About TAF

TAF is a regional climate agency that invests in low-carbon solutions for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and helps scale them up for broad implementation. We are experienced leaders and collaborate with stakeholders in the private, public and non-profit sectors who have ideas and opportunities for reducing carbon emissions. We advance the most promising concepts by investing, providing grants, influencing policies and running programs. We’re particularly interested in ideas that offer benefits beyond carbon reduction such as improving people’s health, creating new green jobs, boosting urban resiliency, and contributing to a fair society. TAF is a proud member of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network.

For the GTHA to be carbon neutral by 2050, much needs to be done, and quickly. TAF staff are focused on enabling the acceleration and scale-up of low-carbon solutions so that we reach that goal. We’re on the leading edge of urban climate change solutions and our work makes a tangible difference. We build meaningful relationships with all kinds of stakeholders – from thought leaders advancing concepts to the people who implement change on the ground. Join our dedicated and collaborative team to contribute to the value and impact of our work.

Applying to work at TAF

Building an inclusive team with a shared purpose is critical to our work and mandate. We are Equal by 30 signatories and believe that equity, diversity, and inclusion make climate action more just, durable and effective. We also believe that teams work best when they vary in background, experience and approach, including diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different.

We understand that candidates come with different types of experience and backgrounds that might not appear to align with the requirements we’ve listed here. But if you’re excited by this job posting and to work at TAF, and think you’d be a great fit for this position, we encourage you to apply. Our application process asks you to answer a few job-related questions using a platform and process that anonymizes applications and gives applicants the chance to show their skills and fit for the job versus simply evaluating on-paper qualifications. If you require any accommodations to fully participate in the hiring and selection process, please reach out to our People team at jobs@taf.ca.

About TAF’s Net-Zero Buildings Research Lead

The Research & Innovation team advances TAF’s climate action priorities by assessing the impact of carbon reduction technologies and approaches. Reporting to the Director of Research & Innovation, the Net-Zero Buildings Research Lead will provide research, analytical and technical capacity to advance TAF’s decarbonization goals in new construction and existing buildings.

We’re looking for an experienced researcher to help deliver the technical and evaluative elements of this work, including research into new technologies, analysis of trends, models and approaches, quantifying energy use, carbon & co-benefits of net-zero buildings and other implications of advancing retrofit and new construction policies and programs. By providing rigorous, thoughtful and curious research capacity, this role will contribute directly to solving specific challenges to decarbonizing buildings in the GTHA.

What you’ll do:

Net-Zero Buildings Research and Innovation 

• Support the investigation, research, assessment and evaluation of building decarbonization technologies and strategies. 

• Provide senior technical staff with briefings to support decision-making, including summarizing technical material and drafting memos for internal and external stakeholder audiences. 

• Contribute to the design and development of building performance standards and related policies in the GTHA through technical advisory support, research input, as well as project coordination including meeting notes, stakeholder support and reporting to funders. 

• Support the Accelerator team with analysis of their internal building data, including benchmarking of retrofit projects and data against existing building performance datasets and standards. 

• Contribute directly to knowledge transfer and innovation by summarizing key findings for external audiences including memos, presentations and blogs, providing effective and clear messaging, data products and visualizations. 

Quantification and Analysis of Carbon and Co-benefits Impacts 

• Analyze building and system performance data, including Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), utility, and other building-related data to support evaluation, case studies and reporting. 

• Quantify potential and direct carbon emissions reductions and co-benefits of net-zero new construction and deep retrofits.  

• Support TAF team via review and analysis of grant applications and investment opportunities related to net-zero buildings, including technical assessment, scale-up potential, carbon and co-benefits impacts and other assessment needs. 

    

Project Co-ordination and Support 

• Support identification and development of new research projects, such as helping to develop research briefs, defining research needs and questions, gathering data and insights, and monitoring external research. 

• Provide research project coordination capacity to ensure strong internal and external collaboration and high-quality project results. 

• Participate actively in other TAF team activities, such as staff meetings, organization-wide planning sessions, and working groups.  

Requirements

Requirements for success in this role are outlined below. Those listed under Essential have been determined as required immediately, to ensure successful undertaking of tasks and responsibilities. Those listed under Helpful are vital to the role but can be learned on-the-job, developed over time and part of professional development.  

Skills

Essential to have:

• Research methodology: Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods and working with large data sets. Able to develop effective research methodologies tailored to specific questions or problems, and select the appropriate tools, techniques or processes to collect and analyze data.

• Data analysis: Able to analyze quantitative and qualitative data using tools and software available and accurately identify patterns, trends and correlations to derive meaningful insights.

• Attention to detail: Pays close attention to detail when collecting, recording, and analyzing data to ensure accuracy and completeness.

• Task and time management: Ability to work independently and efficiently manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines within a dynamic and fast-paced work environment. Manages time effectively to allow for careful review of work.

• Written communication: Effectively communicates research findings through well-written and organized reports and presentations, with the ability to distill complex topics into key messages, presenting data in useful ways to reach and influence different audiences.

• Internal team communication: Clear and effective communication within the team, ensuring alignment on goals and progress, actively listening and contribution to a collaborative work environment.

Helpful to have

• Consistency: Able to maintain a high level of precision and accuracy across all tasks, ensuring that standards are met and work produced is high quality.

• Problem solving: uses logic and reasoning to analyze information and make informed decisions and provide evidence-based recommendations and solutions.

Experience and Qualifications

Essential to have

• An undergraduate degree in environmental science, engineering, or a related technical field; or certificate in data analysis. 

• At least two years of work experience in a technical research or data analysis role.

 Helpful to have

• Familiarity with greenhouse gas emissions analysis and carbon reduction technologies related to buildings.

• Experience with data visualization best practices and approaches.

What’s in it for you:

In addition to your salary, you’ll benefit from:

• Paid time off:

  • 15 vacation days per year to start.

  • A generous and compassionate personal leave policy.

  • TAF-wide office closures on 13 City-designated and statutory holidays (includes Easter Monday, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day), as well as the week between Boxing Day and New Years’ Day.

• Comprehensive employer-paid extended health, vision, dental, life insurance and long-term disability benefits package after successful completion of your three-month probationary period.

• Contribution to your retirement savings plan after one year of employment.

• Supplies for your virtual office setup, including a monthly stipend for internet and other.

• Access to financial support and time off to pursue relevant professional development.

The intangible stuff:

• In consultation with your supervisor, flexible work hours and remote work options.

• Work that directly helps to reduce carbon emissions and improve health, create new green jobs, boost urban resiliency, and contribute to a fairer and more just GTHA.

• Direct exposure and opportunity to advance climate action with partners and stakeholders from across sectors and across the GTHA

• Staff socials and lunches, picnics, and many other activities.

• Team-wide trainings and learning.

• Input to and participation in TAF’s annual and strategic planning.

• A work environment that’s seeking to be open and inclusive, supported by a staff-led Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group

Next steps:

Start your application by clicking on the yellow button on the top right of this page.

You’ll upload your resume (no cover letter is required) and answer some questions that are related to your relevant experience and day-to-day job. You don't need to do it all in one sitting; you'll get a direct link and will be able to come back and edit until you click submit. After the job closes, your answers will go through our de-biased sift process: all answers will be anonymized, randomised and then scored by members of our team. Responses will be screened for AI-generated content (e.g. ChatGPT), and candidates who mis-use these tools may be disqualified.

If your responses to the questions score in the top 10% of applicants, we’ll review your resume. We use this step to confirm that you meet our minimum qualifications for the role, and to learn more about you, but place more value on your responses to our sift questions than just your on-paper experience.

If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you join us for an in-person interview at our Toronto office (virtual interviews can be accommodated on request). After that, the top candidates will be invited to complete a technical assessment and participate in a second interview. In the final stage, the TAF hiring manager will connect with your professional references to hear about what it’s like working with you from your past colleagues.

Depending on the volume and quality of applications received, we may add an additional step to our process. We anticipate it will take about six weeks from the job posting closing date to making a hiring decision. Whether you are successful or not, you will hear back from us once the process is complete. We appreciate your applying to work at TAF!