UpEnergy Fellowship Programme


The UpEnergy Fellowship Programme offers exceptional early-career professionals

the opportunity to work on some of the most exciting challenges

Help shape the future of climate finance

The UpEnergy Fellowship Programme offers exceptional professionals the opportunity to work on some of the most exciting challenges.

Designed for ambitious individuals, our Fellows work alongside commercial, technical and operational leaders on projects that deliver measurable environmental and social impact.

Unlike traditional graduate programmes, Fellows take ownership from day one, contributing to live projects, solving complex business challenges and helping shape the future of one of Africa's leading carbon project developers.

Current Fellowship Opportunities

  • Function: Commercial / Marketing / Carbon Sales
    Location: Flexible to choose among UpEnergy operating markets
    Reports to: Commercial Team Leadership

    About us

    UpEnergy develops high-integrity decarbonization projects that deploy clean technologies in low-income countries. We collaborate with governments, local communities, discerning carbon buyers, and investors to direct climate finance toward projects that expand access to modern energy while delivering rigorously measured climate impact.  ‍

    Since 2011, our projects have improved the lives of more than 10 million people, reduced over 14 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions and now operate across eight African countries. As a pioneer in clean cooking carbon markets, CCP-labelled credits, CORSIA and Article 6, we're helping shape the future of high-integrity climate finance through technology, innovation and operational excellence.

    About the Role

    UpEnergy is entering a new phase of commercial growth as voluntary carbon markets mature and new compliance opportunities emerge through CCP, CORSIA and Article 6. We have ambitious plans to scale demand for our carbon credits across corporate buyers, retailers, airlines, sovereign partners and other strategic channels. Like many rapidly growing organisations, however, the commercial systems, processes and customer engagement models needed to support that growth are still evolving.

    As a Commercial Strategy Fellow, you will work directly with UpEnergy's Marketing, Carbon Sales, Product and Data Transformation teams to help design and implement the commercial operating model that supports this next stage of growth. This is not a traditional marketing role. Instead, you will work on strategic commercial initiatives spanning buyer segmentation, demand generation, CRM and commercial data strategy, customer communications, product positioning and AI-enabled sales processes. The objective is simple: build scalable commercial systems that enable the team to generate more demand, deepen customer relationships and convert more commercial opportunities.

    Key Responsibilities

    Commercial Strategy

    • Support the development of UpEnergy's commercial growth strategy across voluntary carbon markets, CORSIA and emerging Article 6 opportunities.

    • Develop and refine audience segmentation frameworks across different buyer groups, translating these into practical commercial strategies and customer engagement plans.

    • Identify opportunities to improve how UpEnergy positions and differentiates its products across different customer segments.

    Commercial Infrastructure

    • Help design scalable CRM and commercial intelligence systems, including buyer segmentation, contact strategy, opportunity management and reporting.

    • Develop frameworks for customer data management, prioritisation and AI-enabled workflows that improve commercial execution and decision making.

    • Support implementation of commercial processes that are repeatable, measurable and capable of scaling as the business grows.


    Demand Generation & Customer Engagement

    • Support development of targeted demand generation campaigns across priority buyer segments

    • Help design account-based marketing approaches for strategic buyers, retailers and channel partners.

    • Work alongside the commercial team to improve customer communications, outreach strategies and measurement of campaign effectiveness.


    Product & Commercial Development

    • Support development of differentiated commercial offerings, including CCP, CORSIA and future product bundles.

    • Help shape buyer-facing digital tools and customer experiences that improve buyer confidence and reduce friction throughout the sales process.

    • Identify opportunities to apply AI and emerging technologies to improve commercial performance.

    Preferred Experience

    • 3-10 years of professional experience in consulting, finance, commercial strategy, sales, business development etc.

    • CRM platforms, customer segmentation or commercial analytics.

    • Demand generation or go-to-market strategy.

    • Experience with AI-enabled business tools.

    • Exposure to climate, sustainability or environmental markets is beneficial but not essential.

    What Success Looks Like

    • A clearly defined commercial growth framework supporting UpEnergy's next phase of expansion.

    • Improved audience segmentation and CRM architecture enabling more targeted customer engagement.

    • New demand generation and customer communication approaches implemented and measured.

    • Practical AI-enabled workflows adopted to improve commercial effectiveness.

    • Stronger commercial infrastructure that supports scalable growth across voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

Why join the Fellowship?

This is more than a short-term placement.

The UpEnergy Fellowship Programme was created to attract exceptional people looking to step outside the traditional corporate path and gain hands-on experience tackling some of the world's most pressing climate and development challenges.

While Fellows may be based remotely or in one of our operating markets, we encourage opportunities to immerse yourself in our work across Africa wherever possible, working alongside local teams and partners to understand the realities of delivering climate projects on the ground.

Our Fellows become part of a highly collaborative, international team working across commercial strategy, project development, technology, carbon markets and operations. You'll work directly with experienced leaders, gain exposure to governments, global organisations and commercial partners, and contribute to projects with real commercial and environmental impact.

What you'll gain

  • Meaningful responsibility from day one, working on projects that have real commercial and environmental impact.

  • The opportunity to work alongside colleagues and partners across Africa, gaining first-hand insight into delivering climate projects in diverse markets.

  • Exposure to international carbon markets, climate finance and emerging global policy, including Article 6, CORSIA and high-integrity carbon standards.

  • Mentorship from experienced industry leaders, with opportunities to work across commercial, technical and operational teams.

  • A broad understanding of how a fast-growing international business operates, from strategy and partnerships to project delivery and innovation.

  • A fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where ideas are encouraged, ownership is valued and your work can make a visible difference.

What Fellows Receive

We acknowledge that you’re stepping away from what you would have earned at a top-tier firm to work in a mission-focused environment. In return, you get experience and impact that you cannot replicate anywhere else.

  • Mission-aligned salary benchmarked against local market rates in your country of placement

  • One round-trip flight between your country and fellowship location covered for the duration of your fellowship period 

  • Housing support to assist with finding and settling into accommodation in-country

  • Visa and work permit costs fully covered — not deducted from your package

How to Apply

Submit your CV and a short cover letter outlining your interest in the Fellowship and the role you'd like to apply for. We'll review applications on a rolling basis and contact shortlisted candidates to arrange an interview.