Sustainable Building Materials Embodied Carbon Analyst

Materials Analyst

The Materials Analyst is involved in research, modeling, analysis, and coordination for our Embodied Carbon and Healthy and Sustainable Materials service areas. Materials Analysts work directly with Materials Specialists and senior staff to support project analysis, as well as with project teams and other internal Brightworks' practices. This role recommends sustainable products and sustainability performance criteria to design and construction teams based on understanding building products and the range of sustainability achievements in the market today.

This may include supporting clients in shaping and achieving materials goals related to embodied carbon, circularity, health, and equity. The role works on projects both at the building and portfolio scale, including strategizing around how to communicate requirements clearly and reduce barriers for the project teams to implement them.

The Embodied Carbon-focused Analyst role has a strong emphasis on performing Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) analyses, interpreting the findings, and developing reduction strategies for our clients. Circularity and deconstruction are growing areas of this practice.

Essential duties for this role include:

• Review and interpret design drawings, design models (EC), specifications, and submittals as requested.
• Research and recommend potential solutions for reducing a building project's embodied carbon, chemical footprint, or materials impact.
• Perform technical analysis on one or more of WBLCA, EC3, screening of Red List chemicals using Pharos, healthy materials recommendations, etc.).
• Keep abreast of the latest advancements and thinking for materials optimization and share knowledge with the rest of the staff.
• Communicate complex findings in a simple and concise format that can be understood by non-technical experts.
• Provide design review to confirm compliance with owner's project requirements, and other client and project goals.
• Review and interpret sustainability documentation such as environmental product declarations (EPDs, ingredient disclosures, multi-attribute labels, VOC emissions certificates) and review the details of certifications and labels standards as needed.

Embodied Carbon-specific duties include:

• Check and sort through a Revit model and isolate systems to check the quality for WBLCA quantity extraction.
• Document material quantities, product data, and material details while moving data from Revit to One Click LCA online.
• Select appropriate LCA data and/or EPDs for all materials.
• Use One Click LCA and/or Tally Revit plug-in to run the WBLCA.
• Evaluate, summarize, and communicate WBLCA results.

Specific knowledge, skills, and abilities include:

• Possesses a thorough understanding of material attributes and considerations and/or how to research this information.
• Knowledge and competency reading drawings, specifications, and product documentation (HPDs, EPDs, product certifications, etc.).
• Knowledge and competency using relevant software to support one or more of WBLCA, EC3, embodied carbon, or healthy and sustainable materials.
• Applies sound and diverse knowledge of materials principles and practices to a broad array of assignments.
• Understand the materials landscape to leverage industry resources to independently solve problems encountered.
• Familiarity with reviewing ingredient disclosures (HPD, Declare, etc.), ecolabels and certifications related to material health, and standards for VOC emissions.
• Working knowledge of general types of material health impacts, high-impact product categories, and major substances or materials that should be avoided.
• Fluency in using Excel and data management tools.

Grade responsibilities include:

• Perform work requiring independent judgement in evaluation, delivery, and occasionally the adaptation/modification of standard approach.
• Support quality delivery through reviewer role participation in QA/QC processes.
• Demonstrate sound planning and control of one's own work.
• Communicate in an efficient, professional, and timely way with stakeholders.
• Exemplify and support a culture of collaboration, cooperation, open and direct communication, and team.
• Knowledge and competency using relevant software including the full Microsoft Office suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams) and Deltek VantagePoint.
• Support the business function by completing required administrative activities (such as timesheets and expense reports) accurately and on time.

Education & Experience:

• This position requires a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, e.g., engineering, architecture, construction management, environmental science, sustainability, planning, or related disciplines. Relevant coursework or internships in sustainability, green building, or project management.
• At least three years of experience in a complementary field or sustainability project management including at least one year of experience in technical materials related work (one or more of WBLCA, EC3, embodied carbon, circularity,…