Sector Manager, Food

CREO is a NYC-headquartered not-for-profit with a mission to mobilize and catalyze high-impact capital to drive the necessary transition to a low-carbon, sustainable, and prosperous future for all. To achieve our mission, CREO works with a large ecosystem of global stakeholders, including Members (family offices, family foundations, and family-owned enterprises) and Affiliates (other investors), and provides knowledge and confidence-building through shared insights, research, and programming that focuses on the question of how to invest in the decarbonization transition. CREO seeks an analytically rigorous, commercially curious, and independent-minded Sector Manager, Food & Agriculture to produce research that helps investors understand how and where capital can accelerate the transition to sustainable food and agricultural systems. This individual-contributor role combines independent research and data analysis with expert consultations with CREO Members, partners, and colleagues. Global food systems are responsible for over a third of annual greenhouse gas emissions and are uniquely exposed to drought, water scarcity, and extreme weather. Transforming them will depend as much on the sector’s economics, and on how its businesses and producers are financed, as on the technology itself. The Sector Manager will write independent research papers and data-driven overviews, track technology, market, and capital trends across the sector, contribute to CREO’s working groups, and provide expert perspective to Members, prospective Members, partners, and CREO’s investment team. The role requires a broad understanding of how the food and agriculture sector works, from its technology and science to its market economics and financing, as well as the judgement to turn data into a clear, investor-relevant point of view. The scope is global and spans multiple asset classes. This position reports to the Research Director and works closely with other teams across the organization. This is an experienced hire. The Sector Manager will be on a professional track to become CREO’s specialist lead on food and agricultural systems, working initially with guidance from the Research team and taking on increasing independence and ownership over time. The role offers significant exposure to sophisticated global investors and the opportunity to build deep sector and investment expertise within CREO’s Research team. This is a hybrid role, with an expectation of at least three days a week in CREO’s Cape Town office. CREO works with colleagues and Members across multiple time zones, so some flexibility in

working hours
will be required. Primary Objectives Research & Insight
• Produce 6–8 research outputs per year, combining in-depth, long-form research papers with shorter, data-driven overviews of emerging trends, companies, and market developments.
• Find, interrogate, and analyze data independently to build and test a thesis, drawing out the “so what” for investors and catalytic funders.
• Develop compelling narratives that translate technical and economic complexity into insight that sophisticated investor audiences can act on. Sector Coverage & Market Intelligence
• Maintain a broad, current view of the sector across the value chain, from farm inputs and regenerative production to processing, supply chains, and food technology.
• Track emerging technologies, companies, funding rounds, and capital flows, and understand the sector’s economics and financing characteristics.
• Assess the genuine climate relevance of technologies, business models, and investment themes, distinguishing material decarbonization and resilience potential from weaker climate narratives. Expert Consultation & Collaboration
• Act as a knowledgeable resource in briefings and consultations with CREO Members, prospective Members, and partners, preparing input material and responding confidently to questions in real time.
• Provide technology and market perspective on companies, funds, and pitch materials to support CREO’s investment team, which leads deal evaluation.
• Provide sector expertise and research input to CREO’s working groups.
• Use Member and working group discussions to identify research questions and priorities.
• Engage external experts, researchers, and practitioners to both build networks and support research findings.
• Contribute data-backed perspectives to CREO’s in-person and online programs, and develop resources that help colleagues across CREO speak credibly about food and agriculture. Desired Qualifications
• Approximately 3 years of relevant experience in research, analysis, or advisory work. For example, at a research organization, agricultural bank, consultancy, policy institute, or agri-food business.
• A Master’s degree in a relevant field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong data analysis skills, with a demonstrated ability to independently find, interrogate, and analyze data to build and test a thesis.
• Clear, concise writing and the ability to synthesize complex technical and economic material into a coherent argument, with demonstrated or developing strength in drawing out investor-relevant insight.
• A broad, well-established understanding of how the food and agriculture sector works, spanning both its technology and science and its economics, including market size, pricing power, supply chains, and policy. This knowledge may come from academic study or practical experience. Climate-specific experience is a plus.
• Financial literacy, including the ability to read and interpret a company’s income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. Familiarity with private market investment trends, fund strategies, and common business models in the sector is preferred.
• Independent thinking and sound critical judgement, with the curiosity to question assumptions and the aptitude to engage credibly with sophisticated investor audiences, both one-to-one and in group settings. Compensation & Benefits This role will be paid a base salary between R600,000 and R800,000, commensurate with experience. This role is also eligible for an annual performance bonus of up to 10% of the base salary. CREO relies on Multiplier as our employer of record in South Africa. CREO provides AXA Gold Plus medical cover through Multiplier, with CREO covering 100% of the premium for the team member and any dependents. CREO offers a generous time-off package, including PTO and sick leave, week-long organization-wide breaks in August and December, observance of South African public holidays, and a Summer Friday program. Team members also have access to 12 weeks of paid family leave for qualifying life events after six months of service. To apply, please send your resume and a note expressing your interest to hiring@creosyndicate.org. More about CREO All team members are partners in further engaging, supporting, and activating CREO’s growing membership across two Global Hubs – the Americas and EMEA – and 30+ countries to advance CREO’s goal of catalyzing $1T of capital by 2029. CREO is not, and does not provide services as an investment advisor, investment analyst, broker, dealer, market-maker, investment banker, or underwriter. Authorization to work in South Africa is required.