Clean Transportation Project Manager, South Africa

The ICCT is looking for an enthusiastic researcher to join the organization’s Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program team as a full-time consultant to support clean fuels and vehicle policies in South Africa and other African countries. This position will contribute to ICCT’s work on zero-emission urban bus fleets, local policies to tackle urban air pollution from the heavy-duty sector, national fuel quality and vehicle emission standards, and other strategies to improve the environmental and energy performance of the transportation fleet in South Africa. This is an opportunity to be ICCT’s first staff member based in South Africa, serving as ICCT’s primary representative in the country and playing a role in shaping ICCT’s presence in the region. 

The ideal candidate will bring knowledge of the transportation sector and environmental/energy topics, modeling and analytical skills, project management experience, written and spoken fluency in English, strong written and verbal communication skills, and a demonstrated interest in solving our most pressing global health and environmental challenges. This opportunity is best suited to someone who is self-motivated, resourceful, creative, curious, and willing to work hard and learn fast.  

This position will be based in South Africa and report to ICCT’s Heavy-Duty Program Director. 

YOU WILL: 

• Represent ICCT in South Africa as the organization's first in-country staff member, serving as a primary point of contact for local government agencies, NGOs, industry partners, and media while embodying ICCT’s mission, values, and ways of working in all external engagements.   

• Engage and collaborate effectively with ICCT staff and key partners in South Africa to gather information and communicate relevant findings from ICCT’s research to support policy development 

• Engage city authorities to provide technical and policy support with the aim to remove barriers for electrification of bus fleets 

• Participate in working group meetings with other NGOs, industry and agency staff to develop and revise transportation policies 

• Write clear, strong technical reports, policy briefings, and articles to summarize ICCT’s research for key stakeholders 

• Analyze costs and benefits of vehicle emission reduction technologies, strategies and policies 

• Develop quantitative and qualitative analyses of technology and operational strategies to reduce vehicle emissions, helping to design and assess both local and national policies to accelerate fleet turnover and reduce transportation emissions 

• Conduct research on industrial policy strategies to support local manufacturing and assembly of zero-emission vehicles and components, and engage with government and industry stakeholders to inform policies that strengthen South Africa's domestic EV value chain 

• Collaborate with public bus fleet operators in major West and East African cities to collect data, apply ICCT’s models, and design fleet-wide zero emissions bus deployment strategies that inform a regional e-bus rollout study 

YOU HAVE: 

• M.Sc. or Ph.D. in engineering, environmental science, environmental policy, energy and resources, transportation, or relevant field. 

• 3+ years of applicable research experience. 

• Demonstrated ability to conduct technical analysis and write reports related to vehicle efficiency, electric vehicle technology, and transportation decarbonization policies. 

• Strong proficiency with data manipulation and analysis tools. Experience with R or Python is preferred. 

• Strong English communication skills, both written and verbal. 

• Strong problem-solving, interpersonal, and strategic thinking capabilities coupled with an outcome delivery-oriented approach. 

• Availability for occasional national and international travel.