The British Embassy (BE) Tunis invites applications for the position of Economic Officer, job grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO) on a fixed term contract for one (1) year (renewable). 

The British Embassy carries out a wide range of activities in line with UK government priorities. The Political & Press Affairs Section is at the heart of BE Tunis. We keep colleagues across the Embassy and in the UK government up to date on the latest political and economic developments, providing analysis and advice on current issues and what they mean for the UK. We manage press enquiries, communication and oversee our bilateral engagement in annual Ministerial-level talks. 

The Economic Officer will sit in the Political & Press Affairs Section to strengthen economic analysis and reporting, by:

• Monitoring and analysing key economic indicators.
• Providing insightful economic and political economy reporting and analysis.
• Building a network of external contacts and stakeholders to inform and challenge economic understanding.
• Supporting teams across BE Tunis and the wider Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to develop their economic understanding of Tunisia.

The jobholder will also work closely with BE Tunis Programmes Team and UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

Duties and responsibilities:

Provide high quality economic analysis and reporting (50%)

• Track key economic indicators and analyse data to monitor trends and developments. Use quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to support BE Tunis understanding of economic developments, trends, and trajectory in Tunisia.
• Communicate regular economic reporting via updates, long-form reports, and oral presentations, considering the risks and opportunities of economic developments to influence UK government policy.

Political economy and social analysis (15%)

• Understand Government of Tunisia economic policy and implementation to inform analysis.
• Assess how global and domestic economic developments will impact Tunisia.
• Report on the interplay between economic, political, and social factors.
• Identify key areas of UK interest to conduct in-depth economic analysis and research.

Support economic analysis in teams across BE Tunis (15%)

• Provide advice and targeted reporting to UK DBT, supporting them to identify opportunities for growth.
• Support the Programme Team with economic expertise and analysis.
• Ensure good economic-reporting and analysis supports UK work on green growth and energy, education, and other priorities.

Build and maintain network of external stakeholders (10%)

• Build network of contacts in economics, including International Financial Institutions (IFIs), INGOs, think tanks, consultancies, businesses, and across diplomatic missions to inform and challenge economic analysis.

Corporate (10%)

• Support the Political & Press Affairs Section to deliver high-quality events and engagement for senior officials, including the Ambassador.
• Promote a positive working environment in BE Tunis and participate in a committee such as Learning & Development, Wellbeing, or Health & Safety.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:

• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses, and opinions of others.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.
• Making Effective Decisions – Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications, and risks of decisions.
• Seeing the Big Picture – Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.

Key technical skills required:

Macroeconomic knowledge

• Understand the impact of fiscal and monetary policy and be able to assess the macroeconomic situation instability, particularly by interpreting imbalances in budgeting, taxation, and debt.
• Diagnose constraints to inclusive growth (including unemployment rates) and assess the political economy of reform.
• Ability to interpret national income accounts data and relevant global sources to determine growth measurement, trends, drivers, and diagnostics

Microeconomic knowledge

• Understand market failures in goods and labour markets to advice on how to promote a more dynamic private sector and job creation, particularly for the burgeoning youth population.
• Be able to draw on relevant inequality/ welfare/ labour statistics to inform analysis
• Core project appraisal and sector/ market analysis skills. Ability to carry out value-for-money analysis and cost-benefit analysis where needed.

Eligibility:

Applicants must already have the right to work and reside in Tunisia.

• Holds at least a bachelor’s degree in economics (or related subject) and with relevant experience of working in economics, ideally for at least two (2) years, OR holds a master‘s degree in economics or related subject.
• Excellent economic skills and an ability to deliver high-quality, impactful, and timely economic analysis.
• Strong skills and experience using microeconomics (Being able to understand and explain the behaviour of firms or households).
• Strong analysis skills, confident in using data, drawing policy-relevant conclusions, and in supporting others to do so.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain economic concepts to non-specialist audiences and identify the implications for policy.
• Fluent English language skills (written and spoken) and highly proficient in Arabic and French (written and spoken).
• Collaborative approach with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and to take the initiative as well as part of a team to deliver results.
• Strong organisational and time management skills working to deadlines.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).