Location Rye
Job-type Permanent
Salary $Competitive base + bonus
Reference BBBH14147

Acre is partnered with Acadia Realty Trust to hire an ESG strategist focused on initiatives across their national commercial real estate portfolio.

Acadia Realty Trust (NYSE:AKR), headquartered in Rye, New York, is a fully-integrated, self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust. Through our REIT and Opportunistic Fund investment platforms, we are focused primarily on the acquisition, ownership, redevelopment and management of retail properties, including neighborhood and community shopping centers, urban high-barrier-to-entry street retail, and mixed-use properties with retail components.



Job Description



The ESG Manager will manage strategy and initiatives related to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data, ratings, disclosure, and environmental and social initiatives for Acadia Realty Trust. The ESG Manager will report to the Director of ESG and work cross-functionally with portfolio management, operations, investor relations, and other members of the ESG team.



This is an exciting opportunity to utilize your passion for sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies to support a national real estate portfolio. We are currently seeking to fill the position in our Rye, NY Headquarters for immediate hire.

Job Responsibilities

The successful candidate will serve as an advisor and advocate, supporting ESG programs that drive improved financial and environmental building performance. You will work with the Director of ESG, ESG Committee, property managers and our support teams to research, design, and implement effective ESG and operations strategies, including the following responsibilities:

  • Manage ESG related change throughout the organization through effective communication and engagement strategies.

  • Engage with internal stakeholders and senior leaders of various ESG initiatives across Acadia to identify KPIs and ensure they are effectively integrated into accountability frameworks.

  • Research, investigate, and be an internal subject matter expert on industry trends, best practices, and ESG topics.

  • Develop and oversee ESG projects and initiatives at property and portfolio levels. Examples include energy and water efficiency technology deployment, implementation of operational best practices, and strategic outreach/messaging campaigns.

  • Coordinate content development for Acadia's ESG disclosures including but not limited to reporting in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks.

  • Manage, analyze, and present environmental performance data including energy, water, and waste utility consumption and costs; benchmark performance; and monitor and interpret performance trends. Manage the associated assurance processes related to corporate sustainability reporting, where applicable.

  • Track task requirements, status, and deadlines to support consistent, timely delivery of work products and technical input across multiple projects and internal teams.

  • Manage the development and maintenance of key qualitative and quantitative sustainability metrics, presentations and talking points.

  • Respond to requests for corporate sustainability information from investors and internal stakeholders, including reviewing responses to corporate sustainability questions in investor questionnaires.

  • Oversee Acadia's responses to key ESG surveys, ranking and ratings agencies' information requests, including ISS, MSCI and Sustainalytics, among others, with a focus on improving annual performance scores.

  • Provide subject matter expertise and support for industry reporting initiatives, such as GRESB, CDP, UN PRI, GRI, and TCFD.

  • Develop and maintain content for Acadia's corporate sustainability website.

  • Manage relationships with third-party consultants, technical experts, and vendors that support Acadia's ESG efforts. Define and secure necessary external expertise as needed.

Job Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree.

  • 5 to 9 years relevant experience, preferably in real estate, corporate reporting, corporate sustainability / ESG reporting (experience with sustainability reporting frameworks such as GRI, SASB, TCFD, CDP, etc. preferred), sustainable investing, investment stewardship, and/or environmental sustainability.

  • Broad knowledge of ESG in a business context.

  • Demonstrated knowledge of and passion for sustainability issues, disclosure practices, industry-wide trends, and the relevance of sustainability issues to the real estate industry.

  • Comfortable working with a wide range of individuals across disciplines.

  • Ability to lead and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • Highly detail oriented.

  • Passion for sustainability and sustainable investing.

  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) to effectively review and generate reports, graphs, and presentations.

  • Flexibility as this is a growing team and rapidly evolving area.

  • High level of independence, ability to innovate, ability to work under pressure and comfortable taking ownership and primary responsibility for deliverables.

  • Familiarity with energy and GHG metrics, accounting, analysis, and reporting. Experience with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager strongly preferred.

Except as may be prohibited by law, Acadia has a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy for incoming employees.

Acadia Realty is an Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

To learn more about this opportunity, immediately contact:

Deborah Dols, Acre, Principal Consultant, deborah.dols@acre.com

Acre is retained by Acadia Realty Trust to recruit for this role. Acre is a sustainability specialist search firm, focused on securing the world's best sustainability leaders and their teams for mission driven organizations from our offices in New York, London and Amsterdam.