Policy Analyst

About

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a globally recognized think tank with more than 30 years of experience working to solve today's greatest sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise across critical policy areas with a collaborative approach to research, advice, and hands-on support that delivers real-world results. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 experts working from offices in Canada and Switzerland as well as other locations around the world.

We are currently looking for a Policy Analyst, Fossil Fuel Transition, to work within the IISD Energy Program.

About the Position

The Policy Analyst, Fossil Fuel Transition, will work as part of IISD’s International Strategy team, which delivers research, policy proposals, and strategic advice to support a Paris-aligned, just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels and the end of public finance to fossil fuels. The team collaborates with a large range of stakeholders, including civil society organizations and networks, international organizations, governments, and media. This position is based within the IISD Energy Program. The candidate will work with a diverse and dynamic team of over 50 experts based in Europe, Canada, Australasia, and Africa.

The Policy Analyst will play a key role in the team and in the Energy Program by supporting the research and advocacy work. In particular, they will help support countries in pursuing their climate and development goals. The Policy Analyst will work with the wider Energy Program’s team to help ensure that: 1) a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuel production and consumption is embedded in national and global planning and policies; and 2) commitments to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and international public finance for fossil fuels are implemented with integrity. Their key areas of responsibility will include but not be limited to:

• In collaboration with other IISD Energy experts, contributing to robust policy-oriented research and advocacy, with a particular focus on public financial flows, ambition and implementation of fossil fuel transition commitments, economic diversification, and other topics relating to transitioning away from fossil fuels.
• Producing policy briefs, blogs, visualizations, and other materials based on the team’s research and tailored to different target audiences (policy-makers, civil society, media).
• Planning engagements and liaising with IISD’s strategic partners.
• Presenting and communicating IISD’s work to a variety of audiences.

About the Successful Applicant

The successful applicant will be a quick learner with experience and a keen interest in the analysis of climate, economic development, and energy transition policies. They will be well organized and confident working with new topics, people, large amounts of information, and numbers. They will need to demonstrate evidence of critical thinking and attention to detail.

The successful applicant will have (essential):

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g., natural resource management, economics, public finance, international and development studies, political science, engineering, sociology, or interdisciplinary studies).
• A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in one or several of the following areas: policy research, climate and energy finance, statistics, and international cooperation; experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods for policy analysis.
• Confident and engaging communication skills, including an understanding of different communications approaches for different audiences.
• An understanding of policy-making in developed and developing countries; experience working in or with developing countries will be considered a strong advantage.
• An understanding of climate change and its broad implications for energy systems.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and knowledge management skills.
• A “can-do” work attitude and ability to work both independently and in different team roles, managing workloads and producing deliverables on time and within budget.
• A resourceful attitude with a pragmatic approach to solving issues, as well as the ability to learn quickly.
• The ability to be results-focused, prioritize and work quickly and accurately with the flexibility to take on tasks ranging from highly complex to basic in nature.
• A strong ability to work comfortably across different cultures and be inclusive and positive with different colleagues.
• Excellent oral and written English. Proficiency in another language will be considered an advantage.
• Availability to travel internationally.

The successful applicant could also have (desirable):

• Previous experience working on fossil fuel transitions and finance for energy
• Experience working with governments.
• Experience working with a broad network of other non-governmental organizations.

Position Details

Location:
Remote within one of the following Global South countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, or Uganda. The position involves regular virtual meetings with IISD staff and external partners based in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Australasia, with the successful candidates’ regular working hours overlapping with work hours in all of these locations. 

Candidates must hold an appropriate work authorization for locations where they expect to be based, without any sponsorship from IISD.

Salary:  Salary commensurate with experience and location

Type of employment: 100% full-time-equivalent staff position, including under an Employment of Record model. One-year contract with a high possibility of extension.

Job Type: Newly created Role

Application deadline: August 24, 2026 , 4PM CST 

Start Date: immediate opportunity

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English. 

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR. 

• A CV (no longer than two pages) 
• A one-page letter of motivation 
  

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for one year.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage applications from individuals from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities, including women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, people of diverse racial and ethnic identities, and people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and/or sex characteristics (SOGIESC).  

We are committed to equitable and inclusive recruitment practices and to reducing barriers to employment and advancement. Hiring decisions are based on qualifications, experience, competencies, and organizational needs, while recognizing the value that diverse perspectives and lived experiences bring to our work.  We offer reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process and welcome applicants’ input on how best to support their participation. Candidates are invited to voluntarily self-identify and complete our employment equity questionnaire through our applicant tracking system

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