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 work
combines 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

CPI is seeking an experienced Manager, Agri-Food Systems, Africa with significant expertise in the African agrifood and climate finance sector to play a key role in CPI’s Agriculture, Land Use & Food System workstream.

Reporting to the UK-based Senior Manager of CLIC and supporting the Head of our South Africa Office, this role will focus on:

• BuildingCPI’s agriculture, land use, and food systems portfolio in Africa, leading on designing, managing, and delivering new agrifood systems projects on the continent.
• Supporting the CLIC team on program delivery across its Knowledge Products, Connector, and Action Groups workstreams, and expanding the CLIC team’s network across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Taking a technical lead on identifying and delivering new business development opportunities in the agrifood system and climate finance space within our growing Africa regional program.
• Supporting CLIC’s Senior Manager in securing emerging global business development opportunities in Agriculture, Land Use, and Food Systems.
• Working with CLIC’s Senior Manager to consolidate CPI’s agrifood narrative and offerings across our global Innovative Finance portfolio (CLIC, plus agrifood-relevant instruments of CPI’s Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance and Catalytic Climate Finance Facility) and to coordinate and communicate CPI’s narrative and offering on agrifood systems across CPI’s country offices (Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa).

CPI offers an inspiring work environment that rewards independent thinking, collaboration, and pragmatic problem-solving. We are looking for a candidate with expertise and previous senior experience in the African agrifood and climate finance sector, including interacting with development agencies, investors (both public and private), governments, agribusinesses, and UN system actors.
A self-starter, you will possess a calm, diplomatic approach, demonstrating leadership skills and resilience to deliver under pressure. We will also value your entrepreneurial approach to new business development in the agrifood and climate finance space. The postholder will play a key role in helping to grow CPI’s work on climate and nature finance for agrifood systems.
While this position is initially offered for 18 months, there may be an opportunity to extend post tenure upon delivery of successful business development activity.
You will be based in our new and expanding South Africa office in Cape Town, and will work closely with the Head, South Africa Office and the Analyst, CLIC/Agri-Food Systems in South Africa. Cape Town is CPI’s newest office, and the postholder will also be expected to assist with tasks related to office establishment.
You will also work closely with our CLIC team in London, reporting to the program’s Senior Manager and collaborating with CLIC’s Knowledge Production and Agrifood Investment Connector staff. Finally, the postholder will need the capacity to develop strong and trusted working relationships across CPI globally, particularly with staff leading Innovative Finance and Country Office-based work, which have significant agrifood elements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AND OTHERS AS ASSIGNED:

• Understand and support the current CPI agriculture, land-use and climate finance portfolio in Africa and lead on designing, managing, and delivering new CPI agriculture, land-use, and food systems projects on the continent.
• Function as technical research lead on projects (including CLIC-related work), providing project oversight and direction and delivering agreed outcomes on budget and to agreed timelines.
• Lead and deliver new African business development opportunities agreed with CPI leadership as priorities, compiling and co-ordinating compelling proposals that meet submission timeframes followingCPI’s internal processes. Support the Senior Manager in responding to new business development opportunities in Agir-Food and Climate Finance more globally.
• Support the CLIC team on technical delivery across its Knowledge Products, Connector, and Action Groups, including representation of its activities in Africa.
• Contribute to and build on CPI’s Africa-specific agrifood system knowledge publications, working closely with the CLIC Knowledge Product team.
• Expand CPI’s food systems network in Sub-Saharan Africa – liaising closely with the core CLIC team and leveraging your own local proximity and network.
• Establish a mechanism for regular monitoring of new development agency, investor and agribusiness initiatives in the African climate finance and agrifood sector (in coordination with CPI’s existing business development processes)and identify and flag appropriate opportunities upwards.
• Represent CPI and its offer in climate finance and agrifood systems to key external stakeholders in Africa, including donors, government, investors, development finance institutions and agribusinesses, including at conferences and investor forums. Identify proactive business development opportunities.
• Provide support to the Senior Manager, CLIC, to consolidate CPI’s agrifood narrative and offer across itsglobal Innovative Finance portfolio (CLIC, plus agrifood instruments of the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance and Catalytic Climate Finance Facility) and to communicate CPI’s narrative and offer on agrifood systems across CPI’s Country Offices (Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa).
  Qualifications and experience:

Reporting to the UK-based Senior Manager of CLIC and supporting the Head of our South Africa Office, this role will focus on:

• BuildingCPI’s agriculture, land use, and food systems portfolio in Africa, leading on designing, managing, and delivering new agrifood systems projects on the continent.
• Supporting the CLIC team on program delivery across its Knowledge Products, Connector, and Action Groups workstreams, and expanding the CLIC team’s network across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Taking a technical lead on identifying and delivering new business development opportunities in the agrifood system and climate finance space within our growing Africa regional program.
• Supporting CLIC’s Senior Manager in securing emerging global business development opportunities in Agriculture, Land Use, and Food Systems.
• Working with CLIC’s Senior Manager to consolidate CPI’s agrifood narrative and offerings across our global Innovative Finance portfolio (CLIC, plus agrifood-relevant instruments of CPI’s Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance and Catalytic Climate Finance Facility) and to coordinate and communicate CPI’s narrative and offering on agrifood systems across CPI’s country offices (Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa)