Careers

We’re always on the lookout for talented individuals and recruit at all levels.

At Carnstone we offer a supportive, friendly and creative atmosphere where partners have the opportunity to grow and specialise as consultants while tackling big sustainability challenges:

We pride ourselves on the quality of our work, and meeting our clients’ needs are paramount;
We engage in challenging and often bespoke work across a variety of sectors and are therefore able to use our skills to their fullest extent;
Our work patterns are flexible. This enables us to adapt both to the needs of our clients and the needs of our personal lives;
Our partners enjoy a degree of independence and autonomy. They are encouraged to take responsibility for managing their own work schedules and their client accounts as soon as they join;
We encourage partners to explore their own areas of interest and to develop their own areas of expertise; and
As a small team, we are able to operate with limited bureaucracy, whilst providing the support and processes needed to run a successful consultancy business.

This vacancy was published on 5 August

Junior Partner, Shanghai

Entry Level

Shanghai

We are looking for a new team member to join our growing management consultancy in Shanghai. This is a development role for people at the beginning of their career in sustainability consulting.

With offices in London and Shanghai, we are 30 people strong and do innovative and worthwhile work, helping companies become more sustainable.

We offer a competitive salary, friendly and diverse colleagues, and an office-culture that prizes flexibility and creative thinking.

About us – Carnstone

Carnstone is a management consultancy specialising in ESG and sustainability. From our offices in London and Shanghai we serve a global client base of big companies and international organisations like the UN. We have been in business for over 15 years, establishing a reputation for being great at what we do. Everything we do is bespoke, and that is reflected in how we think and work.

Our work covers a huge range of interrelated topics: from supplier management to community investment, from climate change to corporate governance, from human rights to investor relations.

Our Shanghai office was established in 2014 to serve the growing market for companies embedding sustainability in their Asian operations and value chains. The team has been growing steadily, and we are looking for someone who has a true passion for the sector, who is interested in growing with the company, and can deliver high quality work on a consistent basis.

The vacancy

The job is at our ‘Junior Partner’ level. Usually with a fresh experience within the industry, Junior Partners are the fastest learners at Carnstone. JPs will be responsible for specific tasks, often behind the scenes, but in return, they have an amazing opportunity to acquire vast amounts of knowledge about sectors and topics in a short amount of time. It’s a role that offers a lot of opportunities for professional development. As a JP, you will be working directly with clients and senior colleagues on a daily basis, both within China and overseas.

You will be based in our Shanghai office but work closely with colleagues in London and with client teams. We work on a wide variety of projects, from forestry to climate change, from labour standards to ESG reporting; and across multiple sectors, including: retail, fashion, publishing, automotive and pharmaceutical. That makes our work incredibly varied and interesting, and it means we are always learning.

One day you may be conducting research on deforestation in South East Asia, the next visiting a garment factory to talk to workers, and the next working with a project team to help a client understand their greenhouse gas emissions across their supply chain.

What we are looking for

Experience
• Good general understanding and proven interest in corporate responsibility and sustainability;
• Minimum one-year relevant experience in one or more aspects of sustainability; or experience in general business but with proven interest in sustainability.

Character
• Curiosity and persistence in equal measures;
• Comfortable working in a commercial environment with big businesses across many sectors, able to perform in a professional manner;
• Ownership of tasks, have a problem-solving mindset and see to good results;
• Has good attention to detail and can deliver work to a high standard;
• Open-minded, real willingness to learn and to be challenged;
• Self-motivated and able to manage your own workload (plan, priorities, etc.);
• Confident and engaging, able to mingle with teammates in both China and the UK;
• Empathy, a good listener, and able to put themselves into other peoples’ shoes.

Skills
• Has a quick mind, able to assimilate and process information, good research skill;
• Ability to communicate well when presenting, writing and speaking;
• Good levels of numeracy and an ability to write clearly and concisely, changing your style as required for different readers;
• An undergraduate degree or higher in any subject that enables evidence-based work approach and analytical thinking on sustainability/industry topics;
• Excellent command of IT and ability to use technical skills for maximum impact for clients and;
• Fluency in English and native speaker of Mandarin Chinese.

The package

We offer a competitive package consisting of:
• A competitive salary within the local sustainability consultancy market;
• Social insurances and housing fund paid in Shanghai based on actual salary;
• A central Shanghai office in Xuhui District close to major commuting routes;
• 20 days a year paid annual leave plus paid time off on public holidays;
• 6 volunteering days a year to work with a charity of your choice;
• Group medical insurance scheme with reimbursement of both in-patient and out-patient medical fees (life and critical illness insurance covered).

Why work at Carnstone?
Our working environment is friendly and creative. We are energetic and smart. We aim for a culture where you can bring your whole self to work and act with authenticity all day long. And we do really great work which we love and which – ultimately – helps huge companies to be more sustainable.

We know that our employees are the most productive when they have a work-life balance. That’s why we embrace flexibility as a company and support our team in making the most of their careers with us through our flexible working arrangements.
For more information about who we are, the work we do and our clients, please visit our website at http://carnstone.com.

Applications will be reviewed as they come in and telephone interviews will be arranged. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to face-to-face interviews at our Shanghai office with GM/ Deputy GM (and potentially one of our Senior Partners joining online).

Please send your cover letter in the body of your email, not as a separate attachment.

How to apply

Please send your CV together with a covering letter to Miaomiao Li at miaomiao.li@carnstone.com by the 2nd September 2022. We’ll be interviewing the right candidates as we receive the CVs. Ideally, the successful candidate will be able to start within the next few months, but we can be patient for the right person.

Unsure? Please apply! Carnstone has a great team, and we have a great team because we’re all different. We don’t always know what we’re looking for in colleagues until we see it and it could well be you.

This vacancy was published on 20 July

Partner

Mid-level

London

This is at our Partner level, for people who have three or four years’ experience in sustainability, ideally in a consultancy setting working with companies on carbon reporting and strategy.

Partners plays a key role in the management of client projects, sometimes managing whole projects on smaller accounts or individual tasks on larger accounts. As Partners grow their management and consulting skills they start to spend more time with clients, leading work streams, supporting the development of junior staff, and helping to grow the business.

This role is about ensuring high quality, accurate, timely and insightful content for our clients, managing their own time and input from colleagues.

At all levels within Carnstone we encourage colleagues to work across topics and sectors, that’s what makes consulting so interesting. Over time though, you will start to develop specific areas of expertise.

The vacancy

What are we looking for?

Intellect and energy:

Curious and unafraid of challenging conventional wisdom;
A desire to learn and to be challenged;
A quick mind, able to assimilate and process information rapidly;
Attention to detail and can deliver work to a high standard;
Self-motivated and able to manage your own workload (plan, prioritise, etc.);
Numerate and analytical.

Commercial and entrepreneurial:

An entrepreneurial mindset;
Comfortable working at pace;
Enjoys business and believes that business can make a real contribution to solving sustainability problems;
Thinks profit and growth are positive concepts, not negative ones.

Good with people:

Empathy, a good listener, and able to put themselves into other peoples’ shoes;
Confident and engaging;
Ability to communicate well when presenting, writing and speaking;
Resilient and persistent; able to handle knock-backs and challenges.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

Knowledge of carbon accounting methologies and standards.
Carrying out GHG emissions footprinting.
Understanding of requirements and trends in climate disclosure.
Ability to take turn complex ideas and concepts into actionable steps for clients to use to drive change;
Ability to engage and influence;
Excellent project management skills;
A good understanding of sustainability, with a depth of knowledge in specific topics or sectors.

The package

Includes:

A competitive salary with an annual review and potential for good progression depending on performance;

Maternity, paternity and adoption leave arrangements well above the statutory minimums;

Excellent additional benefits including a group personal pension scheme with 10% annual company pension contribution, private medical insurance, and life and critical illness insurance;

6 volunteering days a year to work with a charity or community organisation of your choice;

A great central London HQ, combined with an innovative flexible location package that includes: the ability to work at home for some of the week and to work from anywhere in the world for six weeks a year, and regular team gatherings at ‘Carnstone in the Country’, our home from home outside London.

How to apply

Please send your CV together with a covering letter to Jo Dodds at careers@carnstone.com. We’ll be interviewing the right candidates as we receive the CVs. Ideally, the successful candidate will be able to start within the next few months, but we can be patient for the right person.

What we’re looking for

We employ smart people from a variety of academic disciplines and professional backgrounds. Our Partners and Senior Partners arrive with several years’ relevant experience in one or more aspects of sustainability, be it social or environmental. They come with proven experience in project or client management, and a particular area of expertise to complement the existing team. We appreciate a commercial aptitude, and previous consultancy experience is a distinct advantage.

We recruit interns and Junior Partners who are able to demonstrate exceptional levels of drive, curiosity and interest in sustainability. Most of them join us after successfully completing a relevant undergraduate degree in science, engineering, business, sustainability or a related subject.

Our benefits package

Not only is Carnstone a great place to work, we supplement this with a favourable benefits package. For all our London-based partners this includes:

A central London HQ close to major commuting routes;
For full time employees, 25 days a year paid annual leave plus paid time off on public holidays;
6 volunteering days a year to work with a charity of your choice;
Maternity, paternity and adoption leave arrangements that are above the statutory minimums;
Cycle-to-work scheme;
Paid sick leave and time off for medical appointments;
Group personal pension scheme with 10% annual company pension contribution;
Private medical insurance with AXA Health (Executive cover);
Life and critical illness insurance;
Income protection insurance; and
Business travel insurance.

For more information, or to submit a speculative application, please email Jo Dodds on careers@carnstone.com - no agencies please.

Working parents and carers

We know that our partners are the most productive when they have a work-life balance that helps them to meet their responsibilities outside work.

So if you are a working parent or carer, looking to return to work after an extended career break or have taken time off for other family commitments then Carnstone is the place for you. Through our flexible working arrangements and high-spec IT facilities, we support our parents and carers in making the most of their careers with us.

For the right candidates, we are able to offer part-time contracts, flexible working / working at home days, school hours’ only arrangements and even term-only contracts.