Climate Analyst ( Climate Change Team) at Childrens Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

Main purpose of the role:

The CIFF Climate team is driven by a vision of a climate-safe future for today’s children and future generations. We support the urgent global transition to a zero-carbon society. We are committed to strategies that get to the heart of the greatest climate challenges and are willing to support new approaches to accelerate action and the step-change in ambition required to keep global warming below 1.5 deg C.

This role is fast-paced and incredibly diverse. The climate team works in a matrix structure and you will have the opportunity to work on a wide portfolio of climate change mitigation programmes across a number of sectors and geographies. This role is within the cluster covering CIFF’s work in Europe and Latin America, CIFF’s global work on cities, air pollution and transport, and CIFF’s growing global portfolio on communications, campaigns, culture and movement-building. This role, alongside a small number of other analysts in the group will predominantly focus on a handful of these areas while not being limited by them and always collaborating with the wider CIFF team. Specific responsibilities will be determined by business need and the candidate’s interests and expertise.

CIFF has a growing climate portfolio and as well managing and enhancing existing grants this role will also be involved in developing new strategies and grants. To thrive in the role, you will need to be motivated by fast paced and diverse work that incorporates both thematic aspects (e.g. developing strategies, acting as the team lead for certain areas) and programme management and the administration of grants (e.g. adopting a commercial mindset to agree contracts and budgets with grantees, reporting and evaluating grantee progress, maintaining a focus on objectives and results). The work is fascinating, varied, collaborative and can be demanding. It is a perfect stepping stone for someone looking to develop a career in climate action/ policy/ philanthropy/ the not-for-profit sector.

CIFF is one of the largest philanthropic funders both in international development and climate change mitigation and offers a broad range of opportunities to work with leading experts in their fields as well as ongoing learning and development opportunities including a personal allowance to be spent on any relevant career training every year. Your contribution will be integral to supporting CIFF and our partners – some of the best climate actors in the field – to deliver CIFF’s ambitious climate agenda.

Principal Accountabilities:

1. Strategy & planning
2. Support the development of programme proposals, which may include preparing aspects of the programme strategy and evidence base, drawing on insights from across CIFF and with partner organisations.
3. Conduct and manage insightful research and analysis on specific programmes, trends and mitigation opportunities, working closely with our grantees and partners who are leaders in the field.
4. Provide global, regional, national and sectoral insights, and communicate them verbally and in writing to a variety of senior stakeholders, and to contribute to the strategy and planning process.
5. Programme development, delivery & performance
6. Lead the end-to-end oversight and administration of the management process of the grants (from concept formation, proposal development through to final payment)
7. Lead the preparation and dissemination of regular and ad hoc reporting on sector/portfolio/programme performance, to ensure colleagues and partners have access to accurate and relevant management information.
8. Work closely with members of the Finance, Communications and Legal team for the development of grant agreements, forecasting of grant payments, to enable effective grant management and reporting within the organisation.
9. Support the preparation of summary reports, Board reports and portfolio investment reports, to ensure these are produced to a high standard and in a timely fashion – which can often mean to high quality in very short timeframes.
10. Sector knowledge and profile-building
11. Build and maintain a range of relevant regional focus and sectoral knowledge and information resources to enable the Climate team to access high quality intelligence, analysis and data to inform current and future programme activity – always seeking to add value and join the dots.
12. Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners across multiple locations and geographies to conduct research projects to inform Climate team’s grant making activities.
13. Stakeholder and partner management
14. Maintain good and productive relationships with our partners and grantees in the region and globally, which can include dealing with senior experts.

Requirements

Person Specification:

The Talented Individual

1. A relevant master’s level degree (e.g. Energy, Climate, International Policy or Political Science) with strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills. Relevant additional work experience may be acceptable in place of a Master’s degree.
2. Gained meaningful experience working in a climate focussed organisation and looking to take that experience further. This could include experience in an NGO, think tank, public or private sector.
3. Familiarity with the global climate policy and political landscape and a good understanding of the political and policy-making process – and the role civil society plays in that – in at least one of the geographies CIFF operates in.
4. Experience multitasking and managing priorities to competing deadlines, thrives on diversity of a role
5. Strong communication skills and excellent oral and written English required. Additional language skills an asset (French, Spanish and/or Portuguese are of particular value).
6. Track record of managing and building trust-based relationships internally and externally with a range of partners, operating across a range of cultural contexts
7. Track record of strong interpersonal skills and working well as a team player.
8. Approach situations strategically, methodically and with a high degree of rigour.
9.  Entrepreneurial mindset, highly adaptive and energetic.
10. Result-orientated.
11. Capacity to work in a range of cultural and socio-economic contexts.
12.  
13. Able to travel internationally and willing to work flexible hours.

Benefits

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package here at CIFF that includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Annual leave - 25 days per annum. Increasing by 1 day after each year of service, to a maximum of 30 days.
2. Bonus - CIFF currently operates a discretionary bonus scheme.
3. Pension
4. Training allowance
5. Wellbeing allowance
6. Life insurance
7. Health insurance