Description
INTERNAL/EXTERNAL CALL FOR APPLICATION FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF AN INTERN (M/F) IN SUSTAINABLE FINANCE ANALYSIS FOR THE PROJECT OF THE DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR INTERNATIONALE ZUSAMMENARBEIT GmbH (GIZ/CoM SSA), BASED IN YAOUNDE –
A. CONTEXT
The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) represents the regional chapter of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM), the world’s largest alliance of over 13,000 cities and sub-national governments committed to ambitious climate action. Through CoM SSA, local authorities across Sub-Saharan Africa make voluntary political commitments to implement climate and energy strategies aligned with long-term goals for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and equitable access to sustainable energy. To date, over 380 cities in the region have joined the initiative.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports CoM SSA through its current implementation phase (Phase IV), which aims to significantly scale the initiative’s impact by enhancing access to finance for climate-resilient urban infrastructure. GIZ works in close collaboration with selected CoM SSA cities to strengthen climate-resilient urban planning and to provide targeted technical assistance for infrastructure project preparation. This includes advisory services for financing, private-sector engagement, and the integration of inclusive, participatory planning approaches, particularly in energy transition, urban resilience, and adaptation to climate change.
Programme Structure
CoM SSA is co-funded by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Spanish Agency for International Development (AECID) and is co-implemented by GIZ, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Expertise France (EF), and the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). BMZ’s contribution is commissioned through the GIZ Multi-Donor Platform Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Investments in Cities (CIVIC), including the CoM SSA and the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF). The CIVIC platform supports cities in advancing inclusive, climate-smart infrastructure by fostering international partnerships and leveraging public and private investment for resilient urban development.
GIZ implements CoM SSA Phase IV in collaboration with national and local stakeholders in four focus countries—Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. The GIZ CIVIC–CoM SSA team operates from Brussels, Berlin, Bonn, and in-country offices across the focal countries, ensuring close coordination between local implementation and global policy dialogue.
As part of the implementation of its activities in Cameroon, the Project Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (GIZ/CoM SSA) is looking for an Intern in Sustainable finance Analysis ; a position to be based in Yaoundé.
B. CORE TASKS
In pursuit of the attainment of project goals, the CoM SSA project is recruiting an intern to provide crucial support to the entire CoM SSA team (Country team and international colleagues) to ensure the smooth operation and implementation of project activities, supporting organization, communication, and data handling.
The Sustainable Finance Analyst Intern will principally support the team by actively participating in the research, analysis, and preparation of documents related to project financing in the fields of renewable energies, climate change adaptation, and mitigation. He/She will work under the direct supervision of the National Project Advisor with the support of the head of project based in Brussels, Belgium. The intern will be based in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Within this framework, the intern has the following activities.
C. ACTIVITIES
The intern will gain practical experience by performing the following activities across the various facets of the CoM SSA project and contributing meaningfully to its objectives.
1. Specific Sustainable Finance Tasks
Research and identify suitable funding sources for sustainable projects (development banks, green funds, impact investors, public subsidies, etc.), with a particular focus on climate and energy.
Identify investment opportunities aligned with sustainability objectives, notably in renewable energies and climate change adaptation/mitigation initiatives.
Contribute to the preparation of financing dossiers (pitch decks, information memorandums, loan applications) by collecting and organizing necessary data for climate and energy-related projects.
Analyze and assist in the integration of carbon credit mechanisms (monetization and compliance) for mitigation projects.
Assist in the preparation of analysis notes and investment recommendations for fund managers or clients, with a focus on climate impact
Participate in structuring financing plans for renewable energy and climate projects, by assisting in the implementation of relevant guarantee and insurance mechanisms.
Support the design and monitoring of projects directly related to climate change adaptation or mitigation, including renewable energies.
Assist in the development of strategies to generate and valorize carbon credits specifically from mitigation projects.
2. General Administrative Support
Coordinate internal and external meetings: schedule, send invitations, prepare agendas, take notes, and develop meeting reports/minutes.
Provide logistical support for events, workshops, or training sessions (e.g., venue booking, material preparation, participant registration, capturing photos and videos).
Maintain organized digital and physical filing systems for project documents, contracts, and communications.
3. Monitoring and Communications Support
Support the collection and entry of monitoring data related to the implementation of CoM SSA activities including sharing monitoring forms (e.g., attendance sheets, satisfaction surveys) with M&E focal point.
Assist in compiling data and preparing preliminary drafts for project progress reports, performance indicators, and impact assessments.
Draft articles or social media posts to highlight project achievements, city successes, and upcoming events for GIZ and CoM SSA newsletters, websites, and social media.
4. Knowledge Management Support
Assist in collecting, categorizing, filling and disseminating reports, case studies, and other relevant documents from CoM SSA cities and partners, ensuring easy retrieval.
Support the upkeep of the CoM SSA internal database (MS Teams), ensuring information is accurate, up-to-date, and accessible through data entry, quality checks, and content uploads.
Help draft concise summaries or abstracts of key documents for broader dissemination.
Identify and curate external resources (e.g., relevant research, funding mechanisms and opportunities, climate tools) valuable to CoM SSA cities, and help integrate them into the knowledge database (MS Teams).
5. General Obligations
Familiarize with GIZ’s planning, implementation, visibility guidelines, and information procedures.
Represent and defend the interests of the project.
Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor or line manager.
Requirements
D. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
To carry out these activities, the incumbent must have the following qualifications:
1. Qualification
Master’s Level: Final year Master’s student or holder of a Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, or other relevant quantitative discipline with a strong focus on sustainable development, environmental sciences, renewable energies, or climate finance.
Bachelor’s Level: Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, or other relevant quantitative discipline with a strong focus on sustainable development, environmental sciences, renewable energies, or climate finance AND at least one year of professional experience in sustainable development, renewable energies, or climate finance.
2. Other knowledge and skills
Good understanding of issues related to carbon credits and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Prior experience (internship) in a finance, energy, or sustainable development-related environment would be highly valued.
Familiarity with financial modeling and the preparation of financing dossiers would be an added advantage.
Strong analytical skills and a high degree of rigor.
Proactive, capable of working autonomously (under supervision), and curious.
Excellent working knowledge of ICT technologies and computer applications such as MS Office (MS Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Strong interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written); Full professional proficiency in English and French
A great professional attitude and ability to work in a diverse and multicultural team/environment
Contract start date: October 1st, 2025
Contract period: 3 months, renewable
Duty Station: Yaoundé
Internal classification of the position: under the hierarchical supervision of the Head of the Component Manager
Deadline for application files: August 31st, 2025
E. COMPOSITION AND SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
1. Composition (required) of the application files:
Cover letter
CV (2 pages maximum + 3 professional references)
2. Submission of the application form:
All applications will only be received on our career site, via the e-recruiting platform accessible through the link: https://giz-kamerun.workable.com/
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