About GIST Impact

GIST Impact is a leading impact data and analytics provider that has been measuring and quantifying corporate impacts for more than 16 years.

With a team of 100+ scientists, engineers, data scientists and environmental economists, GIST Impact delivers market-leading impact platforms and datasets, covering 14,000+ companies with geographically precise, time-series data.

GIST Impact works with pioneering companies across all sectors and with investors representing over $8 trillion in assets under management.

GIST Impact also partners with some of the world's largest ESG data providers, business networks, and fintech platforms to enable impact measurement across global markets.

www.gistimpact.com

Job Purpose:Lead GIST Impact’s 15-person Research and Innovation Lab (“RIL”) to deliver timely product research that forms the core of our innovative, tech-enabled, scalable ESG and impact data products, adding value to an increasing number of investor and corporate clients. Drive GIST Impact’s unparalleled thought-leadership in the evolving fields of impact economics and impact metrics. Hire, develop, and support staff to achieve exceptional quality and productivity for RIL.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Organise, task, and manage the RIL team to deliver optimally across its four key output areas:

(1) new product research & development;

(2) updating GIST Impact coefficients;

(3) bespoke funded research; and

4) thought leadership publications calendar

Ensure new product research & development is prioritised and delivered to quality and on time; maintain a balanced research portfolio of resource investments, roughly: core enhancements 70% (e.g., regulatory updates, updates to coefficients, etc.); adjacent growth 20% (new research into known domains, e.g., new biodiversity products); net new 10% (totally new innovations that push industry boundaries)
Ensure GIST Impact coefficients are updated annually in an efficient and timely manner
Ensure that a regular thought leadership calendar of high-quality, topical, client-focussed research is published on evolving regulations, market trends, impact/ ESG metrics, etc.
Manage and deliver one or two carefully selected, externally funded, profitable research projects in the domain of impact valuation/true cost accounting that add value to policy making or business practice and strengthen GIST Impact’s thought leadership
Provide strategic inputs for and act as a partner to the CEO’s outreach to regulatory bodies and influencers worldwide in our key knowledge domains
Collaborate with others across the executive bench, as a key senior thought leader at GIST Impact, to enable delivery against major business milestones and strategic objectives
Develop and lead RIL’s publications calendar, collaborating with Marketing & Communications on media engagement, and social media presence to optimise RIL’s output for thought leadership and marketing value generation
Build and maintain strong working relationships with senior colleagues (in Corporate Services; Investor Services; Engineering; Data Delivery and Assurance) to optimise the business value of RIL’s outputs
Constantly learn and stay abreast of developments in the sustainability landscape, gaining fluency rapidly in all subject matter through which GIST Impact has established its competitive advantage
Respond to both internal and external correspondence, working closely with the leadership team where appropriate
Manage RIL talent pipeline through our key campus relationships (INSEAD, TISS, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur, etc), and external hires

Required Skills and Experience:

First and second degrees in natural sciences and/or economics/social sciences
Doctorate in a relevant field is desirable but not essential
Core consulting and presentation skills achieved from working in a sustainability consulting context
People management skills and experience in a “research & development” context
Project management skills and experience in a “research” context
Experience in navigating complex business organisations
An academic overachiever with an innate business sense and commercial orientation
Experience with communications/corporate writing whether through industry, thought leadership, or academia (published papers)

Desired professional traits:

Highly organised and adaptable; able to context and project switch with ease whilst maintaining a strong focus on delivering against priorities
Best-in-class leadership skills; sets strong examples when it comes to research quality, timeliness, teamwork, and values
Strong influencing skills; able to build consensus early and drive results through collaborative engagement with diverse groups
Pragmatic and a problem-solver
Excellent storytelling ability: able to sketch out hypotheses and simplify complex issues using a variety of tools
Numerate; fluent in Excel; scenario analysis and modelling experience a plus
Great communication skills (written and verbal); previous experience producing material across a wide range of content, including opinion/blogs, marketing/PR, academic publications, corporate communications, etc.
Great presentation skills (PowerPoint guru and general design aficionado)
Conversant in recent tech, trends, and data and willing to continuously research emerging technologies
Knowledgeable about the sustainability domain, but above all passionate about the topic and a voracious learner

Your answers to our culture fit questionnaire and understanding of GIST Impact’s mission and its importance will receive as much weightage in our application process as your CV/credentials.

If this sounds like you, we would like to hear from you!

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Director, Research and Innovation Lab (“RIL”)