Research Associate

StepChange is a venture-backed climate-tech company that offers enterprise clients a comprehensive suite of ESG management solutions - ranging from compliance and reporting to climate risk assessment and strategic target-setting.

The StepChange platform provides a one-stop-shop cloud-based ESG solution that empowers enterprises to measure, evaluate, report, benchmark and improve their ESG performance, with a particular focus on climate. These technology solutions are complemented by a world-class team of domain experts and climate scientists, with a proven track record of deploying sustainability solutions.

Overall Function:
You will be responsible for supporting the Chief Science Officer (CSO) in conducting literature reviews and condensing scientific literature and industry reports accurately. You will be tasked with performing independent research to answer qualitative and quantitative questions that are necessary to build accurate and useful modeling and decision-making tools for our platform. The role will involve a substantial amount of data aggregation, processing and analysis. Experienced candidates will be tasked with more sophisticated modeling assignments. You will be part of a small but quickly growing team that values independent thought and innovation. This role is an opportunity to deploy your research skills in a novel, impactful and intellectually stimulating manner.

Responsibilities:

• Support the CSO in the development of the sustainability models that drive our platform.
• Conduct detailed reviews of current sustainability literature (climate, air quality, water quality, waste management, etc.) to extract key insights to inform and improve our modeling approach.
• Synthesize information and communicate research output concisely and accurately.
• Support the development of the sustainability models that drive our platform.
• Develop statistical and mechanistic models to estimate environmental footprints using input-output methods, life-cycle analysis, etc.
• Work with our academic partner organizations to share, communicate and exchange technical and scientific insights.
• Develop internal assessment tools to calculate brand sustainability, offset impacts, etc.
• Help the CSO document and publish novel insights or techniques.
• Help develop connections with academic and non-profit organizations in India.

Requirements:

• 2+ years of previous work experience with ESG / climate-related research.
• Scientific scripting (Python, R, etc.), data mining, data engineering, and data visualization skills is preferred.
• Strong understanding of applied statistics and common data science methods is preferred.
• Master's degree in science / engineering / sustainability OR 1-2 years of research / think-tank experience.
• PhD in earth science, climate or sustainability-related field with strong research background is preferred.
• Previous experience conducting input-output analysis, environmental impact assessment or life-cycle analysis is preferred.

Benefits:

• Exciting, enriching, and challenging work environment.
• Ability to work directly with founding team members to shape the company.
• Friendly and conducive working atmosphere.
• Opportunity to participate in the zero-to-one journey of building a startup.
• Competitive salary and comprehensive medical insurance coverage.
• Significant upside through an employee-friendly ESOP policy.
• Generous PTO / sick leave.
• Annual company retreat.
• Bring your pet to work.