About CPI

CPI is an analysis and advisory organization with deep expertise in finance and policy. Our mission is to help governments, businesses, and financial institutions drive economic growth while addressing climate change. We are unique in our focus on finance, our ability to get the right people to the table, and our analytical rigor.  

CPI has offices in Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States and acts as the Secretariat for The ClimateShot Investor Coalition, alongside similar roles for The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (The Lab) and The Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA). 

Accelerating climate finance for food systems is a priority workstream for CPI. Our growing Agriculture, Land Use, and Food Systems workcombines a global approach with practical insights from across our country offices.

As part of this workstream, ClimateShot Investor Coalition (CLIC) is an action-oriented group of investors working in agriculture and food systems. CLIC aims to rapidly scale up the finance necessary to shift toward low-carbon, climate-resilient, and nature-positive agriculture and food systems globally. As the Secretariat for CLIC, it is our role at CPI to drive the group’s strategic vision and workplan. The CLIC team leads on developing knowledge products for agrifood investors, policymakers, funders and the sector more broadly, running two member Action Groups, as well as the Agrifood Investment Connector, which works directly to support climate and nature-smart SMEs in the agrifood system in Africa and Latin America.

Position Summary

Contract: Full Time (40 hours/week) Fixed Term 18 months with potential to be extended in line with CPI’s growth.

Salary Range: ZAR 400,000–600,000 per annum

Visa: Applicants must have the right to work in South Africa before applying; CPI cannot provide visa support for this role.  

CPI is a hybrid working environment, where employees are expected to work at least 40% (2 days a week) in the office.  

CPI is recruiting for an Analyst position, offering an exciting opportunity to contribute to CPI’s work on climate finance for agri-food systems, conducting research and analytical work for CLIC’s knowledge products and supporting the development and growth of CPI’s Agriculture, Land Use and Food Systems workstream within our growing Africa regional program.  

Based in our office in Cape Town, South Africa, the analyst will have two main missions:

1. Supporting the development of knowledge products that provide evidence and thought leadership on climate finance for agri-food systems aiming to better inform decision makers and promote greater consensus on priorities for the sector (70%).
2. Supporting the development and delivery of CPI’s climate finance for agri-food workstream in Africa, working closely with the Manager: Agri-Food Systems, Africa in responding to new business development opportunities and taking a technical role on their delivery where successful (around 30%).  

CPI offers an inspiring work environment that rewards independent thinking, collaboration, and pragmatic problem solving. The Analyst will work in close cooperation with a range of partners from the agrifood policy, finance, and corporate spheres, as well as with CPI teams across the globe. You will gain exposure to a wide array of stakeholders in the agriculture and food systems climate investment space whilst drawing on CPI’s world class technical teams focused on scaling-up and accelerating finance for agriculture and food systems globally.

Key responsibilities include the following and others as assigned (all within the context of agrifood systems):

• Perform rigorous quantitative analysis of national and international climate finance mechanisms and climate and energy policies.
• Efficiently collect and analyze varied and cross-disciplinary data to incorporate into useable and reportable formats. This includes but is not limited to investment data and transaction and impact attributes.
• Under the direction of managers and senior analysts, contribute to the design, management, and implementation of complex research assignments and analytical projects.
• Engage clients throughout the research process and advise policymakers on the implications of research findings.
• Assist in the writing and editing of high-quality CPI products, including full reports, executive summaries, blogs, and presentations
• Communicate and collaborate with CPI staff working around the globe
• Produce high-quality materials on demanding deadlines
• Support the Manager, Agri-Food Systems, Africa to respond to new business development opportunities in agrifood and climate finance, assisting with technical proposal compilation and potentially, delivery of successful initiatives. 
• Support the Manager, Agri-Food Systems, Africa in conducting regular monitoring of new donor, investor, and agribusiness initiatives in the African climate finance and agri-food sector. 

Experience, skills, and personal attributes required:

• BA or BS degree required in a relevant field e.g., finance, economics, agronomics, or policy.
• Demonstrable professional experience (2 – 4 years), including experience analyzing climate finance, agrifood systems/land use finance and/or tracking climate finance.
• Understanding of the African agrifood sector’s challenges in the face of climate change and nature degradation, familiarity with the actors operating in the sector and with actions that are needed to mobilize the finance necessary to shift the sector towards climate and nature positive pathways.
• Independent, analytical mind with a track record of applying sound financial, political and strategic judgment to complex issues
• Flexibility, professionalism, enthusiasm for working as part of a team, and an ability to interact with a diverse array of people
• Strong attention to detail, organization, time management, and prioritization skills, and an ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Superior English written and verbal communications skills
• Familiarity with political and economic contexts in developing and emerging economies, particularly in the agrifood sector.

Beneficial:

• Master’s degree in economics, finance, public policy, or a related, quantitatively rigorous field strongly preferred.
• Experience in management consulting or similar environments, with demonstrated ability to structure complex projects, drive implementation through clear processes, and apply rigorous problem-solving approaches.
• Experience responding successfully to calls for proposals in the agrifood system space including working at pace on complex application processes in restricted timeframes.
• Experience of working with actors across the public and private sectors on climate issues related to agrifood systems (for example, impact investors, businesses, development finance institutions, and governments and regulators).
• Familiarity or experience in the field of gender equality and climate finance, agri-food systems and their intersection with climate change and biodiversity loss.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
• Additional language fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, or French.

Applying

To Apply:  

• Visit our website to submit an application.  
• With your application, attach: (1) CV/resume, (2) a cover letter. Your cover letter should outline why you want to work with CPI and how your skills and experience align with the position requirements. The position will remain open until we find the right candidate to join our team. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, and we therefore encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity.  
• Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.  

CPI Commitment:  

• Climate Policy Initiative is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. We seek to establish a working environment where all board members, staff, volunteers, and contractors feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability, or education. We want to create an inclusive culture where all forms of diversity are openly valued as critical to the success of our organization and the achievement of our mission and vision.  

• If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application. We will then work with you to identify the best way to assist you through the recruitment process.