Background
C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities, who are working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis, and create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. Through a Global Green New Deal, mayors are working alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labour, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to go further and faster than ever before.
C40’s team of 400+ staff is based in offices in London, in New York, Johannesburg, Singapore, Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen, Beijing and Paris, and individual staff based across 25+ different locations.
The strategic direction of the organisation is determined by an elected Steering Committee of C40 mayors, which is chaired by Mayor Sadiq Khan of London and Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown. Three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the C40 Board of Directors, responsible for operational oversight. A regionally diverse management team, led by Executive Director Mark Watts, leads the day-to-day management of C40. C40’s three core strategic funders are Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Realdania.
Our international staff work with the C40 network under the leadership of city governments to deliver this mission. Using a data-driven approach, our team identifies and promotes the exchange of proven programmes and policies developed by cities; provides world-class research, technical expertise and access to key partners to deliver new programmes and policies with cities; and communicates cities’ individual achievements and collective leadership.
Diversity Statement
C40 is committed to supporting and promoting equity and diversity and creating an inclusive working environment for everyone. We believe that when people with different life experiences are involved in decision-making, we deliver better.
We believe having a diverse workforce ensures we connect better with all the different communities and people affected by the climate crisis. This enables us to make better decisions which lead to better outcomes in the work we do through increased creativity, productivity, greater global impact alongside a broader perspective and approach to our work.
We welcome applicants that are diverse in terms of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity and perspective. Our goal is for C40 to be an environment where everyone, from any background, can flourish and can be themselves whilst contributing to our mission. If you identify as a person with a disability, we work to provide reasonable appropriate measures and any additional support needed to provide an equitable working experience. If you are living with a disability, chronic illness or neurodiversity please inform us, to provide you with the proper assistance in the application process.
C40 promotes a work culture where staff can input to improve equity, diversity and inclusion through staff-led groups and formal forums. We know that creating our ideal working environment is a learning process and we are committed to the ongoing effort.
C40 Climate Solutions and Networks
C40’s Climate Solutions and Networks (CSN) team oversees six program areas focused on priority climate action sectors and interventions: Energy and Buildings; Transportation; Urban Planning; Food and Waste; Air Quality; and Climate Resilience. Under these program areas, CSN operates 16 different networks that facilitate city-to-city best practice sharing on specific climate action areas, such as clean energy or zero emission vehicles. The networks help cities replicate, improve and accelerate climate action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. These city-only working groups provide for honest knowledge and experience exchange, enabling cities to tap into the global expertise of their peers as well as connect with technical partners. Through networks, cities find opportunities to undertake joint projects in areas of mutual interest and benefit. C40 networks also amplify individual city solutions by providing a global platform for showcasing city success. The result is that cities' climate actions to reduce GHGs, air pollutants and climate risks are bolder, fairer, and more impactful than if they were to go it alone.
A number of these programs and networks also offer direct support to cities through technical assistance projects, trainings, tools, and resources, often in conjunction with other C40 teams and programs. The CSN team also supports cities to deliver on the mayoral commitments made through C40’s accelerators including, but not limited to, the Green & Healthy Streets Accelerator, the Good Food Cities Accelerator, the Pathway Towards Zero Waste, and Towards Zero Waste Accelerators. The C40 accelerators are statements of political leadership giving cities an opportunity to show leadership globally and locally.
The Food Programme supports C40 cities to transition towards regenerative resource management and reduce emissions through more sustainable consumption. The programme works with cities to make it easier to eat sustainably and waste less food, minimising carbon emissions and increasing resiliency throughout the urban food system.
Food is among the largest drivers of global environmental climate change. C40 research shows that emissions associated with food consumption in C40 cities account for 13%-20% of cities' total (GHG) emissions. Today, most of the world's food is consumed in cities, with 80% of all food expected to be consumed in cities by 2050. Bringing a new focus to how the world approaches food systems through a demand side approach, since launching the food activities in 2016 this has become an increasingly crucial area of work for C40.
The C40 Food Systems Network supports cities to create and implement integrated food policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase resilience, and deliver health outcomes. There are currently over 50 cities involved in the Network. The Good Food Cities Accelerator has been signed by 16 leading mayors, who have committed to work with citizens to achieve a ‘Planetary Health Diet’ for all by 2030 Signatories are doing this by aligning their procurement, transforming the urban food environment, halving food loss and waste and working with local stakeholders to develop a joint strategy for implementing these actions inclusively and equitably, while streamlining food in their CAPs.
Position Description
The Food Data and Research Manager will work with the Food team as well as the other C40 Programs, to identify data and analysis needs and opportunities; as well as to respond to internal and external evidence and knowledge requests. The Food Data and Research Manager will create analysis to strengthen quantitative evidence making the case for improved food and climate actions. The postholder will support the food team in its effort to track and report cities’ progress towards the existing and upcoming commitments. This will involve collecting and processing technical data from a wide range of sources, to organise quantitative data into a structured and accessible system. In addition, to analyse, estimate, calculate and visualise overall outputs, outcomes and impacts.
The Food Data and Research Manager will require skills to work across the pipeline of data management, from collection, through to modelling and analysis and ultimately reporting. The Food Data and Research Manager will provide city support, organisational support and donor reporting as well as undertake primary research (often Excel-based, R or QGIS-based), and report writing and production. The role will support the delivery and coordination of the day-to-day analytics of food systems action implementation (including developing new tools and practices to estimate impacts), data management and data visualization. Data management and modelling and analysis is the core part of the position but data does not always speak for itself. The role may engage with city officials to collect data, teach the tools, or share the findings. Therefore, the ability to translate complex data and present it in a clear and compelling way, to various audiences, will also be an important part of the role
She/he will be an experienced and proactive individual, able to manage their work independently and make the most of a complex portfolio in a high-profile area of C40’s work. She/he will join a team of dynamic C40 staff and will be connected to leading cities around the world. He or she will be passionate about working with a diverse range of cities to find practical solutions to build evidence on food and climate actions.
Responsibilities:
- Support the food team in collecting, maintaining, analysing and reporting on key data - including the ones related to the Good Food Cities Accelerator;
- Support the development of the bi-annual Accelerator report and the yearly internal dashboards updates, including data collection, analysis and data visualisation;
- Create and deliver technical training for cities’ staff in data collection methods and management -necessary for decision support;
- Lead the coordination on the curating, refinement and definition of indicators related to the existing and proposed Food Systems commitments including the provision of analytical support and iteration with city staff;
- Support city staff in identifying and developing food data that can be used to inform baselines, set targets, plan and implement strategies, and measure changes related to food actions and policy interventions over time;
- Support internal data management on food systems for Climate Action Planning, Leadership Standards and high impact actions, coordinating across C40 teams on the collection and management of the relevant Leadership Standards, High Impact Actions and CDP data. This will include developing data management solutions including protocols, methodologies and processes;
- Coordinate and support the development of new food data partnerships with external partners that will create new data opportunities that will support C40 cities:
- Undertake analytical work in support of the Good Food Cities Accelerator, signatory cities as well as other C40 teams, including ongoing assessments of trends in emission reduction, health outcomes and good green jobs creation associated with food and climate actions -to strengthen the arguments for food and climate actions;
- Provide analytical support to respond to C40 staff and city requests, where new data can support cities in making the case for action;
- Translate quantitative findings into visuals, knowledge products including white papers and articles, and presentations for internal and external research and communication purposes on food and climate actions.
- Collaboration with other C40 teams, particularly within the Research, BPMI, Communication and Campaign teams.
- Other duties as assigned.
Person Specification:
- Excellent analytical skills, with advanced Excel experience is an essential requirement, including some VBA experience
- Experience using R or Python for developing, curating datasets
- Experience developing, reviewing and quality assuring (trouble-shooting) complex data sets (structuring data, finding errors and interpreting results)
- Expertise on food systems data and analytics, including on the urban and peri-urban levels
- Expertise in city-wide and project-level data collection methods and experience developing data collection methods and database management preferred.
- Demonstrative experience in data visualisation and developing resources - including succinct and concise presentations, guidance and other knowledge products around capacity building.
- Strong verbal and presentation skills to communicate evidences and present technical results to less technical audiences (eg. Staff, Funders and other stakeholders).
- Excellent problem-solving, strategic thinking and analytical capabilities, with a creative problem-solving and solutions-oriented approach.
- Proactive approach to work, with an interest in taking ownership of crucial tasks and seeing them through to completion.
- Demonstrated experience in working as part of a team, and in multicultural settings and across different time zones, and ability to manage multiple parallel tasks.
- Strong English written and verbal communication skills are essential.
Other Requirements:
Applicants must already have the right to work in the listed locations. Moderate travel will be required as part of the role.
Reporting To: Food Systems Senior Manager
Term: Fixed Term until 31st December 2027
Location: Athens, Johannesburg, London
Salary: (Grade 4) Athens, EUR 44,578, Johannesburg, ZAR 715,392, London, GBP £53,243
Application Process:
Closing date for applications is Tuesday 19th November at 5.00pm GMT. C40 reserves the right to close this job opening before the closing date for applications so please do submit applications early.
To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit www.c40.org, follow us on Twitter @c40cities and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/C40Cities.
For any queries about the role, please contact careers@C40.org. Kindly note that this email address is for recruitment related queries only. We are unable to accept CVs and cover letters sent to this inbox. We can only accept and process applications that are submitted via our website.
C40 is an equal opportunities employer.
