Senior Economist

The Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice (MTI) in East Asia and Pacific region of the World Bank  is seeking to recruit a highly qualified candidate for the position of Tax Policy Senior Economist to work in the EAP MTI unit. The Unit seeks a professional with strong technical skills and hands-on experience with addressing tax policy issues in developing countries. The Senior Economist will work on country tax policy analysis in general, and domestic resource mobilization through tax reform in developing and emerging economies.  She/he is expected to provide technical leadership on tax issues across the region using available World Bank instruments (Advisory Services and Analytics and Lending), contribute to the unit’s interaction with senior management and partners, and lead research and operational engagements. 

The position is based in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Duties and Accountabilities 

The Tax Policy Senior Economist will lead, supervise, and support the unit’s analytical program on domestic revenue mobilization, focusing on tax policy issues. Additionally, the Senior Economist will contribute to development of domestic revenue related policy operations and results-based operations across the region. She/he will also participate in cross-GP teams focusing on institutional reforms related to tax policy and tax administration. 

The selected candidate will be expected to undertake the following tasks:

Lead and/or contribute to the analysis of domestic revenue policies in EAP countries. This involves assessing the efficiency, effectiveness, simplicity, and fairness of tax systems or its components, using both micro-data analysis and simulations and more aggregate/macro-based approaches. Identify opportunities and constraints for tax reforms and formulate country-specific recommendations for tax policy reform, including through integrative and cross-cutting work such as tax policy for green growth and human capital development. 

• Provide knowledge products, tools, and data to speed-up and improve project quality, analytical work, and policy dialogue on tax reforms in EAP.
• Lead and contribute to technical inputs to analytic work and advisory services, and/or supervising the preparation of analytical products (ASA) and other relevant technical reports to clients in close collaboration with the CMUs, Program Leaders, relevant Task Team Leaders and sector experts within and outside the Bank. Lead technical assistance on revenue mobilization at the country level.
• Contribute and lead the development of lending operations and/or components to support increased domestic revenue mobilization in the region.
• Mobilize resources to support task teams working on taxation, fiscal aspects of climate change, and fiscal policy.
• Support the corporate agenda through analytical inputs, briefs, and monitoring of the Bank’s corporate commitments on tax (e.g., under IDA and Financing for Development) and climate change.
• Collaborate with client government  and partners such as the IMF, OECD, UN, and donor agencies on providing support to tax reform in EAP countries.

Selection Criteria

• The successful candidate will be a professional with extensive experience on analytical, advisory and operational work in economics, fiscal, or macroeconomic issues, as relevant for this position.
• Minimum Master’s degree (PhD. Preferred) in Economics, Public finance, Tax policy or similar professional qualifications.
• At least eight years of work experience covering tax policy or combination of tax administration and tax policy experience with at least four years in applied tax policy work. Experience of work in the public sector (including advisory work) on taxation would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated analytical and operational skills in public sector economic and institutional reforms and practical experience working with different lending instruments (e.g., Investment Project Financing, Program for Results, Development Policy Operations and Trust Funds) in the design and delivery of projects and/or studies in areas key to tax reforms in developing countries will be an advantage.
• Track record of authored or co-authored reports/publications showing analysis of tax policy on topics such as: a) tax incentives, b) carbon taxation, c) international taxation, and d) extractive industries, etc.
• Experience with development and/or use of tax models for policy work, such as: a) macro models such as OLG models, b) microsimulation models, c) tax gap models will be an advantage.
• Confirmed knowledge of statistical software such as R or STATA
• Familiarity with broader macro-fiscal reform and integration of tax issues in that context.
• Hands-on experience working with administrative tax data will an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the capacity to work in teams across organizational boundaries within a multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required. Fluency in French and/or Spanish, Portuguese would be an advantage.

Required Competencies

• General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills – Possesses a track record of intellectual leadership and ability to integrate economic-specific knowledge and specific micro/sector fields of expertise; provides quality assurance and assesses technical soundness of work/reports.
• Knowledge and Experience in the Development Arena – Influences the design and execution of major policy and/or research initiatives; conceives and promotes innovations in development policies, project design, organization and management to improve operational and sector work.
• Policy Dialogue Skills – Has a track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts; communicates and defends difficult issues and positions to senior bank management and government officials.
• Integrative Skills – Possesses in-depth understanding of Bank resources in all areas of work in the Practice Group, and proven fungibility.
• Macroeconomic Skills and Country Economics Experience – Has strong record of task leadership of complex policy-based lending operations, major economic reports or other published work relating to macro-economic, fiscal, growth, structural policy and poverty issues.
• Written and Verbal Communication – Demonstrates a strong command of all forms of communication and delivers messages in a consistently effective, timely and engaging manner.
• Lead and Innovate – Inspires and influences others to drive innovation.
• Deliver Results for Clients- Acts as a trusted, strategic advisor, partnering with clients to deliver results.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Leads collaboration across WBG and with partners drawing on robust professional networks.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Establishes an environment where knowledge is created, applied and shared.
• Make Smart Decisions – Makes timely decisions that have a broad impact.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=27740&site=1