Cape Town: Climate Finance and ESG Analsyt posted by PKF Octogon

About the Role

PKF Octogon is seeking a highly skilled Climate Finance and ESG Analyst to support the growth and delivery capacity of our ESG and Sustainability division. The successful candidate will work closely with the Head of ESG and Sustainability to deliver climate finance and ESG workstreams across multiple engagements, focusing on credible data, defensible analysis, and practical implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day project management across engagements: workplans, timelines, action logs, and status reporting.
• Coordinate internal delivery by allocating tasks, tracking progress, and driving deadlines.
• Manage client inputs and dependencies through structured requests, follow-ups, and an input/evidence register.
• Develop and quality assure budgets, ensuring sound assumptions and consistency with technical narratives.
• Build and maintain economic and financial analysis (EFA) models, including scenario and sensitivity analysis.
• Produce clear, client-ready outputs (tables, summaries, and model results) for reports, proposals, and presentations.
• Draft and coordinate proposal inputs: methodology, workplans, and LOE support.
• Conduct targeted research to strengthen proposals and technical positioning.
• Maintain reusable proposal content, templates, and delivery packs.
• Support ESG reporting work, including data collection planning, evidence structuring, and disclosure mapping inputs (GRI; IFRS S1 and S2).
• Support analysis, drafting, and packaging of ESG deliverables and presentations.
• Engage professionally with clients, maintain responsiveness, and manage expectations on inputs and timelines.
• Build strong client relationships through structured communication and reliable delivery.

Requirements

• Project management and delivery coordination: Ability to plan and manage work across multiple engagements, track actions, drive inputs, manage timelines, coordinate internal resources, and maintain delivery momentum.
• Financial modelling and analysis: Ability to develop structured Excel-based models, perform scenario and sensitivity analysis, and produce clear outputs for decision-making. Strong discipline on assumptions, version control, and error checking.
• Budgeting and cost logic: Ability to develop and review budgets, apply sound cost logic, and ensure internal consistency between activity-based budgets, narratives, and outputs.
• Client engagement: Ability to manage client interactions professionally, capture decisions, communicate clearly, and maintain strong follow-through.
• Data analytics and management: Ability to collect, organise, clean, and manage datasets with strong attention to detail and accuracy. Capacity to analyse data and translate findings into actionable insights and clear recommendations.
• Preliminary ESG knowledge: Working understanding of ESG reporting concepts and frameworks (for example, GRI and IFRS S1 and S2), including evidence expectations and disclosure logic. Deep expertise is not required, but a strong foundation and willingness to learn is essential.
• Technical proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, with the ability to develop professional presentations, perform analysis, and draft high-quality written outputs.
• Research capability: Ability to conduct efficient, relevant research to support climate finance and ESG deliverables and proposal development.
• Quality assurance and attention to detail: A meticulous approach to accuracy in models, budgets, analysis, and reporting, including the use of QA checklists and structured review processes.
• Adaptability and growth mindset: Demonstrated eagerness to learn and adapt in a fast-changing landscape, with commitment to professional and personal development.

Qualifications

Relevant undergraduate degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, Development Finance, Environmental Science, Sustainability, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred (for example, Development Finance, Economics, Finance, Sustainability, Climate Change, or similar). 2 to 5 years experience in project management, financial modelling, budgeting, advisory, consulting, or similar analytical roles is preferred. Exposure to climate finance and/or ESG reporting is beneficial but not mandatory.

Salary & Benefits

Salary details are not specified in the original job description.