OverviewJob Purpose
The Manager, Carbon Accounting owns end-to-end management of the company's greenhouse gas inventory program across Pattern Energy and its subsidiaries, covering operational assets, corporate operations, and the North American development pipeline. The role serves as the company's primary technical authority on GHG accounting methodology, data integrity, and inventory management, with direct accountability for the accuracy, completeness, and defensibility of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data and avoided emissions calculations.
The role leads the operational and technical work required to achieve external assurance on a mandatory regulatory timeline, with direct accountability for outcomes that carry regulatory enforcement, financing, and reputational consequences if missed.
Key Accountabilities
GHG Inventory Management and Data Integrity: Own the end-to-end annual GHG inventory process across all scopes, entities, and jurisdictions, including facility-level Scope 1 and 2 data collection in coordination with facility teams, and Scope 3 data collection across all material categories. Ensure all activity data is verified, traceable to source documentation, and accurately entered in the carbon management platform, with completeness checks, year-over-year variance analysis, and documented rationales for material changes. Manage carbon consultants as applicable.
GHG Regulatory Compliance and External Assurance Readiness: Lead operational and technical work to comply with GHG regulations, including SB 253 as implemented by CARB, in coordination with Internal Audit and the external assurance provider. Support the selection, contracting, and management of the external GHG assurance provider. Prepare materials for senior leadership and the Board on SB 253 compliance status and progress.
Acquired and New Portfolio GHG Integration: Lead GHG data collection, methodology alignment, and carbon platform integration for new and acquired assets, ensuring consistency with existing calculation methodologies, organizational boundaries, and QA/QC standards. Develop and document new enterprise baseline that includes newly integrated assets.
Scope 3 Program Expansion: Lead cross-functional engagement with staff to expand Scope 3 data collection based on materiality assessment findings, establishing data collection processes, calculation methodologies, and documentation standards for newly identified material categories.
GHG Inventory Management Plan and Documentation: Own and maintain the GHG Inventory Management Plan, updating it annually to reflect current methodology, asset changes, and boundary revisions. Develop and continuously improve QA/QC procedures, templates, and supporting documentation to streamline internal audit and external assurance.
Avoided Emissions and Development Pipeline GHG Estimation: Maintain avoided emissions calculations in accordance with current methodology and marginal emissions rates. Estimate GHG emissions and avoided emissions for the development pipeline to support climate risk assessments, lender reporting, and permit applications. Respond to related inquiries from customers, lenders, and other stakeholders as needed.
Regulatory Tracking and Industry Engagement: Monitor and interpret evolving GHG regulatory requirements and accounting standards, including developments from CARB, GHG Protocol, and industry associations. Contribute to regulatory comment processes as appropriate. Translate developments into timely methodology and compliance updates, and communicate material implications to senior leadership.
Cross-functional Data Coordination and Reporting Integration: Serve as the primary coordination point between the GHG inventory program and the ESG reporting function, ensuring verified emissions data flows accurately and on schedule into the ESG data management platform and all external disclosures, including shareholder, lender, ESG rater, and regulatory reporting. Resolve data discrepancies across Pattern and all subsidiaries and affiliates before disclosures are finalized.
Experience/Qualifications/Education Required
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, Sustainability, Accounting, or a related field plus 5+ years of directly relevant GHG inventory or emissions reporting experience; or an advanced degree in a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience.
Experience:
- Demonstrated experience managing a corporate GHG inventory end-to-end: data collection, QA/QC, year-over-year reconciliation, and Inventory Management Plan maintenance to a standard defensible under third-party assurance.
- Experience supporting or managing external GHG assurance engagements, including documentation preparation, auditor coordination, and audit finding remediation.
- Proven ability to coordinate data collection across complex, multi-site organizations with diverse data owners.
- Experience monitoring evolving GHG regulatory requirements and translating developments into methodology updates and leadership communications.
- Familiarity with renewable energy-specific GHG accounting, including REC treatment, market-based vs. location-based Scope 2 accounting, avoided emissions methodology, and grid emissions factors across North America.
Qualifications:
- Deep working knowledge of the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, including emissions factor selection, boundary setting, and methodology documentation.
- Strong project management skills, including managing competing deadlines, coordinating with multiple data providers, and holding consultants accountable to scope and schedule; proficiency in Monday.com or a comparable platform.
- Exceptional attention to detail with a clear understanding of the regulatory, commercial, and reputational consequences of errors in assured disclosures.
- Proficiency in Excel for managing and QA/QC-ing large, multi-source activity datasets; experience with carbon management platforms such as Workiva Carbon and Watershed.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience contributing to industry working groups, regulatory comment processes, or standards development related to GHG accounting.
- Experience with TCFD and/or ISSB S2 climate risk disclosure frameworks.
- Experience project managing climate risk assessments using platforms such as Jupiter Intelligence.
The expected starting pay range for this role is $103,000 - $138,000 USD. This range is an estimate and base pay may be above or below the ranges based on several factors including but not limited to location, work experience, certifications, and education. In addition to base pay, Pattern’s compensation program includes a bonus structure for full-time employees of all levels. We also provide a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, voluntary benefits, family care benefits, employee assistance program, paid time off and bonding leave, paid holidays, 401(k)/RRSP retirement savings plan with employer contribution, and employee referral bonuses.
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