Research Analyst — Policy and Sustainability Intelligence | Remote Across Africa|Deadline 07 Sept 2026
Are you an experienced researcher with a strong interest in environmental policy, sustainability and international development? Development Expertise Lab (DEL) is recruiting a Research Analyst — Policy and Sustainability Intelligence for a fully remote opportunity open to candidates in any African country.
The position offers an opportunity to work on high-level policy intelligence assignments supporting international strategy and political risk consultancies and their multinational clients.
About Development Expertise Lab
Development Expertise Lab is a research and consulting firm specialising in international development. Its growing policy and sustainability intelligence practice provides research and analytical support to global strategy and political risk consultancies.
The firm’s clients include multinational beverage manufacturers, agricultural input companies, asset managers and corporate foundations. The successful Research Analyst will join a team working on research that helps organisations understand policy developments, sustainability trends, environmental markets and emerging risks.
About the Research Analyst Role
The Research Analyst will take responsibility for a portfolio of policy intelligence work currently supporting a global political risk and strategy consultancy.
This is a desk-based research and analytical position, with assignments covering a wide range of policy and sustainability topics. The successful candidate will be expected to conduct high-quality research, analyse information from multiple sources and produce accurate outputs under tight deadlines.
Recent projects undertaken by the practice have included global policy databases covering water, agriculture and sustainability disclosure, as well as market-readiness frameworks for biodiversity and water credits.
The team has also produced sector risk and trend reports for the beverage industry and asset managers, provided daily analytical coverage of multilateral summits and conducted stakeholder mapping for international conferences.
The successful candidate can expect to work on similar assignments across the policy, sustainability and international development landscape.
Key Responsibilities
Although the position involves a variety of research assignments, the role is likely to involve:
- Conducting detailed desk-based research on environmental and sustainability policies.
- Monitoring policy and regulatory developments across different countries and sectors.
- Developing and maintaining policy databases.
- Analysing environmental markets, including carbon, biodiversity and water credit mechanisms.
- Preparing research reports, briefings and analytical outputs.
- Contributing to market-readiness and sustainability frameworks.
- Monitoring multilateral summits and major international policy developments.
- Conducting stakeholder mapping for international conferences and initiatives.
- Handling several concurrent assignments while meeting demanding deadlines.
- Using quantitative and data-handling tools to organise, analyse and visualise information.
- Identifying potential delays or challenges early and communicating them appropriately.
The role is therefore particularly suited to candidates who combine strong research skills with excellent written communication and the ability to work independently.
Who Can Apply?
Candidates must meet several essential requirements.
Applicants should have a master’s degree in Environmental Policy, Sustainability, Development Studies, Public Policy or a closely related discipline.
Candidates must also have at least two years of research experience in a consultancy, think tank, research centre or another comparable analytical environment.
A strong understanding of environmental markets is required. This includes knowledge of areas such as carbon markets, biodiversity credits and water credit mechanisms.
Excellent written English is another important requirement because the role involves producing high-quality research and analytical materials for professional clients.
Applicants should also demonstrate exceptional attention to detail. Because the position involves several assignments at the same time, candidates need to be comfortable working under pressure and managing tight deadlines.
Technical Skills
The successful applicant should have working knowledge of at least one of the following tools:
- Microsoft Excel
- Stata
- R
- Python
These skills will be used for data handling and visualisation.
Candidates do not necessarily need to be advanced programmers, but they should be comfortable using relevant analytical tools to manage and interpret research data.
Remote Work Across Africa
One of the major attractions of this opportunity is its geographical flexibility. The position is advertised as remote and open to candidates in any African country.
This makes the role particularly interesting for qualified researchers based across the continent who want to work on international policy and sustainability projects without relocating.
The successful candidate will work remotely while contributing to assignments connected to global strategy, political risk, sustainability and international development.
Employment Details
Position: Research Analyst — Policy and Sustainability Intelligence
Organisation: Development Expertise Lab
Location: Remote — Any African Country
Job Type: Consultancy
Career Category: Information Management
Experience: 3–4 years listed by ReliefWeb
Sector: Climate Change and Environment
Start Date: September 2026
Application Deadline: 7 September 2026
Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply early rather than waiting until the final deadline.
How to Apply
Candidates who meet the requirements can apply by completing the application form provided by Development Expertise Lab.
Application deadline: 7 September 2026.
Because applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, candidates should prepare their application materials and submit them as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts
The Development Expertise Lab Research Analyst position presents an excellent opportunity for professionals interested in the intersection of environmental policy, sustainability, research and international development.
It is particularly relevant to candidates with postgraduate qualifications in environmental policy, sustainability, development studies or public policy who already have research experience in a consultancy, think tank or similar analytical environment.
The role also provides exposure to important emerging areas such as carbon markets, biodiversity credits, water credits, sustainability disclosure and environmental risk. Combined with its remote arrangement across Africa, this could be an attractive opportunity for researchers looking to contribute to international projects while building their expertise in sustainability intelligence.
If you meet the educational, research and technical requirements, consider applying before the 7 September 2026 deadline. Early applications are encouraged because candidates will be considered on a rolling basis.
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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
