Senior Economist

Job #: req24796

Organization: World Bank

Sector: Economics

Grade: GG

Term Duration: 4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

Location: Abidjan,Cote d’Ivoire

Required Language(s): French and English

Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 11/14/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region

We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.

Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.

In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 350 projects totaling more than $38 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.

Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

The Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice

The Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment (MTI) Global Practice leads the World Bank Group’s dialogue and engagement with clients in macroeconomics, fiscal policy, trade, competition and investment. MTI links the macroeconomic dialogue with programs focused on expanding the role of the private sector in economic development. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/unit/mti-gp

The Senior Economist will be part of the Côte d’Ivoire MTI Team, which is comprised of a Lead Economist for the Country Management unit (covering Togo, Benin, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire) and a local country economist for Côte d’Ivoire, based in Abidjan. He/She will also be part of the Ivory Coast Country Engagement Team comprised of colleagues from the different practice groups and other senior global practice staff to ensure cross-cutting solutions to the core (typically multi-practice) country engagements around which the Côte d’Ivoire Country Partnership Framework and the country program is organized. Each core engagement utilizes different Bank instruments (ASA, policy dialogue, lending [DPO, PforR, IPF]).

Responsibilities : The Senior Economist is expected to lead or co-lead tasks to support core country engagements on the following areas.

•  Macro-financial stability and Inclusive growth
•  Domestic revenue mobilization,
•  Quality of public expenditures and Debt management
•  Private investment and Economic growth and diversification
•  Effectiveness, transparency and accountability of public institutions (in particular finance and fiscal institutions)

As integral part of the MTI Côte d’Ivoire team, specific responsibilities of the Senior Economist include the following:

•  Lead the macroeconomic monitoring of Côte d’Ivoire, which includes the Macro and Poverty Outlook (MPO) and the annual Côte d’Ivoire Economic Update;
•  Lead and coordinate the policy dialogue on macroeconomic and fiscal policy and economic growth issues with the Ivorian authorities, with the IMF and economic departments of other development agencies and non-government stakeholders;
•  Lead fiscal and debt ASAs including Public Expenditure Reviews (PER)/Public Finance Reviews (PFR) and Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA);
•  Lead core country diagnostics such as Country Economic Memorandums (CEM) and other growth diagnostics, working with other GPs to integrate structural, sectoral and macroeconomic issues, as well as co-leading work on the Climate Change Development Report (CCDR) and associated engagements on climate change;
•  Lead Development Policy Financing (DPF) operations, or other types of lending operations focused on economic and fiscal reforms;
•  Advise sector teams on the macroeconomic and fiscal implications of sector policies and investment decisions – for example on the oil and gas and power sectors – and provide cross-support where relevant;
•  Provide analytical inputs for and advises the Country Management Unit (CMU) on country strategic engagement and economic policy issues, including participation in review meetings; and
•  Actively develop new business that contributes to the development agenda of Côte d’Ivoire.

Selection Criteria

•  Minimum of a Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) in economics with at least 8 years of relevant professional experience including a track record of delivery of high quality analytical and advisory products.
•  Strong analytical skills in macroeconomic and fiscal management and ability to conduct policy-relevant research.
•  Experience in leading high impact development policy operations; sound knowledge of Bank lending tools and procedures.
•  Integrative capacity including the ability to situate sectoral issues within a broader development framework.
•  Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present complicated analyses to non-specialist audiences.
•  Strong client-orientation and diplomatic skills combined with candor and courage of opinion.
•  Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments and adjust to a variety of complex evolving tasks to meet deadlines.
•  Entrepreneurial capabilities that can be deployed in identifying and securing new business opportunities.
•  High energy and demonstrated interest in achieving impact through analytical work and technical assistance for demanding and sophisticated clients. Previous experience in delivering high impact work in a country under economic transformation would be a plus.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.