Economist

Contribute to economic analysis and strategy for private sector development.

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Thursday 6 Feb 2025 at 00:00 UTC

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Overview

Contribute to economic analysis and strategy for private sector development.

You have:

  • Master’s or Ph.D. degree in economics/international development/public policy or business/finance.
  • Minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience in economics, policy analysis or related fields.
  • Strong analytical skills in macroeconomics and sector analysis.
  • Track record in translating analyses into policy dialogue and programs to support private sector development.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French.
  • Demonstrated leadership qualities and effective teamwork and mentoring skills.
  • Experience in the economic context and challenges of West Africa is a plus.

Economist

Job #: req31265 Organization: IFC Sector: Economics Grade: GF Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Abidjan,Cote d'Ivoire Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): French Closing Date: 2/5/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC Description

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The IFC 3.0 strategy aims to stimulate more investment activity across emerging markets, especially in Low-Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict-affected States (FCS). We aim to create, deepen, and expand markets and design and develop impactful investment projects. This strategy is, in part, premised on improved country/sector diagnostic, strategic, and public sector engagement capabilities, which seek to: 1) resolve obstacles to private sector growth via diagnostic and strategic work that informs both IFC operations and relevant IBRD/IDA policy operations; and 2) overcome the shortage of investable projects in priority markets by proactively improving the private sector ecosystem at the country and regional level.

The Unit is seeking to recruit an economist to make significant contributions to the analytical and strategy outputs in shaping the operation of the unit, which ranges from the production of macroeconomics reports and various diagnostics, such as country private sector diagnostics (CPSDs) and country climate development reports (CCDRs), to the delivery of reform advisory projects.

We seek a motivated and dynamic professional with strong analytical skills, private sector development related policy experience, and team spirit. The position is based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Economist will work under the general supervision of the manager of Country Advisory and Economics in North, West, and Central Africa to ensure the high quality diagnostics and advisory delivery. Specifically, he/she will

• Monitor the macroeconomic situation to support IFC investment operations, including due diligence, to feed into relevant project documents for IFC Cote d’Ivoire cluster.

• Lead the monitoring of economic and policy conditions and trends for countries in Cote d’Ivoire cluster, identifying the potential risks to IFC investments, and advising the IFC Regional Director, Country Managers, and operational teams on the strategies to mitigate them.

• Provide intellectual and technical inputs on topics of economic or strategic relevance to IFC and produce or support the production of policy and technical notes, briefs, presentations, and country reports as requested by the senior management.

• Contribute to Country Private Sector Diagnostics, Country Climate Development Reports, and provide IFC input to WBG Country Engagement products, including Country Partnership Frameworks, Progress and Learning Reviews, and other joint initiatives.

• Contribute to the design of reform dialogue and reform advisory projects.

• Contribute to knowledge management by facilitating the exchange of expertise and knowledge with the broader IFC Economics VPU and Industries Departments.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in economics/international development/ public policy or business/finance, with strong grounding in economics both from academic and practical experience perspective with a minimum of 5+ years

• Commitment to the WBG and IFC’s mission and values.

• Strong analytical skills in macroeconomics as well as sector analysis

• Track record in translating the analyses into policy dialogue and programs to support private sector development.

• Understanding of IFC project cycles, approval/decision processes, and critical drivers of IFC business decision-making is a plus

• Knowledge and understanding of key IFC/IDA/IBRD/MIGA products and instruments and how they are deployed to pursue private sector development and country engagements.

• Ability to cultivate an active network of relationships inside and outside the organization and to represent IFC publicly as needed.

• Experience in and strong knowledge of the economic context and challenges of West Africa is a plus.

• Demonstrated leadership qualities, initiative, and results orientation, with effective teamwork and mentoring skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with high-level stakeholders in English and French

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.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe a challenging economic analysis you worked on and its impact? This question assesses your analytical skills and the practical application of your work. Discuss the context, your approach, and the outcomes achieved, emphasizing the impact on policy or investment.
How do you prioritize competing tasks while managing multiple projects in economics? This question gauges your time management and organizational skills. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies would you recommend for mitigating risks to IFC investments in emerging markets? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a time when you had to communicate complex economic data to a non-expert audience. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you incorporate stakeholder feedback into your economic reports or policy recommendations? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: worldbank.org