Job Description

Summary: 

Support the development and implementation of company-wide sustainability strategy and program for NRG as well as advance external solutions and standards for new and existing NRG customers.  Work across all businesses and departments to ensure that sustainability initiatives enhance NRG’s business performance and lead to shareholder and stakeholder value, meet NRG’s sustainability goals, and support the NRG brand and company image. 

Essential Duties / Responsibilities: 

Participate as an active member of the Sustainability Team to develop and implement an integrated sustainability strategy and program, with associated goals designed to drive business results, reduce risk and ensure continuity, and enhance brand value
Help further embed sustainability into retail products and services for NRG’s home and business customers
Evaluate strategies, technologies, partnerships, and business models to achieve company greenhouse gas emission reduction targets
Integrate legacy Direct Energy and legacy NRG sustainability programs
Engage with diverse group of external stakeholders including investors, rating agencies, sustainability standards bodies, and industry and academic groups on company sustainability program
Help build partnerships with climate-tech innovation ecosystem
Support ongoing reporting including NRG’s annual Sustainability Report, various ESG reports, questionnaires, and industry surveys, and engage with key ESG ratings and rankings organizations
Keep senior leadership and Investor Relations abreast of external sustainability trends and internal priorities and strategies
Work collaboratively across the company (e.g., with the retail businesses, plant operations, engineering, environmental, legal, supply chain, marketing, finance, etc.) to develop, refine, and implement an integrated and coordinated sustainability plan on an ongoing basis
Build sustainability metrics into short and long-range business planning, capital planning, and operations planning
Collaborate with key internal stakeholders to develop internal and external communication strategies to publicize the company’s sustainability efforts and promote broad awareness of initiatives including the annual Sustainability Report
Collaborate with Corporate Communications and Marketing to ensure NRG is represented in sustainability networks and related industry events
Serve as an internal leader and subject matter expert on sustainability, monitoring emerging trends, programs and issues, and communicating and educating others on relevant topics
Provide guidance on company responses to questions or statements of position on sustainability-related matters including potential policy positions
Identify and prioritize areas for institutional sustainability efforts and recommend strategies for proactively addressing relevant environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities in the short, medium, and long term

As a part of the NRG commitment to health, safety and well-being of our employees, customers and the community, this role requires weekly COVID-19 testing for employees who are not fully vaccinated.

Education:  

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university required; graduate  degree strongly preferred

Experience:

Candidate will have 6-10 years of total work experience following their terminal university degree. Of this experience, ideal candidate will have spent at least 4 years working within a corporate sustainability group for a large company and have additional related experience in consulting (sustainability and/or management), corporate strategy, business unit strategy, and/or business unit sustainability.  

Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies: 

Industry:

Exposure to the retail energy business and to wholesale power generation strongly preferred

Sustainability:

Strong network within sustainability, environmental, and other related communities required
Working knowledge of ESG landscape including the various voluntary reporting frameworks and associated carbon accounting protocols
Working knowledge of energy industry decarbonization pathways and associated technologies
Working knowledge of sustainable product and service offerings in the retail energy industry 

Problem-Solving and Analytical Skills:

Leverages abstract, strategic, and creative thinking skills to develop work products with minimal oversight or direction – requires spanning spectrum from bigger picture thinking to highly detail-oriented execution
Intellectually curious, open to new ideas, hypothesis-driven, and fact-based
Very comfortable working with ambiguity (e.g. imperfect data, loosely defined concepts, ideas, or goals) and translating these into more tangible outputs
Multi-disciplinary, systems thinker who is able to connect the dots and recognize patterns across seemingly disparate macro and micro-level data, trends, and events both inside and outside sustainability domains

Communication:

Excellent written and oral communication skills, including ability to independently structure, develop, and deliver presentations

Able to distill complex ideas and approaches to their essence and present them in a simplified, yet compelling manner as appropriate for the audience
Able to communicate effectively with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders

Team and Project Management:

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with all groups across an  organization, at all levels
Able to manage multiple tasks and assess priorities effectively
Strong team and project management skills to develop implementation plans and drive execution where appropriate
Good people manager, developer, coach, and mentor to junior staff across the organization

Relationship-Building and Interpersonal Skills

Able to build strong working relationships internally and externally
Good executive presence

Change Management

Adept at understanding NRG culture, organization, and financial constraints and working within these to articulate the case for change as appropriate
Able to engage, align, and mobilize internal and external stakeholders to build consensus as appropriate

Personal Characteristics

Leadership and Initiative

Entrepreneurial drive – able to identify and pursue ways to continue building NRG’s leadership position in sustainability
Takes the initiative to suggest and implement ongoing improvements in own and others’ work as appropriate
Viewed as an inspirational leader by others (creates “followership” among others)
Anticipates issues and proactively works to address them

Motivation and Commitment

Self-starter
Motivated by the desire to have an impact
Highly committed to exceeding expectations and to continuous improvement
High energy level
Strong personal work ethic
Very attentive to detail

Flexibility / Agility / Resourcefulness

Willing and able to take on various types of work
Ability to adapt to different management, communication, and delivery styles for different situations as needed
Nimble; quick on one’s feet; able to pivot quickly when needed

Personal Resilience

Willing and able to “put a stake in the ground” to defend well-founded positions, even if they are counter to conventional wisdom
Willing and able to take measured risks
Thrives / succeeds in fast-paced, dynamic business and external environments

Reliability

Integrity and ethics

Judgment

Position is based in Houston, TX. Hybrid working arrangements (combination of office and remote) are offered.

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