Employer:Government
Background / General description:
The regional Chief Economist office is the principal advisor to the regional Vice President. The office
provides a wide range of analytical resources to other units in the Vice Presidency and represents it in internal and external meetings of experts. It collaborates with researchers and policy makers in the countries, and promotes local debate on difficult policy issues through the dissemination and discussion of evidence-based analyses.
The office leads the preparation of the yearly flagship report of the region, delivers a bi-annual publication on current economic developments, and produces several self-standing volumes every year on topics of interest for the region as a whole. The office has responsibility for analysis and research on regional issues including economic integration. It also oversees the analytical work of the Vice Presidency, providing guidance and inputs as needed.
The office contributes to the development of regional, country and sector strategies, coordinates the annual Country Policy and Institutional Assessments for the region, and participates in the preparation and review of broader World Bank products, including flagship publications and inputs for high-level international meetings. It also provides operational support to country teams, assisting on demand on the preparation of selected credits and loans, and on the organization of workshops and conferences.
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3 year term appointment.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The person selected for this job will be a key member of regional Chief Economist office, a team comprising half a dozen economists and several analysts and assistants. The team is spread between Washington DC and Delhi. A large majority of its members are in the former location, but the spatial distribution of the team may evolve over time. The position is based in Washington DC.
The selected candidate will:
- undertake quantitative and qualitative research, contribute to regional publications, and prepare notes and presentations;
- participate in the dissemination of findings to local audiences, to development partners, in international events, inside the World Bank and through electronic platforms;
- develop a good understanding of the analytical program of the Vice-Presidency, contributing comments and interacting with the teams in charge, as needed;
- take a leading role in activities related to public finance, public sector management, governance and conflict;
- provide cross-support to operational units, contribute to corporate products and participate in monitoring efforts including countries in the region;
- collaborate with other members of the team in the organization of conference, workshops and dissemination events.
Selection Criteria:
Competencies
- General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Possesses Cross-country knowledge in economic specialty and demonstrates ability to link the macro, institutional, and micro-level behaviors; able to support findings/policy recommendations with credible analysis and tools.
- Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
- Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.
- Integrative Skills - Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.
- Macroeconomic Skills and Country Economics Experience - Able to translate technical analyses of macroeconomic, debt, trade, fiscal policy, and growth linkages into policy recommendations and cross-country lessons.
- Written and Verbal Communication - Demonstrates the ability to influence and persuade others to accept ideas and suggestions (such as counterparts in government, international partner organizations, academia, and Bank colleagues, senior staff and managers)
- Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
- Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.
- Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Shows leadership in ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches.
- Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Leads in the sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.
- Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Gathers inputs, assesses risk, considers impact and articulates benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders over the long term.
To be considered for this position, a candidate must:
- have at least an MA in economics and a minimum of eight years of work experience; a PhD in economics is preferred;
- possess strong analytical skills, and the ability to independently conduct empirical analysis with a policy orientation;
- have expertise in public finance, public sector management, governance or conflict; field experience is preferred;
- have experience in producing papers and reports, integrating knowledge from different areas and presenting the results in a user-friendly way;
- be able to handle multiple tasks, take initiative as needed, manage activities and their budgets, and deliver on time;
- have strong communication skills, be a good listener, have a collegial attitude, give credit to others and work well in teams
- Closing Date: Sunday, 14 July 2013
How-toApply.