Sustainability Intern - Data Analysis

At Mercy Housing, we are on a mission to redefine affordable, low-income housing and create a more humane world where communities thrive, and all individuals can realize their full potential. As the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in the nation, we build, preserve, and manage program-enriched housing across the country.

The Sustainability Intern (Data Analysis) will support Mercy Housing’s Sustainability Department, primarily through the collection and analysis of utility data. Mercy Housing owns and manages 350 affordable housing properties in 21 states and has committed to reducing energy use by 20% and carbon emissions 50% by 2030. This position will support that effort through the data-related tasks listed below (70%), as well as an ongoing independent project that aligns with the student’s passion and the organization’s needs (30%). This position will support efforts across the following sustainability themes: Utility Bill Management, Energy Performance Contracts, solar, Strategic Energy Management, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Annual Reporting, greenhouse gas accounting, Department of Energy Better Buildings and Better Climate Challenge.  BBC/BCC DRRs, solar. This position presents an exciting opportunity to support the sustainability and climate action mission of the largest affordable housing non-profit in the country and to gain professional experience working as a part of an organization (both in office and remotely). This internship is ideal for a student who enjoys working with data and intends to pursue a career in Sustainability, Energy Management, Data Analytics, Business Operations or Affordable Housing.

This chosen candidate will be expected to work between 15/20 hours per week with a duration of Fall 2024 through May 2025.

Pay: $20/hour

Location: Hybrid work schedule, with one day/week in person at 1600 Broadway, Suite 2000.

Duties:

• Process invoices from third parties related to sustainability efforts (Community Solar and Energy Performance Contracts).
• Update progress and savings reports related to sustainability projects.
• Attend regular meetings related to data projects and cleanliness to help resolve any data issues that come up.
• Collect utility data from various internal and external sources and perform analysis to determine potential sources of high use
• Track and communicate utility high usage “alerts” to Property Management staff and help them troubleshoot resolutions
• Update progress and savings reports related to sustainability projects and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Reports
• Perform quality checks on invoices related to energy efficiency and renewable energy projects
• Pursue an Independent Research Project, which could relate to Building Performance Standards preparedness, portfolio-wide greenhouse gas accounting, improving solar generation tracker, supporting Sustainability Annual Report.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Attending college.
• Basic competency with Microsoft Office Suite, in particular Excel.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Pursuing degree in Environmental/Sustainability Studies, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Energy Management, Business Administration, or related fields
• Previous work experience that includes computer tasks
• Growth-mindset, excited to learn, self-starter.
• Passionate about Mercy Housing’s Sustainability mission and excited to contribute

Knowledge and Skills:

•  Competency with basic Excel functions, advanced Excel functions preferred (VLookups, conditional formatting, pivot tables, etc.)
•  Comfortable handling large datasets and utilizing basic data analytics
•  High attention to detail
•  Eager to learn and make an impact
•  Passion for advancing sustainability and deriving patterns from large datasets
•  Ability to work independently and as a part of a team, asking questions as needed
•  Basic understanding of sustainability/environmental topics (renewable energy, energy efficiency, utility billing, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.) a plus
•  Strong interpersonal skills and written and verbal communication.

This is a brief summary of the position and responsibilities.