Sustainability Consultant

Terracon Consultants, Inc.; Olathe (KS); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Terracon Consultants, Inc. is seeking an ESG & Sustainability professional to help clients develop and advance ESG programs.

You will lead and contribute to projects involving GHG inventories, decarbonization planning, and sustainability reporting across recognized frameworks, with emphasis on data management and stakeholder communication. The role requires a Bachelor's in a related field with 3+ years of experience (7+ if no degree); Master's preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Sustainability, Environmental Engineering, Climate Science, Natural Resources, or related field with 3+ years of experience; 7+ years if no degree.
• Familiarity with GHG Protocol and sustainability reporting frameworks (CDP, GRI, CSRD/ESRS, ISSB, SASB, TCFD).
• Experience quantifying and reporting environmental metrics; LCAs/PCF preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support ESG and sustainability projects of moderate complexity.
• Collect, validate, analyze, and manage sustainability data (GHG emissions, energy, water, waste).
• Assist with climate strategy development, decarbonization planning, and sustainability reporting.

Skills

GHG Protocol

Data management

Technical writing

Analytical skills

Climate strategy

Education

Bachelor's in Environmental Science / related field

Master's degree preferred

Job description

General Responsibilities:

Support clients in developing, implementing, and advancing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and sustainability programs. Lead and contribute to projects involving greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, carbon accounting, sustainability reporting, climate strategy, ESG data management, and regulatory and voluntary disclosure frameworks. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to help organizations establish sustainability goals, improve ESG performance, manage environmental data, and communicate progress to internal and external stakeholders. Projects may include corporate GHG inventories; Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions quantification; decarbonization planning; ESG maturity assessments; sustainability reporting (CDP, CSRD/ESRS, ISSB, SASB, GRI, and TCFD); sustainability data management system implementation; climate risk assessments; life cycle assessments (LCAs); product carbon footprint (PCF) studies; sustainability target setting; environmental footprinting; and sustainability program development.

Essential Roles and Responsibilities:

• Follow safety rules, guidelines and standards for all projects. Participate in pre-task planning. Report any safety issues or concerns to management.
• Demonstrate quality practices and technical acumen.
• Provide consistent quality standards on proposal and project delivery.
• Proficient sustainability professional responsible for supporting and executing ESG and sustainability projects of moderate complexity.
• May assist more senior consultants and project managers on large, more complex sustainability and climate-related projects.
• Collect, validate, analyze, and manage sustainability data, including greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, renewable energy, water use, wastewater, waste generation, packaging, and other ESG-related metrics.
• Apply technical expertise in the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard and associated guidance to quantify and report Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions.
• Conduct GHG inventories, emissions calculations, and data quality reviews in support of client sustainability reporting and disclosure requirements.
• Assist clients with quantifying, managing, and reporting environmental sustainability metrics, including energy, water, wastewater, waste, packaging, and other environmental performance indicators.
• Support sustainability reporting efforts aligned with frameworks such as CDP, CSRD/ESRS, ISSB, SASB, GRI, and TCFD.
• Evaluate moderately complex sustainability data and develop technical analyses, reports, disclosures, presentations, and client recommendations.
• Assist with climate strategy development, emissions reduction planning, sustainability target setting, and decarbonization initiatives.
• Support implementation and optimization of ESG and sustainability data management systems and platforms.
• Responsible for developing written proposals to clients for approval by senior-level professionals.
• Participate in meetings and communications with clients pertaining to specific projects and sustainability initiatives.
• May oversee work performed by lower-level scientists, consultants, and technical staff.
• Works under the supervision of a Terracon Authorized Project Reviewer.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Sustainability, Environmental Engineering, Climate Science, Natural Resources, or a related field and a minimum of 3 years' related experience. Or, in lieu of a degree, a minimum of 7 years' related experience.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, including experience preparing, reviewing, or managing Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 greenhouse gas inventories.
• Familiarity with sustainability reporting frameworks and disclosure standards, including CDP and GRI. Experience with CSRD/ESRS, ISSB, SASB, or TCFD is preferred.
• Experience quantifying and reporting environmental sustainability metrics, including energy, renewable energy, water, wastewater, waste, packaging, and other environmental performance indicators. Experience with life cycle assessments (LCAs) and product carbon footprint (PCF) analyses is preferred.
• Strong analytical, data management, technical writing, and communication skills. Experience with ESG and sustainability data management platforms is preferred.
• A valid driver's license with acceptable violation history may be required.