Chief Economist

The World Bank
Washington, DC - United States
S: Competitive

Background / General description:

The World Bank's Middle East and North Africa Region seeks to promote peace and stability in the region through social and economic inclusion. The strategy has four pillars: (i) Renewing the social contract: Helping MENA countries move to a system where governments promote private-sector job growth, accountable delivery of public services, and public policies that give citizens voice and choice; (ii) Regional integration, especially in trade, investment, energy and water, to capture not just the economic benefits from cooperation in these areas, but also the possibility that cooperation will lead to greater trust among countries and thereby contribute to peace and stability in the region; (iii) Refugees and resilience: Mobilize the international community to help refugees and host communities lead lives of dignity by promoting jobs, livelihoods, education and health in the affected countries of the region; and (iv) Recovery and reconstruction: Prepare for the recovery and reconstruction of the conflict-affected parts of the region, including possible interventions before the end of conflict.

The Chief Economist of the MENA Region, the principal economic advisor to the Vice-President and the rest of the Regional Leadership Team, is responsible for the economic aspects of implementing the strategy. Working with a dedicated team of about five economists, as well as with staff and managers working on the MENA region, the Chief Economist undertakes four main tasks:

Knowledge: Bring the best possible knowledge, from inside and outside the World Bank, to bear on the development problems of the MENA region.

Strategy: Develop and help implement the regional strategy, and support country teams in the development of their country strategies, including their analytical underpinnings, such as the Systematic Country Diagnostic.

Quality: Oversee the quality of economic work in the region, including Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) and the economics of lending operations.

Community: Foster a community of economists inside the Bank and in the MENA region to promote high-quality research, analysis, and dialogue on issues relevant to MENA.

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 Chief Economist will:

• provide intellectual leadership to and ensure the quality and relevance of economic and sector non-lending services working closely with the relevant Global Practice Senior Directors;
• provide strategic guidance to Regional Managers and advice to the RVP on Country Assistance Strategies and sectoral strategies;
• provide advice and guidance on development policy operations and economic analysis of projects;
• develop, guide and disseminate regional economic work;
• act as principal regional spokesperson on strategic and economic issues for both internal and external audiences;
• interact with the academic and policy communities in client countries and internationally;
• keep the Region's economists abreast of current developments and analysis through retreats and seminars, working with Global Practice Senior Directors;
• liaise with the economic units of other international and bilateral agencies working with the region;
• support the RVP and CMU Directors on country policy dialogue at their request;
• support the Senior Director of DEC with requested regional inputs to the WDR and other institutional policy papers, and with respect to the research agenda of DEC;
• represent the Bank Group in such external functions as the Senior Management may request.

Selection Criteria:

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in economics or closely-related discipline
• Minimum of 15 years' experience as a professional economist
• Substantial track-record of publications in scholarly journals and/or flagship reports that demonstrate creativity, and an ability to undertake rigorous analytical work as well as synthesize and distill research and analysis from different perspectives
• Internationally recognized in academia and/or among senior leaders in development institutions as a thought leader
• Ability to write and express complex economic ideas to different audiences, including the general public
• Excellent written and oral English and French.
• Sufficient tact and diplomacy to effectively represent the Bank at high-level fora combined with confidence in your knowledge and courage of your convictions to stand your ground when the truth demands it

Competencies:

Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Is recognized internationally as a leading authority in high level policy and/or research work related to development economics, impacting operational strategy, policy and program development. A track record of research on African economies is an added advantage;

• Policy Dialogue Skills - Is considered a leading authority in one or more areas, and leads sensitive consultations and negotiations at the highest policy levels-notably ability to work with senior government officials to resolve complex economic problems and provide policy advice at the national level;

• Integrative Skills - Respected by peers and the larger international community for grasp of cross-sector issues and their implications.

• Macroeconomic Skills and Country Economics Experience - Is internationally recognized as a leading authority in an economic area who can lead both research and high-level policy-dialogue; influence economic strategy; and actively shape policy formulation for economic work in the Bank.

• Publications, written and verbal communication- Helps shape debates on global or regional issues, including strong and broadly recognized publications record in development economics and development policy;

• Client Orientation - Identifies and evaluates emerging opportunities aligned with WBG strategy, and challenges others to remove barriers and deliver beyond client expectations.

• Drive for Results - Builds a culture that consistently delivers high-quality products and services, and engages others in implementing strategy that has long-term impact on the organization.

• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Provides leadership and mentoring to technical teams; supporting collaboration and working across boundaries, and ensuring diverse talent and capability is mobilized across organizational units.

• Knowledge and Learning - Champions new methodologies and technologies that enable and promote the dissemination and transfer of knowledge and best practice - notably ability to translate complex economic research into clear yet rigorous messages.

• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Influences business decisions to create competitive advantage for the Bank and its clients, taking a lead in key decisions while at the same time rationalizing the decision making process.

The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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