THE WORLD BANK GROUP recrute

• JOB #: 152552
• JOB TITLE: Senior Economist
• JOB FAMILY: Other
• JOB TYPE: Professional & Technical
• GRADE: GG
• LOCATION: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
• RECRUITMENT TYPE: Local Hire
• LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT: English [Essential]; French [Essential]
• CLOSING DATE: 09-Dec-2015

Background / General description:

THE WORLD BANK GROUP

Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2014, the WBG committed $65.6 billion in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to its members and private businesses, of which $22.2 billion was concessional finance to its poorest members. It is governed by 188 member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff located globally.

The WBG consists of five specialized institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). IBRD and IDA are commonly known as the World Bank, which is organized into six client-facing Regional Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions, and – as of July 1, 2014 – has introduced fourteen Global Practices (GPs) as well as five Cross-Cutting Solution Areas (CCSAs) to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional and country clients.

GLOBAL PRACTICES & CROSS-CUTTING SOLUTIONS AREAS

The 14 GPs are: Agriculture; Education; Energy and Extractives; Environment and Natural Resources; Finance and Markets; Governance; Health, Nutrition and Population; Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management; Poverty; Social Protection and Labor; Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience; Trade and Competitiveness; Transport and ICT; and Water. The 5 CCSAs are: Climate Change; Fragility, Conflict and Violence; Gender; Jobs; and Public-Private Partnerships.  The new operating model is part of a broader internal reform aimed at delivering the best of the World Bank Group to our clients, so that together we can achieve the twin goals of (1) ending extreme poverty by 2030, and (2) promote shared prosperity for the bottom 40% of the population in every developing country.

GLOBAL PRACTICE FOR MACROECONOMICS and FISCAL MANAGEMENT

The Global Practice for Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management (MFM) comprises about 320 staff working across more than 100 countries.  The Practice houses the Bank’s country economists as well as professional staff with expertise in macroeconomics, fiscal policy, growth, and statistics.  About fifty percent of MFM professional staff is decentralized to the field working very closely with the CMUs and in proximity to clients.  MFM professionals most often work across sectors helping carry out key integrative functions.  In this context MFM professionals are responsible for the preparation and delivery of the majority of the Bank’s Development Policy Operations using both IDA and IBRD resources.  MFM professionals also lead or participate in a wide variety of AAA and client advisory work requiring an integrative functions that add to the core MFM expertise.  As such MFM staff often lead or participate in the preparation of Strategic Country Diagnostics, Country Economic Memorandums and cross sector Public Expenditure Reviews.  An important additional element of engagement in macroeconomic and fiscal policies is carried through work on debt management supported by the Debt Management Facility.  Knowledge and learning is a central part of MFM with work focused on 5 thematic areas: (a) macroeconomics; (b) fiscal policy; (c) growth; (d) economic management in resource rich environments; and (e) macroeconomic modelling & statistics.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The Senior Country Economist will be based in Abidjan. She/he will be part of the MFM team working on Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, working with other economists, and under the supervision of the MFM practice manager responsible for West and Central Africa.

Her/his Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead or significantly contribute to “lending” operations, including Development Policy Grants, in Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.
• Plan, lead or contribute to a broad range of specific or regional knowledge and convening service activities.
• Contribute to the Bank’s policy dialogue with the authorities and facilitate and supervise just-in-time technical advice.
• Disseminate new ideas, creative approaches, and successful international experience; disseminate successful experiences and present World Bank analytical work high-level policy forums.
• Work closely and provide regular support and advice to the Country Management Unit based in Abidjan and Lomé and engage with the broader country teams to enhance the rigor of advice on cross-cutting and sectoral issues in support of the growth and shared prosperity agenda.
• Actively promote dialogue and close working relationships with the main development partners as well as with the private sector, academia, think tanks and civil society.  Liaise with the IMF on the macroeconomic framework and in the preparation of joint World Bank-IMF debt sustainability analysis, when needed.
• Carry out the work program in a way that contributes to client capacity building, knowledge sharing and innovation at national, departmental and municipal levels.
• Ensure high standards of quality of tasks managed by self and help enhance quality of other tasks.
• Participate actively in MFM Global Practice-wide activities including by providing support to programs outside the Africa Region and by being active in at least one thematic area.

Selection Criteria:

• Demonstrated experience in positions of increasing complexity, responsibility and ability to work in highly sensitive political environments, including conflict and post-conflict environments. Master’s or PhD degree in economics with at least eight (8) years of relevant professional and research experience including a track record of policy dialogue and delivery of high quality lending and analytical and advisory products.
• Strong analytical skills in macroeconomic and fiscal management and proven ability to conduct policy dialogue and policy-relevant research.
• Ability to adapt macro-economic analytical tools and to interpret macro-economic accounts and developments taking into account the special characteristics of the Ivorian and Togolese economies.
• Deep technical knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: macroeconomics, macroeconomic forecasting, growth analytics, fiscal analysis and management, subnational fiscal frameworks, debt management and contingent liabilities, government finance and quality of government expenditures, management of natural resource rents.
• Integrative capacity including the ability to link sectoral issues within a broader development framework.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present complicated analyses to non-specialist audiences.
• Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments and adjust to a variety of complex evolving tasks to meet deadlines.

Competencies:

• General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills – Possesses cross-country knowledge in economic specialty and demonstrates ability to link the macro, institutional, and micro-level behaviors; able to support findings/policy recommendations with credible analysis and tools.
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
• Policy Dialogue Skills – Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.
• Integrative Skills – Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas and how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.
• Macroeconomic skills and country economics experience – Able to translate technical analyses of macroeconomic, debt, trade, fiscal policy, and growth linkages into policy recommendations and cross-country lessons.
• Written and Verbal Communication – Demonstrates the ability to influence and persuade others to accept ideas and suggestions (such as counterparts in government, international partner organizations, academia, and Bank colleagues, senior staff and managers).
• Lead and Innovate – Develops innovative solutions with others. Results for Clients – Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client.
• Collaborate within Teams and across Boundaries – Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG, and brings differing ideas into the forefront.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
• Make Smart Decisions – Recommends and takes decisive action.

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