Country Economist RH-Almaty

Job Purpose:

• The Country Economist (CE) is a key member of the RH team to ensure a successful country engagement. The CE technically leads the Member Country Partnership Strategy (MCPS) and Country Engagement Framework (CEF) formulation process and provides all the needed support and coordination to ensure the delivery of high-quality MCPS and CEF processes and their constituting documents. This entails coordinating and finetuning all the inputs from internal and external stakeholders.
• Technical support to all Regional Hub strategic, operational, and programming engagements with MCs, including reviewing and mapping the potential macroeconomic and sectoral impact on the existing IsDBG portfolio. Moreover, the CE regularly reviews the MCs’ new policies, strategies, and national development plans to guide the Regional Hub’s programming in line with the MCs’ priority sectors and areas for intervention.
• Act as the knowledge and Resource Centre for the IsDB Group for their economic and development solutions by providing an overview of country-level macro-economic data, developmental trends, and thematic and sector information.
• Review strategies of major development partners and their sectors/themes of focus, in addition to capturing the status and potential of coordination between IsDB and other development partners.
• Participate in discussions with MCs governments and other developmental partners to identify collaboration opportunities that address Member Countries’ needs and align with IsDB’s priorities.

Key Accountabilities:

Planning & Programming:

• lead the preparation of MCPS and CEF and relevant multi-task teams to ensure their effective formulation and implementation to Identify areas for intervention and propose solutions to economic challenges
• Provide inputs and participate in Programming, Economic Sector Work (ESW), and Country Diagnostic Studies (CDS).
• Support the preparation of project documents from an economic perspective.
• Engage, communicate, and collaborate with the broader team in the Bank in order to enhance the rigor of and advice on cross-cutting and sectoral issues in the MCs.
• Regularly reviews the MCs’ new policies, strategies, and national development plans to guide the Regional Hub’s programming in line with the MCs’ priority sectors and areas for intervention and support policy dialogue between the organization and the government
• Participate in discussions with MCs governments, private sector and other developmental partners to identify collaboration opportunities that address Member Countries’ needs and align with IsDB’s priorities.
• Liaise with government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, and other stakeholders. Represent the organization in meetings, conferences, and other forums.

Analysis and Review:

• Prepare and review, country-level macro-economic reports, developmental trends, and thematic and sector information and forecasts to support country strategy
• Analyze macroeconomic data in the project documentation prepared in collaboration with COM, OTLs, and PMSs.
• Review regularly and map macroeconomic issues and sectoral impact on the existing IsDBG portfolio.
• Conduct analytical work and identify developmental challenges in the MCs as part of the MCPS, provide high-quality policy advice to government counterparts and stakeholders and how IsDB can address them.
• Design a Monitoring & Evaluation Framework (M&E Framework) for all concerned activities to assess the effectiveness and impact of MCPS and CEF.
• Review the assistance strategies of major development partners and their sectors/themes of focus, in addition to capturing the status and potential of coordination between IsDB and other development partners.

Knowledge Building and Sharing:

• Monitor and assess emerging challenges and trends in the MCs.
• Contribute to transferring knowledge of local economic insights from MCs to other CEs and employees within IsDBG.
• Contribute, coordinate, and represent in annual and periodic events conducted by the Regional Hub, such as: Seminars, Regional Workshops, and capacity-building workshops.

Reporting:

• Act as an advocate and reference on all economic reports related to the MCs in the Regional Hub.
• Engage, communicate, and collaborate with the interdisciplinary teams in the Bank to enhance the rigor and advice on cross-cutting and thematic issues in MCs.
• Lead the periodical preparation of Country Briefs.
• Contribute to the engagement of the Hub with government officials and equivalent contacts with other international organizations, partner entities, and other external constituencies and expert groups.
• Conduct peer review and provide feedback on all economic reports/data prepared by peers Economists within CP Directorate.
• Prepare Talking Points/ Speeches / Opening Remarks etc. for management members visiting the region or participating in regional events.

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Economics, International Development or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience as an economist, of which 3 years in a multilateral development bank or relevant experience at the Ministry of Finance/ Economic Planning/ Central Bank, etc.

Skills & Necessary Knowledge:

• Advanced Analytical Thinking
• Proficient Statistical Theory Knowledge
• Proficient in R, Python, Stata or EViews
• Proficient Knowledge of Emerging Economies’ Issues
• Proficient Economic Modeling Skills
• Proficient Econometric Modeling Skills
• Proficient Multidimensional Indicator Development Skills
• Proficient Operational Modeling Skills

Languages:

• English – Mandatory
• Russian – Mandatory

Source: https://www.isdbcareers.com/careers/isdb/VacancyDetail.aspx?VacancyID=170601