• Philadelphia, PA
• Posted 3 years ago
• Applications have closed

Hersha Hospitality Trust is a publicly traded (NYSE: HT) real estate investment trust in the hospitality sector, which owns and operates high-quality hotels in urban gateway markets and regional resort destinations. The Company’s 36 hotels totaling 5,802 rooms are located in New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Philadelphia, South Florida and select markets on the West Coast.

Analysts with Hersha are exposed to many facets of the hospitality industry and work closely with all members of the team, including Hersha’s senior leaders. This combined with Hersha’s entrepreneurial environment make this position a truly unique professional opportunity. Analysts will take ownership of projects starting day one and will be active members of the team. This position will be located in the company’s Philadelphia office, and will report to the Senior Director of Sustainability.

Essential Job Functions:

Program Implementation

• Support the ongoing implementation of environmental and social initiatives across our portfolio of hotels.
• Analyze new product offerings and develop innovative methods to encourage guests to participate in eco-friendly practices during their stay.
• Aggregate data using Microsoft Excel, EnergyStar Portfolio Manager, and other 3rd party software programs to track monthly and annual progress towards Hersha’s environmental and social goals.
• Identify emerging trends, developments, and financial incentives in our core markets

Reporting & Disclosure

• Manage the compilation, writing, and web-development of EarthView’s annual report.
• Quantify sustainability impact metrics at hotels to be used by Sales and Marketing teams including environmental (energy, water, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions) and social (community impact, health & wellness, diversity & inclusion) data.
• Communicate key sustainability metrics both internally and externally via press releases, social media platforms, website, and other communication channels to engage employees, guests, and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate annual disclosures to GRESB, ISS, MSCI, and other ESG data aggregators with a focus on improving annual performance scores and maintaining membership on key sustainability indices.

Green Building Certification & Compliance

• Research state and federal green hospitality programs, government regulations, sustainability certifications, and awards to understand their impact on Hersha’s hotels and EarthView program.
• Lead efforts for City and State regulatory compliance across our portfolio.
• Integrate health & wellness infrastructure in future development projects.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Bachelor’s Degree in environmental studies, business, engineering, or a related field.
• Background in and/or passion for the cross-section of Sustainability and Hospitality.
• Ability to perform data analysis and draw meaningful insights.
• Shows initiative and ownership of projects, with ability to stay organized while working on multiple projects.
• Strong communication, writing, and marketing skills.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States.

Earth View:

Hersha has developed and implemented a unique program dedicated to Sustainable Hospitality. That initiative, EarthView®, is supported by Hersha’s CEO, President, and CFO and is quickly becoming the industry standard for fully integrated environmental and community policies that make sustainable hospitality a genuine reality. EarthView delivers environmental and conservation programs that positively impact a hotel operation’s bottom line while simultaneously improving the well-being of our guests, our employees, our communities, and our planet.

Environmental Impact: Since our baseline year of 2010, initiatives implemented through EarthView reduced our portfolio’s energy consumption by 15%, greenhouse gas emissions by 44%, water consumption by 5%, and waste sent to landfill by 30% per square foot. In 2019, we announced targets for reducing our environmental impact by 2030 and becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.We’ve also joined the Science Based Targets initiative.

Financial Impact: To date, we have saved over $20 million from EarthView initiatives, and continue to use the EarthView platform to create cost-saving and revenue generation opportunities year over year. In 2020, Hersha ranked first among the U.S. lodging sector in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark’s (GRESB) Public Disclosure. Across all industries, we ranked 234 in Newsweek’s 2021 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.

Social Impact: Since the start of EarthView in 2010, Hersha associates volunteered over 20,000 hours to our local communities, provided 568,000 new bars of soap to families in developing nations, and clean water to 26,000 people in water-scarce areas around the world. In 2020, Hersha developed one of the first health and safety programs, Rest Assured™, in the hospitality business in response to the pandemic – dedicated to the safety of our guests and associates. Additionally, this past year Hersha signed the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion Pledge, furthering our commitment to these essential principles in the workplace and boardroom.

To apply, click here.