Lead Economist

Lead Economist

Job #:
req19186

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Economics

Grade:
GH

Term Duration:
4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):
French, Spanish, Portuguese,

Closing Date:
10/14/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.

The World Bank Group's Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice (FCI) combines expertise in the financial sector and private sector development to foster private-sector led growth and help create stable, resilient and inclusive markets in client countries. Through this work, FCI strengthens the World Bank Group's evolving approach to development finance: to maximize finance for development and to leverage private sector investments for sustainable and inclusive growth. FCI focuses on six thematic areas: Financial Stability & Integrity; Financial Inclusion, Infrastructure & Access; Markets, Competition and Technology; Investment Climate; Long Term Finance; and Climate & Risk Management.

The Markets, Competition & Technology (ETIMT) unit in the Trade, Investment and Competitiveness Department is a team of microeconomists, industry specialists and development practitioners. The unit focuses on a thorough understanding of the industrial organization of markets with the objective of removing economic distortions to promote competitive, contestable, innovative and inclusive markets and thus boost productivity growth. In this sense, the unit centers on understanding and measuring the final economic outcomes of the interaction of market players with the State, in particular, how governments shape the markets through their direct participation (via State-Owned Enterprises) and indirectly through regulations and government support policies in sectors and industries. The unit's goal is to provide cutting-edge, evidence-based advice to developing countries around the globe on policies to level the playing field and promote competitive and contestable markets, competition, product market regulation and digital business, innovation and technology adoption as well as non-distortive industry and sectoral development policies (including green competitiveness). The unit also focuses on new technological disruptions to markets to better assess policy implications of these technological changes on existing sectors and markets as well as understanding policy implications of new emerging market structures (e.g. digital platforms). It accomplishes this by carrying out original research, contributing to lending and technical assistance engagements led by FCI regional units, and developing partnerships with multilateral institutions as well as bilateral partners and donors.

The responsibilities of the ETIMT unit include:

• Provide intellectual leadership on issues and policies to support competitive markets, competition, SOEs and private sector, innovation, technology adoption and firm upgrading, as well as effective sectoral development policies (including on hard-hit sectors by COVID19 such as tourism and to respond to green, inclusive and resilient recovery in industries);
• Support client countries by delivering lending operations and technical assistance projects in the ETIMT areas of expertise, in collaboration with FCI and other World Bank Group's regional units.
• Create global knowledge on frontier topics in the field of industrial organization
• Facilitate knowledge diffusion and adoption of good practices in areas of expertise through policy dialogue, analytical and advisory work, including leading the design and implementation of empirical quantitative structural IO assessments and impact evaluations with a focus on randomized controlled trials (RCTs);
• Support World Bank Group senior management through briefings, guidance notes, and other inputs to inform and shape the WBG institutional strategy on ETIMT areas of expertise

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The ETIMT unit is organized in 3 knowledge pillars (KPs): (i) Competition and SOEs, (ii) Innovation, Digital and Technology, and (iii) Sectoral and Green Competitiveness. The selected Lead Economist, with a specialization in applied microeconomics, will be based in Washington, DC. The ideal candidate is expected to demonstrate strong conceptual and analytical skills, significant experience, in-depth knowledge and understanding of at least one of the unit pillars and ability to lead and connect with other pillars, excellent leadership and mentorship skills. Knowledge and experience with production of analytics that lead to successful policy dialogue, reforms and operations would be highly desirable.

S/he will be a member of the ETIMT Team, working closely with specialists in the unit under the general guidance of the ETIMT Practice Manager. S/he will be a motivated and dynamic professional, with solid analytic skills and policy-relevant experience, expertise in market and firm-level dynamics, industrial organization and applied research, excellent client engagement, and team spirit skills, working as part of the ETIMT unit and in collaboration with other FCI global and regional teams. The key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Quality & Knowledge, Clients and Delivery:
• Quality control of unit's Global Engagement knowledge generated including Flagships, under ETIMT PM guidance.
• Provide intellectual and technical leadership as well as crafting the policy approach of the WBG for unit pillar thematic areas. Lead the development of global knowledge on frontier topics in respective KP that addresses knowledge gaps and responds to client challenges.
• Responsible for knowledge management, learning and innovation for KP area
• Works with ETIMT PM to ensure technical quality of activities in their KP area
• Lead teams and consultants, in coordination with technical staff, on the production and/or quality assurance of outputs, including diagnostic analysis, empirical findings, policy recommendations, case studies, synthesis reports and other outputs, consistent with client expectations. KPL will lead work related to KP knowledge management, research, and analysis (including of selected policy and regulatory issues) in support of the global KP solution development, helping to generate new analytics and disseminate toolkits, case studies, databases and other materials on relevant topics and themes.
• Represent the unit in pillar area in cross GP knowledge projects
• Play a lead role as member of ETIMT core team and ensure optimal client response, coordinate knowledge generation and dissemination of relevant KP good practices and lessons learned on KP across countries and regions.
• Play a lead role in client discussions and liaison with respect to the development of KP ensuring rapid client response and high-quality design of WB projects.

Strategy:

• Identify trends in need & demand in the KP area
• Work closely with ETIMT PM in the development of internal and external partnerships
• Support ETIMT and TIC Leadership in setting strategic direction of the Practice
• Build an effective Community of Practice within TIC and the WBG.
• In close coordination with the Practice Manager, represent ETIMT in external fora of KP and related topics.
• Promote inter-TIC collaboration and knowledge sharing, along with Regional X-Support Leads
• Support the coordination across KP topics with other KPs and ETIMT including its economic underpinnings, its relevance for sectoral and economy-wide policies, its impact on economic variables, and tools for its effective implementation on the ground.

Resource Management and Team Building:

• Build and support supervision of a cohesive, open, collaborative and high-performing KP team, under the guidance of ETIMT PM.
• Mentor staff with emerging expertise in the KP area & support staff learning. Mentor technical teams, junior staff and GP affiliates, to conduct analytical work on respective pillar and to support projects on the ground (in coordination with RCS Lead)
• Support ETIMT PM in talent management & professional development of staff working on this
• KP Participate in ETIMT Leadership team.

Selection Criteria
• Ph.D. or Master's degree in economics or related field with at least twelve (12) years of relevant professional experience, including a track record of delivery of high quality analytical and advisory products. Ph.D. in Economics (a plus) or Specialization in industrial organization, economic development/technological change and growth and applied microeconomics is a plus.• Recognized expertise and delivery in respective KP. In-depth knowledge of at least 2 of the cross-cutting pillars of ETIMT knowledge work is required (competition/competitive markets; innovation and technology) and capacity to influence policy discussions at the country level. Knowledge of related areas (e.g., trade, value chains, firm dynamics, environmental sustainability and climate change) is plus. Experience in industrial organization analysis and empirical analysis of micro foundations of growth policies is a plus.• Strong track record of delivery of knowledge products with impact on the ground. Demonstrated experience in leading key PSD flagships, core analytical work and technical assistance in the KP ETIMT areas. Knowledge and skills to develop and lead intellectual thinking and contributions to growing agendas in areas of green growth and climate resilience, digital economy, among others.• Demonstrated client orientation through identifying and evaluating emerging opportunities aligned with WBG strategy, and challenging others to remove barriers and to deliver beyond client expectations.• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire around a common vision and drive the global knowledge agenda in the topic area• Strong mentoring skills• Integrative capacity including the ability to situate sectoral issues within a broader development framework, as well as work with CMUs and in teams (within EFI, FCI and cross GP/IFC).• Demonstrated track record to work across institutional boundaries • Excellent client engagement skills and experience able to understand and adapt to client needs;• Having a balanced and strategic approach; creativity and resilience; problem solving attitude and growth mindset; excellent listening skills• Able to work with diverse personalities and backgrounds and versed in senior-level client interactions• Demonstrated ability to lead the design and implementation of projects, and present findings and solutions with credibility and for different type of audiences.• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with peers and mentor senior and junior staff to ensure high quality delivery within demanding time schedule.• Excellent analytical skills and highly effective written and spoken communication skills.• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex analyses to non-specialist audiences.• Strong client-orientation and diplomatic skills combined with candor and courage of opinion.• Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments and adjust to a variety of complex evolving tasks to meet deadlines.• Ability to strategize and adapt work programs based on changing and evolving priorities.• Ability to integrate ETIMT policy areas of expertise within broader multi-sectoral approaches.• Demonstrated track record of delivering high quality analytical work that support lending operations (including development policy loans), including complex operations, and a track record of publications.• Ability to understand and analyze complex policy problems and develop innovative approaches.• Demonstrated experience with the design, implementation, and evaluation (such as RCTs) of policies and programs is a plus.• Capacity to lead new innovative programs in ETIMT areas of expertise.• Fluency in English is essential, and capacity in other widely-used languages (e.g. Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish) is desired.

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.

This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only(including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). Externalcandidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies,their application will not be considered.

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.