Economist - World Bank

Job #: 130611

Job Title: Economist

Job Family: Poverty Reduction

Job Type: Professional & Technical

Grade: GF

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Recruitment Type: Local Hire

Language Requirement: Arabic [Essential]; English [Essential]; French [Desired]

Closing Date: 26-Mar-2013

Background / General description:

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region is undergoing radical transformation in the wake of the revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.  These events have affected virtually all countries in the region and have triggered a fundamental re-thinking of the role of the State and the way governments operate.

In the MENA Region, the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Department (MNSPR) has responsibility for economic policy, trade, poverty, public sector and governance, and gender. MNSPR comprises two units: economic policy, poverty and gender (MNSED) and public sector and governance (MNSPS).  The work program of MNSED — consisting of lending operations and a large Analytic and Advisory Activities (AAA) portfolio — and the approximately 40 staff and consultants located in headquarters and country offices, are managed by two Sector Managers under the guidance of a Sector Director.

MNSED is seeking a seasoned Economist to be based in the World Bank Beirut office to contribute to carrying out the large PREM work program in Lebanon to ensure close interaction with our clients on our ongoing engagements there.

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 2 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The Economist will perform research responsibilities and provide support for a variety of economic tasks (e.g. economic analyses, design of economic work programs, participation in economic policy research, discussions with country officials) under the supervision of the Lead and Senior Economists at the World Bank local office in Beirut. This specifically implies the following:

•    Preparing briefs and analytical notes, and contributing to the writing of sections in analytical reports.
•    Writing technical reports and conducts economic research on macroeconomic related issues.
•    Contributing substantially to sectoral, micro, and macro policy issues in operational and research contexts.
•    Analyzing general data of macroeconomic and sectoral trends.
Updating and reviewing the World Bank Lebanon’s data files.

Selection Criteria:

Competencies:
•    General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Possesses a demonstrated track record of working with economic and sectoral data and analytical tools and models to conduct economic analyses and produce user-friendly written outputs; understands underlying statistical concepts.
•    Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
•    Policy Dialogue Skills - Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
•    Integrative Skills - Working to develop an integrated view across all facets of current sector.
•    Macroeconomic Skills and Country Economics Experience - Demonstrates basic macroeconomic modeling skills and knowledge - understands how different accounts in an economy fit together and links among real, monetary, trade, debt and balance of payments accounts.
•    Written and Verbal Communication - Delivers information effectively in support of team or workgroup
•    Client Orientation - Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
•    Drive for Results - Able to take personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results and has the personal organization to do so.
•    Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team’s work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.
•    Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Actively seeks knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear and organized manner.
•    Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others’ work.

Other Selection Criteria:
•    Master’s degree in Economics and a minimum  5 years of relevant experience. Ph.D. is an asset.
•    Knowledge of Lebanese databases on National Accounts, Public Finance, Monetary and Financial Statistics.
•    Having published research reports in Lebanese or international academic sites.
•    Familiarity with econometric software such as E-Views or Stata.
Familiarity with World Bank databases is highly desirable.

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