Senior Analyst (Environment), Consulting (Chicago, IL or San Francisco, CA) job in Chicago

Senior Analyst (Environment), Consulting (Chicago, IL or San Francisco, CA)

You are mission driven and action oriented. You love to get involved, and work as part of a team to accomplish something great. Any job is your job if it helps the team succeed, and you thrive on variety. Today, you’re looking for a role where you can use those traits to make a real difference in the world by advancing the most important social issues facing humanity today.

If that sounds like you, Arabella Advisors can’t wait to meet you.

Arabella Advisors is looking for a senior analyst who brings expertise in environmental issues (e.g., climate change, environmental justice, clean water, conservation) and who is passionate about high-impact philanthropy and engaging with strategically-focused donors. A successful candidate must excel in research, analysis, problem solving, project support, and writing.

As a member of Arabella’s collegial, client-focused, and impact-driven community, you will contribute to projects that service high-profile institutional, family, and corporate foundations, and philanthropic individuals. Our team helps clients develop grant-making strategies, implement programs, evaluate their impact, and collaborate effectively with other donors. As a senior analyst, you will take a lead role in managing, drafting, and developing insights for key parts of client deliverables while driving core project research, analysis, problem solving, project support, and writing. Additionally, you will help generate new business by assisting in research for and writing of client proposals and the development of new project budgets.

Essential Responsibilities

Senior analysts play an essential role in conducting research and analysis, drafting and formatting deliverables, and supporting a wide range of environmentally-focused projects. Your role will include the following responsibilities:

Client Service (~60%)

• Coordinate assigned project tasks on social issues of interest to our clients (with a strong emphasis on environment-focused projects) with minimal supervision of a project manager
• Synthesize most relevant information from research to identify trends and key issues for client projects
• Develop, administer, and analyze surveys to inform client reports
• Identify recommendations for client reports, based on analysis of research and interviews
• Lead in writing portions of reports or developing PowerPoints for clients, including designing infographics, charts, and graphs
• Present findings from reports to clients
• Creatively problem-solve and manage up to advance project work
• Provide scheduling and note-taking support on interviews and meetings for projects

Business Development (~30%)

• Take notes during calls/meetings with prospective clients
• Assist in research for and writing of client proposals and the development of new project budgets
• Contribute to and occasionally lead internal research projects to be shared with the field, such as through blog posts and white papers
• Assist in the development of materials that highlight the firm’s expertise, abilities, and past project work
• Support Arabella’s client development team in identifying and pitching new opportunities

Internal Projects (~10%)

• Conduct research for internal projects
• Lead trainings for analysts on research skills
• Lead on-boarding sessions for new analysts
• Mentor new analysts

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s Degree, with coursework that demonstrates use of analytical skills and writing ability
• Professional work experience (2-4 years preferred) that demonstrates use of analytical skills, and writing and presentation ability
• Issue area expertise in the environment, including climate change, environmental justice, clean water, conservation, etc.
• Interest in philanthropy
• Strong skills with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Excellent organization, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Excellent research and writing skills and an understanding of how to gather, analyze, and synthesize diverse information from written documents and interviews
• Team-oriented, professional, confident, and a positive attitude
• Resourceful, flexible, and adaptable
• Detail-oriented and a strong ability to multi-task
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Other Highly Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Professional work experience in the social sector
• Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative data analysis
• Experience using quantitative and/or qualitative analysis software (e.g.,
• Excel, SPSS, STATA, R, NVivo)
• Data visualization skills and familiarity with Tableau and/or InDesign
• Issue area expertise in one of our other areas of focus: education, health, and international development
• Practice area expertise such as strategy development, program evaluation, coalition/community of practice management, or program management
• An entrepreneurial spirit, ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and a sense of humor
• Experience managing and mentoring others

Our Core Competencies:

• [Service Excellence] The ability to provide excellent service, including being able to address complex service matters, implement and communicate service changes to everyone involved, and to coach teammates on how to apply the firm’s service standards

• [Project and Task Management] The ability to manage large-scale and cross-firm projects, including delegating and managing all resources, identifying and implementing improved processes, monitoring consistency across project teams, and providing direction and support to teammates

• [Stakeholder Management] The ability to facilitate and negotiate among stakeholders with conflicting needs and to generate consensus among decision makers

• [Communication] The ability to help effectively communicate difficult messages; to adapt style, tone, and content to meet various needs; and to coach teammates on crafting content.

• [Collaboration] The ability to work cooperatively and inclusively with others to achieve shared goals, including encouraging and facilitating effective compromise, drawing on the capabilities of all team members, and leading team-level knowledge sharing

• [Continuous Learning] The ability to use available resources and feedback to continually develop mastery in your role and facilitate team and project-level learning, including coaching others

• [Resourcefulness] The ability to solve complex challenges by identifying innovative solutions and facilitating coordination with others

About Arabella Advisors

Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.

About Arabella’s Consulting Team

Arabella’s consulting practice works with institutional, family, and corporate clients to create and improve their strategies, execute effective and efficient grant-making programs, evaluate their impact and the impact of their grantees, and collaborate with peer organizations to develop common goals and launch joint initiatives. We work with many of the nation’s leading foundations to help them maximize their impact in the fields of education, health, environment, international development, and more.

Working with Us

We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers website to learn more.

To encourage work/life balance we offer flexible work options. Our office is an open space with cubicles and standing desks and informal work areas. Our salaries are closer to the range of a nonprofit and our benefits are excellent. You’ll start with three weeks of vacation, 80 hours of personal time, and 20 hours of paid time to volunteer at an organization of your choice. In addition to six federal holidays, you get to pick four more from a list of inclusive religious holidays and your birthday.

We have a competitive health package that includes medical, vision, dental, and prescription insurance. We also provide funds for professional development, a fitness benefit, and cover part of your personal cell phone plan.

How to apply

Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.

We value diversity and inclusion and encourage all qualified people to apply. If we can make this easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.

While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses.

We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.