Environmental, Social and Governance Manager

Join our Growing Team and see why Summit Utilities, Inc was named as one of the Fastest Growing Denver Area Private Companies 2019 and 2020; Best Places to Work in Maine 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; and Best Places to Work in Arkansas 2020 and 2023, Oklahoma 2022 and 2023 and Missouri 2023. Summit was also recently named one of Forbes 2023 America’s Best Small Employers.

Summit is a growing natural gas utility company providing safe, reliable and clean burning natural gas service to homes and businesses in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri and Oklahoma. Being part of the Summit team means embracing excellence, diversity and innovation, committing to safety each and every day, and doing all that we can to serve each other, our customers and the communities where we live. We aim to bring warmth and energy to everything we do.

We have an exciting opportunity open for an Environmental, Social and Governance Manager with the opportunity to work remote from one of the following states: AR, TX, OK, SC, TN, KS, LA, FL, ME or MO.

Position Summary

Summit Utilities is seeking a knowledgeable, passionate reporting professional to join the team. This position will focus on leading the execution of Summit’s ESG/sustainability reporting, data collection, and verification activities, as well as managing other strategic priorities cross-functionally. The ideal candidate understands the current ESG reporting and rating landscape, has worked with publicly traded companies on their ESG/Sustainability reports, and has finance/accounting training and/or experience with producing or auditing financial disclosures. Reporting to Vice President and Corporate Treasurer, the ESG Reporting Manager will play a pivotal role in leading the company's sustainability reporting strategy, ensuring accurate, timely, and transparent reporting and communication of our ESG performance in support of our sustainability goals.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

• Contribute to the creation and refinement of the company’s long-term sustainability strategy, ensuring it aligns with business objectives and industry best practices.
• Lead the execution of ESG strategies, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and compliance with relevant standards and regulations, including but not limited to GRI, SASB and GHG emissions protocols.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to promote ESG initiatives and integrate sustainability practices across the organization.
• Manage the ESG reporting and disclosure processes end-to-end, coordinating efforts across the organization with subject matter experts to collect and share data; verify report metrics; collect, edit, and summarize content; and drive disclosure promotion and distribution.
• Organize and conduct ESG committee meetings, ensuring effective communication and coordination among members.
• Oversee the internal collection of accurate ESG-related data including data validation and assurance processes within critical timelines.
• Identify, assess, and manage ESG-related risks, developing strategies to mitigate their impact on the company and the environment.
• Manage submissions and responses to shareholders and raters and rankers including GRESB, as applicable.
• Partner with Finance, Treasury and Legal to ensure that Summit’s financial filings are aligned with best ESG practices and disclosures.
• Lead efforts to achieve and maintain sustainability certifications relevant to the company’s industry, enhancing its reputation and competitive edge.
• Strengthen Audit Readiness And SOX Alignment
• Lead internal and external audit readiness of ESG data and disclosures.
• Collaborate with internal audit to ensure SOX compliance and alignment of certain ESG data.
• Lead efforts to enhance processes and controls to support ESG disclosures for financial and non-financial reporting.
• Managing Benchmarking And Gap Assessments
• Perform benchmarking and gap analyses against industry peers and identify opportunities for improvements in our reporting, ratings profile and support alignment with best practices.
• Ensure continuous improvement of Summit’s ESG reporting practices through research, gap analyses, and internal process improvements.
• Monitoring New Developments In ESG
• Track advances, best practices, and trends in ESG & corporate sustainability, and compliance policy updates across global markets, and develop communications of key findings for internal stakeholders.
• Monitor, track, and record progress against ESG strategic plans and programs, targets, and KPIs.
  

Education And Work Experience

• 5-7 years of experience in corporate sustainability management, ESG, financial reporting, or related discipline; in a corporate setting or a large consulting firm; including experience leading people.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Sustainability, Environment, or a similar field.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of ESG frameworks and standards.
• Solid grasp of emerging ESG regulations.
• Proficiency in data collection, analysis, and reporting tools and prior experience using ESG reporting and data management systems (e.g., Workiva).
• Knowledge of audit processes, SOX controls, external assurance, and verification.
• Proven project management skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks & competing priorities while working effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated successes with corporate operations/governance of an ESG/Sustainability program.
• Outstanding analysis, oral and written communication, and presentation skills; effective in conducting research and synthesizing information for senior leaders.
• Driven, self-starter who is passionate about making a positive impact.
• A strong ethical foundation, with a commitment to transparency, fairness, and responsibility in all aspects of the role.
  
  

Summit offers competitive pay and medical/dental/vision and other benefits that provide flexibility, choice and support to our employees when they need it most. We understand that home and family are essential pieces of your life, and our benefits are designed to support you both at work and at home.

Summit Utilities, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.