Looking for someone specialized in articulating the business case and economic rationale to drive the adoption, funding, and expansion of NBS and GGI both in the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa. You will be responsible for conducting in-depth research and economic analysis of the environmental and ecosystem services resulting from NBS projects, such as forest restoration to reduce wildfire risks, source watershed protection to enhance drinking water supplies, and reforestation programs to increase community resilience and health (reduced flood and extreme heat).
You will lead the development of cost-benefit models and similar analytical tools to quantify and clearly articulate the return on investment (ROI) for potential funders and financing partners of NBS and GGI projects. You will evaluate cost avoidance and revenue generation scenarios for water and electric utilities resulting from proactive investments in forest restoration treatments, the cost-effectiveness of corporate investments in watershed health to address water insecurity, and the economic and social rationale for public agencies to invest in collective action financing approaches to protect communities and infrastructure, increase recreational access, and improve health outcomes.
As part of the GGI Accelerator portfolio in Africa, you will support new and ongoing engagements with a diverse group of city stakeholders, funders and investors. You will develop business cases with local water utilities, support financial structures to facilitate transactions, work with local governments to build costs into municipal budgets, improve NBS and GGI project bankability, and liaise with multi-lateral development institutions and the private sector to unlock climate adaptation financing. You will collaborate with the broader team working across WRI’s projects on African climate resilient cities to host investor roundtables, garnering interest for innovative financial approaches and accelerating NBS and GGI investment. You will also work with the WRI Equity team to incorporate Gender and Social Equity considerations into their work.
Reporting to the Director of Cities4Forests and the Natural Infrastructure Initiative, and will collaborate with other team members, economists, senior management, and external partners across the U.S., Africa, and Europe. You have an outstanding economics background, robust analytical and modelling skills, as well as a proven track record of using analysis to influence and drive decision-making. You will have the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners, and a talent for communicating complex analyses and results in a clear and concise manner. You will also have an entrepreneurial spirit and the capability to support a rapidly growing portfolio.