstrated ability to seek out and piece together fragments of information, extrapolate, build and apply conceptual models, recognize patterns and draw conclusions from partial data. Ability to think creatively about sustainability issues and develop innovative solutions. Ability to drive to conclusions and take a stand on specific issues and corporate imperatives even when faced with limited information.
• Excellent communication skills - ability to write clearly and concisely and draw out the critical points that readers need to understand. Outstanding presentation and public speaking skills.
• Strong intuition regarding business realities and the context in which corporate leaders must make critical decisions.
• Education:

-- Minimum: B.S. or B.A. plus a minimum of 7-10 years work experience.
-- Preferred: M.B.A. or M.S. plus a minimum of 5-7 years work experience or Ph.D. plus 3-5 years work experience.

• Credibility on business and sustainability issues: relevant background in environmental, energy, or climate change issues in a corporate, strategic business consulting, or policy environment.
• Ability to travel 10% to 20% of the time.

To Apply:

Please send cover letter, resume and salary requirements. Please include the title of the position in the subject line of your e-mail.