Lead Economist

Lead Economist

Job #:
req18040

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Human Development

Grade:
GH

Term Duration:
3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):
French, Arabic

Closing Date:
7/8/2022 (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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

The Human Development (HD) Practice Group (PG)

Human development is at the core of the World Bank's strategy to improve people's lives and support sustainable development. The Human Development operational program spans education, health, social protection, labor and jobs. The HD PG coordinates with other Practice Groups to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach to development challenges, and through the World Bank Regional Units is expected to deliver the strongest and most pertinent support to our client countries.

Human Capital Project

Human capital is a population's health, skills, knowledge, experience, and habits. People's education, health, resilience, and access to labor market opportunities have intrinsic value and are viewed by many as a human right. From an economics perspective, they are equally essential to increase productivity. They are important for inclusive human progress in large part because they reduce inequality, improve welfare, produce intergenerational benefits, and promote growth and economic development.

Human capital however is commonly not utilized to realize its potential and drive economic growth. A good job-with adequate earnings, working conditions and protections-was out of reach for arguably most in low- and middle-income countries. Before the pandemic, 250 million youth - mostly women - were not in employment, education, or training, putting a dent in their aspirations. Just as worrisome, many of those who do work do so in very low productivity activities, often informally, without access to social or legislative protections and with few opportunities to move up the labor market ladder or learn. Informality stood at 70 percent of total jobs even before COVID-19 hit and labor market inequality, especially gender differences, remain large. Many workers today are poor or one shock away from falling into poverty.

The challenges of building, protecting, and utilizing human capital are further complicated by multiple overlapping global shocks, such as COVID-19 and the rising food prices, and long-term trends, such as technological and demographic shifts, urbanization, globalization, climate change, and forced displacement of people due to ongoing conflicts, which are eroding hard-won development gains.

The Human Capital Project (HCP), launched in 2018 to advocate for human capital investments, and is even more relevant now given the setbacks to human capital in recent years. The HCP has been incrementally providing the resources and analytical tools to help the governments prioritize investments that support human capital accumulation, its protection and utilization, and improve the quality and efficiency of that spending to achieve better outcomes. The global HCP team is staffed by a combination of full-time professional staff, short-term and extended-term consultants, and staff on secondment from operational units. The HCP uses a three-pronged approach to support country teams and clients to promote investments in human capital. It offers measurement and indicators on human capital; innovates on the type of analytics and operational support to better inform investments in human capital in a world navigating multiple short term and long term challenges; and convenes partners, clients, and thought leaders
influence the global discourse on human capital. Given the growing demands for the global HCP team's support and its desire to ensure that support remains relevant and timely to the teams in the regions, the global team is seeking to expand its multisectoral expertise that is fundamental to move the agenda on human capital. The HCP is looking for energetic and enthusiastic members of the team who are willing to work as part of a SWAT team that is constantly curating latest global knowledge to offer the best policy advice for clients to safeguard human capital outcomes, and channeling this knowledge through creative means for maximum impact.

Duties and Accountabilities

This position reports to the Human Capital Project Manager. Key duties include:
• Lead, contribute, and supervise selected global activities under one or more pillars of the HCP: (1) Human capital measurement and indicators; (2) Analytics and operations; and (3) Convening and global thought leadership.• Liaise with HD Leadership team, especially RDs and PLs, in overseeing/supporting the implementation and monitoring of the regional Human Capital Plans and human capital-related work at the regional and country level.• Advise country teams working on core analytics (e.g., HCRs, PERs, CCDRs) and operations (e.g., human capital DPOs and PforRs) for priority countries funded under the HC Umbrella TF• Support the HCP Manager with key strategic initiatives and preparation for key meetings with senior management such as Steering Committee Meetings with RVPs and HCP Ministerial Conclaves.• Carry out other tasks in support of the human capital agenda as requested by the HCP Manager.

Selection Criteria
• Graduate degrees (Masters or PhD) in economics, public policy and administration, public health, education, business administration or relevant field to human development. • Substantial professional experience - typically the successful candidate will have at least 12 years of experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility. • Ability to think and collaborate across sectors within and outside HD beyond the boundaries of the staff member's professionally mapped GP.• Familiarity with key human capital concepts and HCP activities.• Demonstrated thought leadership in one or more thematic areas of relevance to the HCP (e.g., human capital financing, digital technologies and service delivery, climate change, demographic transition, etc.)• Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to write clearly and succinctly and deliver presentations convincingly to a wide range of audiences.• Demonstrated skills in integrating multiple inputs into a package of solutions to help achieve development results. • In-depth knowledge of WBG financing operations as well as analytical and advisory services, and familiarity with WBG instruments. • Proven experience in leading innovative ASA which has impacted policy dialogues and reform paths.• Demonstrated leadership skills to motivate and lead teams without formal line-management authority

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 IMFstaff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries).External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidateapplies, 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.

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