Product Development Manager - GHG Accounting and Sustainability

Job Title: Product Development Manager - GHG Accounting and Sustainability

Location 

Remote (India) 

Reporting To 

Managing Partner

About the Company 

We are a technology-driven sustainability consulting startup focused on helping manufacturing organizations improve profitability and competitiveness through sustainability performance enhancement and operations optimization.

Our mission is to help manufacturers simultaneously improve sustainability metrics and business performance through data-driven insights and practical solutions delivered by industry expertise. 

Our initial market focus is sustainability related domestic and export compliances for Iron and Steel Industry and Textile Industry. For Iron and Steel industry, we will focus our offerings on primary Iron and Steel products manufacturing, Engineering products manufacturing. For Textile industry we will focus our offerings on fiber production, spinning mills, weaving mills, garment manufacturing units, and related value-chain participants.

Position Summary 

The minimum professional qualification for the position is Certified Energy Auditor certified by Bureau of Energy Efficiency. The Product Development Manager will be one of the most critical technical hires in the organization and will serve as the company's primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) for sustainability, energy efficiency, GHG accounting, and manufacturing processes of the Iron and Steel industry. 

In an early-stage startup, this role will be responsible not only for delivering client-facing solutions but also for building the company's intellectual property, methodologies, databases, industry benchmarks and technical capabilities. 

The ideal candidate will combine deep Iron and Steel manufacturing experience with practical expertise in energy audits, GHG inventories, emissions verification, and sustainability performance improvement. 

Why This Role Is Strategic 

This role is not a traditional Energy Auditor position. It is a foundational technical leadership role responsible for building the startup's sustainability consulting capability, intellectual property, methodologies, databases, and industry credibility. The individual hired will significantly influence the company's service offerings, product design, consulting methodology, and long-term market positioning. 

Key Responsibilities 

Sustainability & GHG Methodology Development 

• Develop and maintain the organization's GHG accounting, emissions management, and sustainability assessment methodologies aligned with the GHG Protocol, ISO 14064 and various program and sector specific requirements. 
• Develop reduction assessment frameworks for manufacturing facilities. 

Iron and Steel Industry Knowledge & Database Development 

• Source and maintain databases of emission factors, oxidation factors and conversion factors.
• Develop master framework for designing GHG inventory to meet and support verification requirements for various programs.
• Develop master framework for formulating industry and client specific emission monitoring plan.
• Develop Iron and steel specific sustainability and operational performance benchmarks (such as energy usage benchmark and machine performance benchmark) across Iron and steel industry value chain. 

Energy Efficiency & Cost Reduction Solutions 

• Develop methodologies to identify energy savings, operating cost reduction opportunities, resource efficiency improvements, and GHG reduction measures for clients. 

Consulting Service Development 

• Support the development of sustainability, decarbonization, and operational excellence consulting solutions for manufacturers. 
• Design reporting formats and improvement roadmaps across service offerings. 

Digital Product Development Support 

• Provide functional inputs and validate data collection frameworks, questionnaires, calculation logic, and input parameters for sustainability assessment offerings. 

Client Engagement & Technical Leadership 

• Act as the organization's Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Iron and Steel Manufacturing, energy management, and GHG accounting. 
• Support client meetings, site assessments, audits, and technical discussions. 
• Build the organization's internal sustainability competency and contribute to market credibility and thought leadership. 

Continuous Research & Innovation 

• Monitor emerging technologies, sustainability regulations, reporting standards, and industry best practices. 
• Continuously enhance the organization's intellectual property, toolkits, and advisory capabilities. 

Technical Competencies 

The successful candidate should possess strong knowledge of: 

Iron and Steel Industry Expertise 

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes applicable across Iron and Steel industry value chain.
• Strong understanding of various manufacturing technologies, process optimization, production efficiency, and automation technologies. 

Energy Management & Operational Excellence 

• Expertise in industrial energy audits, energy efficiency improvement, and utility system optimization. 
• Ability to identify energy-saving, cost-reduction, and productivity improvement opportunities in manufacturing environments. 

GHG Accounting & Sustainability 

• Practical knowledge of GHG accounting, carbon footprint assessment, emissions verification, and decarbonization strategies. 
• Familiarity with GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, and sustainability reporting frameworks. 

Data, Analytics & Benchmarking 

• Ability to develop emissions inventories, performance benchmarks, calculation methodologies, and sustainability KPIs. 
• Experience in data validation, quantitative analysis, and translating operational data into actionable insights. 

Education Qualification 

Mandatory 

• B.E. / B.Tech or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering OR Metallurgical Engineering
• Certified Energy Auditor (Bureau of Energy Efficiency or equivalent recognized certification) 
• ISO 14064 Lead Verifier (Course Completion or Certification) 

Experience Requirements 

Mandatory 

• Minimum 5 years of post-qualification (B.E or equivalent) experience in the Iron and Steel Industry 
• Minimum 2 years of experience as a Lead Verifier or equivalent role in GHG verification, carbon accounting, sustainability verification, or environmental audit. 

Preferred Experience 

• Experience conducting energy audits in Iron and Steel manufacturing facilities 
• Experience in developing energy conservation measures 
• Experience in supporting sustainability initiatives in manufacturing environments 
• Experience in digital data collection or sustainability software implementation 

Good-to-Have Skills 

• Lead verifier experience in Energy Audits and GHG Audits within the Iron and Steel Industry 
• Exposure to ESG assessments and sustainability rating frameworks 
• Knowledge of wet and dry waste management systems 
• Experience in water efficiency and water conservation projects 
• Exposure to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 
• Familiarity with sustainability software tools and digital transformation initiatives 
• Understanding of international sustainability reporting frameworks 

Key Success Indicators (First 12 Months) 

The employee will be considered successful if they: 

• Develop complete GHG data gathering frameworks for targeted Iron and Steel sectors. 
• Establish the organization's GHG accounting methodology, including output report design. 
• Source emission factor, oxidation factor and conversion factor databases.
• Support development of standard consulting methodologies for cost and emission reduction. 
• Enable successful delivery of the first sustainability consulting engagement