Sustainable Finance Specialist

BASE Open Position: Sustainable Finance Specialist

Are you ready to tackle the challenges of climate change and sustainable development? Join BASE, a dynamic and impactful international organization based in Basel, Switzerland, committed to leveraging innovative, market-driven business models and financial strategies. Bring your skills and passion to transform ideas into actionable, real-world solutions, mobilize investments, and drive systemic market transformations for sustainable, lasting change.

At BASE, we collaborate closely with stakeholders to deliver tangible results and ignite a movement for sustainability. This is more than just a job—it’s an opportunity to make a meaningful impact, addressing global challenges through locally tailored solutions in a multicultural and collaborative environment.

Location: Basel, Switzerland

Schedule: Full-time position (100%)

Duration: 12 months, with possibility of extension

Start date: As soon as possible, ideally by end of January 2025

Deadline for applications: January 12th, 2025

Swiss or EU citizenship, or a valid Swiss work permit, is required. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of Swiss work visa processes, applications from non-European candidates, including those with EU work permits or EU student visas, cannot be considered.

About BASE

The BASE Foundation is a Swiss NGO and a specialised partner of the UN Environment established in 2001. BASE specialises in mobilising investment and financing to address climate change challenges through innovative business models and financing strategies rooted in market-driven practices, BASE drives systemic market transformations that deliver sustainable and inclusive outcomes.

BASE enables, builds capacities, and fosters collaboration among key market stakeholders across the value chain, including financial institutions, SMEs, technology solution providers, households, farmers, governments, development agencies, academia, and others. Through these partnerships, BASE designs and supports the implementation of innovative strategies, playing a pivotal role in building trust, aligning efforts and resources, and creating momentum to achieve impactful results. This approach advances sustainability and addresses the challenges of climate change effectively.

Background

We are seeking a dedicated, enthusiastic, and creative professional to join the BASE team as a Sustainable Finance Specialist. We are looking for someone with a strong interest in sustainable development and climate change solutions, a keen ability to learn, think innovatively, and contribute their unique perspective to problem-solving in dynamic and impactful projects.

The candidate will play a key role in supporting various initiatives, including the Your Virtual Cold Chain Assistant (Your VCCA) initiative in Guinea-Bissau and potentially in other countries. Additionally, the specialist will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of experts to provide technical assistance to financial institutions, helping them develop and implement sustainable finance strategies, with a primary focus on Latin America and Asia.

Your VCCA facilitates smallholder farmers’ access to sustainable cooling through a pay-per-use business model and digital solutions, reducing food spoilage and enhancing livelihoods. It partners with local organizations to scale solar-powered, walk-in cold rooms, supported by a mobile application (Coldtivate) that advises farmers on the best times to sell produce to maximize income. Building on BASE’s Cooling as a Service (CaaS) initiative, Your VCCA integrates data science and physics-based modeling. Piloted in India and Nigeria, the solution has reduced postharvest losses by 60%, increased farmers’ income by 43%, and cut CO2e emissions by 139 tonnes/year. Since 2024, activities in Guinea-Bissau focus on understanding local cooling needs, creating a supportive ecosystem, and piloting sustainable governance models for four cooling units.

The specialist will have the opportunity to contribute to BASE’s various programs supporting financial institutions, including banks, funds, and public development banks (PDBs). These programs focus on defining sustainable finance strategies, identifying market opportunities, and designing innovative financial mechanisms to leverage private investments. With initiatives spanning Latin America and Asia, this role offers exposure to a wide range of impactful projects that advance sustainable development and climate finance. The candidate will work closely with a multidisciplinary team to address complex challenges and drive transformative solutions in the financial sector.

About the role

Within the Your VCCA project, the candidate will be responsible for managing the interaction with the local stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau, coordinate the work of the local consultant, and contribute to the development of the governance structure for each of the pilot locations. The candidate will also be responsible for periodically preparing the reporting documents for the funders, and will contribute to the project fundraising activities. The candidate will also have the opportunity to engage in conversations with multiple stakeholders interested in piloting the Your VCCA solution beyond Guinea-Bissau and contribute to the other projects that are part of the Your VCCA initiative.

As part of BASE’s technical assistance for financial institutions, the candidate will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to develop and propose financial strategies—such as lending instruments and risk mitigation mechanisms—that mobilize funding for sustainable and decarbonization solutions. Working closely with local specialists in finance, policy, and sustainability, the candidate will contribute to transformative projects across key sectors, including renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and eMobility. This role provides a dynamic platform to tackle complex challenges and advance BASE’s mission of promoting sustainability and climate resilience through innovative business models and financial strategies.

Professional requirements

• A postgraduate degree in a relevant field, such as sustainable finance, economics, climate change, international development, or a related discipline.
• At least two years of professional experience in sustainable finance, international development, or related fields. Experience with sustainable development/climate change-related projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) is an advantage.
• Proven experience in project management, including financial reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong enthusiasm for sustainability and climate change-related projects and alignment with BASE’s vision and stakeholder needs.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Full professional proficiency in English and Portuguese is required. Spanish is highly desirable, and additional language skills are an asset.

Personal attributes

• Passion and commitment to sustainable development and climate change work.
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and diverse environments.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, self-motivated, proactive, and capable of making meaningful contributions in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
• Strong multitasking skills, with self-initiative, results-driven mindset to achieve project goals while remaining flexible to adapt to meet changing demands.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Highest ethical standards.