Economics Research Assistant

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The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Assistant (Pre-Doctoral Fellow) to support a research economist in the Research Department on a research agenda centered on international trade, multinational firms, and firm-level heterogeneity analysis. The position will contribute to projects analyzing how multinational firms’ sourcing, production, and location decisions impact trade flows, market structure, and firm performance, with a particular emphasis on global value chains, market power, and bilateral trade dynamics.

A core component of the research involves building and analyzing large-scale datasetssuch as COMTRADE, PANJIVA, U.S. Census, and ORBISthat contain bilateral trade flows and firm-level information. The pre-doctoral fellow will contribute to the empirical implementation of research projects, including data cleaning, construction of summary statistics, creation of visualizations, and econometric analysis.

Many of the projects involve disaggregated product-level data (e.g., HS6) and require integrating monthly tariff information with bilateral trade outcomes. Experience working with trade classification systems (e.g., HS, NAICS, ISIC) and merging datasets across sources is highly valued. Familiarity with international trade data, especially classification systems and bilateral flow structures, is strongly preferred.

Moreover, the pre-doctoral fellow will work with disaggregated product-level data (e.g., HS6 classifications), track monthly changes in tariffs, and construct bilateral trade datasets that integrate these tariff variations with trade outcomes. This work requires a solid understanding of trade data structures, managing concordances across classification systems (e.g., HS, NAICS, ISIC), and the ability to merge complex datasets from multiple sources. Familiarity with international trade data, particularly classification systems and bilateral flow structuresis preferable.

The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented, and motivated to support the empirical implementation of research projects that investigate how bilateral tariffs and firm behavior jointly shape global trade patterns.

What you’ll do

• Support the researchers in drafting academic papers, reports, and presentations.

• Identify, compile, and maintain relevant databases for research use.
• Conduct econometric and statistical analyses to support empirical research.
• Prepare comprehensive literature reviews on relevant topics.
• Contribute to academic discussions and the interpretation of research findings.
• Assist with project management tasks to ensure timely and effective execution of research activities.
• Support research projects with confidential data at the U.S. Census Bureau.

The position offers an outstanding opportunity for candidates planning to pursue a Ph.D. in economics. Former Research Assistants in RES have successfully matriculated into top doctoral programs, including Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Columbia, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, among others.

Key Skills

• Strong analytical skills, demonstrated through academic performance and personal achievements.
• Interest in international economic models and frameworks.

• Experience in applied microeconometrics, causal inference, and econometric analysis particularly in the context of trade and international economics.

• Proficiency in managing and compiling large datasets, including but not limited to COMTRADE, U.S., Census tariff data, and other trade-related sources.

• Programing experience with Stata, Matlab, Python, R; advanced programming in Stata and working knowledge of at least one additional language is preferred.

• Familiarity with creating documents using LaTex (e.g Overleaf), including text, equations, tables, and figures.

• Strong motivation for research, the ability to work independently, and a collaborative mindset for contributing to research teams.

Demonstrated experience in several of the following areas:

• Research analysis

• Data collection and cleaning

• Data visualization using STATA

Key Responsibilities

• Clean, merge, and manage large-scale datasets related to bilateral trade and firm-level outcomes.

• Construct and maintain concordances across classification systems (e.g., HS, NAICS, ISIC) to ensure consistency and comparability in data analysis.

• Build and regularly update monthly bilateral trade datasets that integrate tariffs changes and retaliation measures since 2018.

• Support the development and implementation of empirical strategies to evaluate the effects of trade shocks, such as the U.S. – China trade war on trade flows and firm behavior.

• Conduct literature reviews and support the drafting of academic papers and policy briefs.

• Work closely with Research Economists and other team members to produce high-quality, policy-relevant research aligned with the IDB’s mission.

What you”ll need

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics or related fields. Master’s degree in economics focusing on international trade is a plus
• Experience: Minimum of 2 years of applied research experience at a recognized university, research center, or government agency. Strong quantitative skills are essential. Candidates should demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing doctoral studies in a related field.
• Languages: Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required

Requirements

Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.

Residence: You must have resided in the United States for 3 out of the past 5 years, a necessary condition to be eligible for special sworn status to access US Census Bureau restricted data.

Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

• Type of contract: Full-Time International Consultant
• Location: IDB Headquarters, Washington DC
• Length of contract: 18 months

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee’s life. These benefits include:

• A competitive compensation package
• Leaves and vacations: 2 days per month of contract + gender- neutral parental leave
• Health Insurance: the IDB Group provides a monthly allowance for the purchase of health insurance
• Hybrid and flexible work schedules
• Development support: We offer learning opportunities to boost your professional profile such as seminars, 1:1 professional counseling, and much more.
• Health and wellbeing: Access to our Health Services Center which provides preventive care and health education for all employees.
• Other perks: Lactation Room, Daycare Center, Gym, Bike Racks, Parking, and others.

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.

How cinfo Can Support You in the Application Process for This Position

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