Energy Analyst

WHO YOU ARE:

• Knowledgeable. You’ve got experience working with energy-related data and collaborating and communicating regularly with customers (internal and external) across different departments and regions to drive reduction in utility expenses and support the sustainability programs.
• Strong Communicator. Whether in person, over the phone, across a video conference, or via written documentation, your writing, speaking, and presenting skills are clear and effective, demonstrating your ability to be articulate and understood.
• Detail Oriented. You pay attention to the details and make a conscious effort to understand causes instead of just the effects. You don’t get bogged down in the details, though, as you realize that the big picture is important, too.
• Efficient and Effective. You handle pressure well and do so with confidence. And when a tight deadline comes up, you organize the tasks to be completed —including quality checks— and focus on how to re-prioritize your other tasks to meet the timeframe.
• Approachable. You naturally create a comfortable and open atmosphere, drawing people to you and opening the door for questions and conversation, which allow you to create value and deliver substance to your business partners.
• Self-Starter. You demonstrate initiative and have the ability to work effectively without a lot of direction or guidance from your manager. If you’re given a task or assignment, you can be counted on to complete it thoroughly. You’re also self-motivated to keep busy with tasks that add value to the organization.
• Organized and Accountable. You are flexible and able to juggle the needs of changing priorities of the business, while also keeping the critical details straight.
• A Team Player. You are known for serving as a resource and trusted business partner for internal groups. Participating in cross-functional projects is the type of work you love.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Responsible for the annual energy benchmarking of EQR’s properties. This may either be completed in-house or might involve managing an outside party conducting these benchmarking exercises on our behalf.
• Ensure compliance with the various state and local energy disclosure requirements by managing Equity Residential’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager account. Support the execution of our strategic plan for managing the increasingly stringent requirements by conducting data quality assessments on a per asset basis. Manage all records associated with energy benchmarking submissions.
• Under the guidance of Manager, Energy & Sustainability Analytics, lead energy variance identification and resolution process in collaboration with utilities accounting, facilities team, property management, and operations staff (e.g,. RUBS), Sustainability Group Investments and external parties (e.g., utilities, vendors). Frequent and clear communication and follow up with regional and onsite teams will be critical to the success of this program.
• Responsible for managing the solar PV operations and maintenance program, which includes overseeing O&M contracts and contractors, managing budgets and invoices, coordinating with property and Facilities teams, and monitoring solar PV performance and addressing issues in a timely manner to improve performance of the systems. Share performance results and information with stakeholders (onsite staff, Facilities Team, Investments Team, and Sustainability Team) in a clear, concise, and appropriate timeframe to boost engagement and overall performance of the solar PV systems.
• Support EQR sustainability initiatives and projects - responsible for measuring, verifying, monitoring, providing data for underwriting,and enhancing EQR’s sustainability initiatives and projects (e.g., solar PV, HVAC retrofits, lighting retrofits, cogen systems) under the guidance of the Manager, Energy & Sustainability Analytics.
• Help ingest, process, analyze and report on energy, water, trash and similar data from various software platforms and utilities. Respond to data requests from various stakeholders (e.g., Investment Officers, Construction, Facilities, Property Management).
• Support the Acquisitions and Development teams by helping to prepare utility budgets.
• Support the development and maintenance of automated dashboards and reports, including developing underlying data models, to disseminate data and insights timely to key stakeholders. Examples include BEPS compliance, water usage, information required for public disclosures/ESG report, and portfolio resilience risk assessments.
• Review utility bill rates as needed.
• Support identification and execution of energy-related rebate and incentive programs.
• Support energy efficiency and sustainability projects as needed.
• Support the Company’s participation in industry organizations (e.g., ASHRAE, ACEEE, AEE, NMHC, ULI).
• Represents the Company in a professional manner at all times. Consistently maintains a professional courteous attitude when dealing with residents, coworkers and the general public.
• Performs other duties as necessary.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's Degree required in Environmental Science, Engineering, Energy Management or equivalent.
• Must have one to three years of professional experience in energy, sustainability, utilities management and/or commercial building systems.
• Must have excellent communication skills and be comfortable working with stakeholders in many departments and with different experience levels. Must have a strong interest in applying sustainability principles and concepts to real-world problems.
• Must have excellent analytical and technical skills including programming in Python, T-SQL and Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets.
• Must be proficient with Energy Star Portfolio Manager and/or have experience in utility bill auditing.

Familiarity and knowledge of any of the following is preferred:

• Developing and using visualizations in PowerBI (or similar such as Tableau, Looker or Google Data Studio)
• Energy accounting
• Greenhouse gas emission calculations
• IoT and business automation/management systems
• Building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems
• Water management
• Renewable energy
• Financial modeling concepts to calculate ROIs or paybacks of capital projects

We Care About Your Total Wellbeing:

• Physical Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision care
• Social Wellbeing: 9 paid holidays, annual vacation time, paid sick leave, new parent benefits
• Financial Wellbeing: 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, Rent Discounts, Competitive Compensation
• Community Wellbeing: Paid Community Service Hours
• Career Wellbeing: Leadership Development
• Learn more about our Total Wellbeing program here.

The Company may revise this job description from time to time as business needs require. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of all the functions of the job, nor to limit the Company’s right to assign other functions to an employee in this position. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

SALARY: Salary: ($97,000 to $119,000) per year; in addition to base salary, a discretionary annual bonus is provided.

The successful candidate's starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, and qualifications.

Must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States (we do not offer this program under OPT or CPRT or sponsor work visas).

PHYSICAL AND VISUAL ACTIVITIES:

Ability to hear and speak well enough to converse verbally over the phone and in-person (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken or written word). Ability to interpret, evaluate and communicate detailed written or verbal instructions to others accurately and easily. Able to see well enough to use the computer effectively and read written communications. Ability to lift, push, pull or carry up to 15 pounds for the dissemination of documents, supplies, materials, etc. to various locations throughout the office/facility. May be required to climb stairs depending on the property structure. Occasional travel may be required.

The above describes the physical and visual activities that are commonly associated with the performance of the essential functions of this job. “Commonly associated” is not intended to mean always or only. Reasonable accommodation will be provided as required by law to enable otherwise qualified employees with a known disability to perform the essential functions of the job.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Hybrid working environment: In-office at 2 N. Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL and remote, in alignment with the company’s hybrid attendance policy.

About Us

Working for Equity Residential (EQR), a leading multi-family real estate investment trust (REIT), means living our purpose: creating communities where people thrive. It means striving to provide the best in apartment living, speaking boldly about new ideas for innovation, and inspiring creativity in the ways we work together.

Our portfolio of high-quality properties in urban growth markets – New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco, Southern California, and Denver – provides homes where people most want to live, work and play. We've got the best people in the business, as evidenced by our employee engagement scores and customer loyalty ratings. That’s why our employees say they are proud to work at Equity, a company that gives our residents a place where they can Live Remarkably, and offers a culture where our employees have the opportunity to thrive.