• The Climate Finance and Economics practice is searching for a highly skilled and dynamic experienced leader with consulting background in the economics of resilience, who is eager to join the growth of this new area of work in Genesis and passionate about accelerating the climate transition. As a Principal Consultant, you will be responsible for providing high-quality advice and guidance to public and private sector clients to enhance their resilience to climate and weather-related risks. You will lead and deliver projects focusing on the application of economics, weather and disaster data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to help build resilient infrastructure and communities.

Responsibilities

This position is ideal for a person who is keen to have a proactive role in building and managing a growing team. Responsibilities include:

• Work closely with the partner and build a business together with enthusiasm and teamwork, with a focus on the growth of our resilience area.
• Bid for, design, and execute consultancy assignments for donor, corporate, foundation and government clients.
• Provide strategic advice to public and private sector clients on enhancing their resilience to climate and weather-related risks, with a focus on economics, weather and disaster data, and informed by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Identify opportunities for clients to use data-driven approaches to better understand and manage climate and weather-related risks, and to develop resilient infrastructure and communities.
• Lead the development of economic models and tools to assess the costs and benefits of climate and weather-related risk management strategies and resilient infrastructure investments.
• Develop predictive models and data analytics to identify areas at high risk of climate and weather-related hazards, such as floods, droughts, and storms.
• Lead project teams and manage client relationships to ensure the successful delivery of projects, including managing stakeholder engagement and consultation processes with local communities, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Solve problems with a high level of autonomy, logically, creatively, and laterally.
• Take personal responsibility for high levels of excellence, analytical insights, with exemplary attention to detail.
• Be able to prepare and lead high quality written and visual communication.
• Have strong verbal communication skills.
• Play a leading, managing, and mentoring role with more junior consultants.
• Enthusiastically take up personal development, enjoying the freedom to build a career in a supportive environment.
• Conduct research and analysis on emerging trends and best practices in climate finance and sustainable investment, with a focus on resource mobilization.
• Provide thought leadership through participation in conferences, events, and publications, and represent the organization in relevant networks and partnerships.
• Build and manage partnerships with academic institutions, research organizations, and technology providers to stay at the forefront of emerging trends and best practices in resilience, including the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Develop and deliver training programs and workshops to build the capacity of clients and stakeholders to understand and manage climate and weather-related risks and build resilience.
• The candidate can be located in Johannesburg, London or elsewhere and be willing to travel for assignments and spend time at the Genesis office in London and/or Johannesburg.

Requirements

Skills, experience and competencies

• Strong masters’ level degrees in Economics, Environmental Science, Geography or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in resilience, with a focus on economics, weather and disaster data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applied to policy and private sector decisions.
• Strong analytical skills and experience in economic modelling, data analytics, and machine learning, with proficiency in relevant software applications such as R, Python, and SQL.
• Purpose-driven, enthusiastic, ethical, respectful, lives by Genesis values.
• Strong self-starting problem solver, critical thinker, and analyst.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
• Project management abilities.
• Comfort with quantitative and qualitative research techniques.
• Ability to work closely with senior leaders.