Analyst, Energy & Sustainability

Reporting to the VP, Environmental and Climate Adaptation, the candidate will be a key contributor to the Company’s sustainability, energy and resilience programs. The primary goal of this position is to drive utility cost savings, reduce emissions, and support compliance reporting through data-driven insights and analytics. This role is central to the coordination and execution of Equity Residential’s energy and sustainability initiatives, with a strong focus on driving communication and program management of energy and utility variances across our Facilities and Property Management teams.

PLEASE NOTE: Our current onsite work schedule requires attendance from Monday through Thursday each week, with remote work permitted on Fridays.

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.

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

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.

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:

$97,000 to $119,000 per year; in addition to base salary, a discretionary 10.5% annual bonus is provided.

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

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.

RELOCATION:

Equity Residential does not cover relocation costs for this opportunity; all relocation and related expenses are the responsibility of the candidate.

PHYSICAL AND VISUAL ACTIVITIES:

Ability to effectively hear, speak, and communicate in person and over the phone, including the clear exchange of information through spoken and written communication. Ability to interpret, evaluate, and accurately convey detailed verbal and written instructions. Visual acuity sufficient to use a computer effectively and read written materials. Ability to lift, push, pull, or carry up to 15 pounds to distribute documents, supplies, and materials throughout the office or facility. May be required to climb stairs depending on property layout. 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:

Our work environment is casual, collaborative, and people-first. Team members are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work, share ideas openly, and communicate comfortably across all levels of the organization. While we value professionalism and accountability, we also believe a relaxed atmosphere fosters creativity, productivity, and strong working relationships. Employees enjoy a flexible, supportive culture where teamwork, mutual respect, and a sense of balance are priorities.

Equity Residential is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. No job applicant or employee will be discriminated against because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, sexual/gender identity, age, disability, pregnancy, national origin, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Equity Residential is committed to hiring a diverse workforce. Equity Residential has a smoke-free workplace environment.