Postdoctoral Researcher in Financial Mechanisms for Climate Action in Morocco

The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and the Sustainable Finance team at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, part of the CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) are accepting applications for a full-time position as a Postdoctoral Researcher. The successful candidate will lead in identifying high-impact investment opportunities across Africa aligned with NDC and other global targets. For that purpose, the candidate will work closely with the UM6P network, ImpactSF and partner investors across different African regions. The overarching goal is to identify bankable climate-resilient and nature-positive agrifood investments and provide valuable insights to guide the development of financial mechanisms and business models to support scaling these best-bet options. The postdoc fellow will delve into an in-depth exploration of financing mechanisms for these investment opportunities, including e.g. carbon markets, and inform the designing of effective financial mechanisms that accelerate progress towards achieving climate change mitigation and adaptation targets in Africa.

Duties of the position

The appointee will be expected to conduct a comprehensive literature review on climate finance mechanisms in the Global South; review and assess financial mechanisms that drive climate actions in the Global South, offering a nuanced understanding of their effectiveness; conduct an in-depth study of business models and investment opportunities aligned with climate-resilient and nature-positive food systems, including assessing their fit for the carbon markets and/or similar mechanisms; conduct an in-depth study on actionable investment channels (including carbon markets) and provide insights to improve their effectiveness in Africa; play a crucial role in developing and writing grant proposals to secure funding for innovative financial mechanisms; efficiently coordinate activities with fellow team members within the CFP, fostering collaboration and synergy and participate actively in the training and supervising visitors, interns, graduate students, undergraduate students, and volunteer workers as needed.

Required selection criteria

Applicants should possess a Ph.D. in Economics, finance, business management or related fields; excellent knowledge of global initiatives and climate agreements, e.g. SBTI and ESG taxonomies; capacity to work on multiple projects simultaneously, delivering high-quality outcomes and to initiate and manage projects with minimal supervision; superior communication skills, including a demonstrated record of presentations to professional organizations and publication in international peer-reviewed journals; proven supervisory skills and interest in mentoring students and other personnel; aptitude for teamwork, problem-solving, and collaborative work that transcends disciplinary boundaries; excellent English proficiency; organizational dexterity and proven ability to prioritize and manage multiple goals. Background in agronomy, forestry, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, or related areas; experience with agrifood investment and the ability to understand French will be a plus.

Benefits

The selected candidate will be offered a fixed-term contract of 3-4 years, a competitive salary, life & medical insurance, retirement benefits, maternity leave, paid vacations, work in teams with internationally prominent professors. pathway to developing an academic career and support for international research conference participation.

Organisation/Company – MOHAMMED VI POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

Research Field –

Researcher Profile –

Country – Morocco

Application Deadline – 8 June 2024