Principal Consultant

About ACA:
 

ACA Group is the leading governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) advisor in financial services. We empower our clients to reimagine GRC and protect and grow their business. Our innovative approach integrates consulting, managed services, and our ComplianceAlpha® technology platform with the specialized expertise of former regulators and practitioners and our deep understanding of the global regulatory landscape.

Position Summary:

The Principal Consultant, ESG plays a large role in the team’s Data Quality and plays a critical role in delivering high-quality sustainability and ESG solutions to global real estate clients. This position supports complex data quality and validation initiatives, ensuring the integrity of environmental performance data used for regulatory reporting, ESG disclosures, and industry benchmarking frameworks such as GRESB.

The Principal Consultant may take a lead role depending on the complexity and/or scale of the project and may be asked to assist with certain leadership or management tasks, or certain strategic initiatives. They will play a role in maintaining and enhancing the delivery of the firm’s products and services, ensuring high levels of client service and demonstrating technical competence across a range of ESG compliance areas applicable to our clients.

The ideal candidate has 5 years (minimum of 3 years) of experience in ESG/Sustainability and is a highly motivated, passionate individual with strong analytical skills.

Job Duties:

1. Perform quality assurance and quality control checks on utility consumption, cost, and emissions data.
2. Review incoming utility bills for completeness, accuracy, and consistency and validate utility account information, billing periods, meter readings, units of measure, and costs.
3. Identify, investigate, and resolve data anomalies, missing values, duplicate records, and inconsistencies.
4. Monitor utility data collection across buildings, accounts, and meters to ensure complete coverage and accurate mapping
5. Manage and maintain data within ESG reporting and data management platforms.
6. Analyze portfolio-level utility consumption trends and identify performance anomalies
7. Resolve complex data issues and provide actionable recommendations.
8. Contribute to process automation, workflow optimization, and data governance initiatives.
9. Support ESG and GRESB reporting initiatives.

Preferred Education and Experience

1. Sustainability, Environmental Science, Real Estate, Data Analytics, or a related degree
2. 3-6 years of professional experience in ESG, sustainability, utilities analytics, data quality, real estate operations, consulting, or environmental reporting
3. Strong knowledge of ESG/sustainability frameworks (GRESB, ISSB, GHG Protocol)
4. Experience working with large datasets and database-driven application
5. Familiarity with ESG data platforms, utility management systems, or sustainability software solutions such as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, Conservice, WatchWire or similar systems
6. Understanding of utility billing structures, energy consumption metrics, emissions calculations, and carbon accounting principles

Required Skills and Attributes

1. Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to work independently
2. Collaborative and team-oriented mindset
3. Excellent verbal and written communications skills
4. Creative thinker and problem-solver with a positive and flexible attitude
5. Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
6. Passion for ESG and sustainability
7. High level of proficiency in Microsoft software applications and comfortable working in a tech enabled environment. 

What working at ACA offers:
 

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. Our Total Rewards package includes medical coverage fully funded by ACA for employees and their family as well as access to Maternity & Fertility and Wellness programs. ACA also provides Personal Accident Insurance, Group Term Life Insurance, Employee Discount programs and Employee Resource Groups. You’ll be granted time off for designated ACA Paid Holidays, Privilege Leave, Casual/Sick Leave, and other leaves of absence to support your physical, financial and emotional well-being.

What we commit to:
 

ACA is firmly committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, which applies to recruiting, hiring, placement, promotions, training, discipline, terminations, layoffs, transfers, leaves of absence, compensation and all other terms and conditions of employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.