7.08.2008 - 10:27am ET

(CSRwire) - July 8, 2008 - SustainAbility is a global consultancy with offices in London, Zurich, Washington, and New York. We specialize in helping companies understand and respond constructively to the challenges of sustainable development and corporate responsibility. We combine corporate consulting with alternative means of influence through our research and advocacy work. Mission-driven and values led, our ultimate goals are:

• To empower companies to make substantive and long-lasting commitments to becoming more sustainable enterprises.
  
• To influence underlying drivers to promote more sustainable business behavior (e.g. customer pressure, NGO campaigns, government action).

1. Provide research and analysis for client projects. Specific tasks will include:
   • Providing desk-based research and analysis
     
   • Undertaking interviews and surveys
     
   • Helping to ensure quality and timeliness of project deliverables, especially reports and presentations
     
   • On occasion participating in client meetings.
   
   
2. Provide research and analysis to support the energy sector strategy. Specific tasks will include:
   • Conducting research to help develop SustainAbility's understanding of the sector, and to develop positions on key topics for the sector (e.g. helping in drafting position papers, sector benchmarks, and issue briefs)
     
   • Supporting proposal development and new business development
     
   • Participating in sector / project team meetings
     
   • Disseminating learning from project to Core Team and Network.
   
   

1. Ongoing Research Projects
   Working with project teams to provide specific research, writing, and analytic input to ongoing, funded projects. The topics covered are as broad as the full array of SA work and the methodologies utilized range from interviews and desk research, to analysis of survey research data.
   
   
2. Pre-Proposal Research
   As projects are developed, the RC&A analyst will undertake preliminary research to deepen and strengthen potential projects, both for internal review and external funding assessments. This entails the creation of annotated bibliographies, review of competitive reports, and identification and mapping of audiences. Analysis from this phase of work is critical to the further refinement and development of projects under consideration.
   
   
3. Environmental Scanning
   Complimenting work already underway, and aligned with knowledge management goals and operations, the RC&A analyst will support the overall needs of the organization to monitor and anticipate trends across sectors, programs, and client engagements. The range of work runs from tracking traditional sources for new data sets, key reports, and analytic proceedings, to more entrepreneurial use of alternative media, early adopters, and unconventional indicators to provide value-added research foresight across the team

• Building Core Team knowledge base by sharing knowledge and learning through project work
  
• Supporting administrative needs on ad-hoc basis.

• Providing support to client projects in other sectors similar to that described above for the energy sector
  
• Assessing and benchmarking Corporate Responsibility Reports using SustainAbility's proprietary methodology.

• Identifying and pursuing training and other opportunities for professional growth (beyond on-the-job experience and mentorship) to enable the above to be carried out with increasing effectiveness
  
• Participating in team events and meetings.

• An advanced degree preferably in international development, corporate responsibility, environmental studies, policy studies, economics, or business
  
• Excellent research and analysis skills with proven ability to deliver to deadlines
  
• Solid understanding of the sustainable development agenda
  
• Internship or other experience related to corporate responsibility or sustainable development
  
• A team player with a positive and proactive attitude
  
• Ability to prioritise and work effectively under pressure
  
• Self-starter, able to follow-through with minimal supervision
  
• Excellent English; verbal and written communication skills
  
• Highly proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
  
• Prepared to be located in Washington, DC and willing to travel occasionally
  
• A desire to learn and develop.

• Experience in managing projects to deadlines
  
• Business or consulting experience (especially in the energy sector)
  
• Knowledge of innovative and leapfrog business models, corporate or other innovation processes, and business planning.

• This position is a full-time position based in Washington, DC.
  
• Preferred start date is September 1, 2008.
  
• Compensation is commensurate with experience and is in the range between NGO and corporate pay.
  
• SustainAbility provides a generous benefits package to all employees, which includes: 22 days annual leave, profit-share, health insurance and company contributions to 401K.