CHIEF MACROECONOMIST

• Position title: CHIEF MACROECONOMIST
• Grade: PL-3
• Position N°: NA
• Reference: ADB/15/20
• Publication date: 20/02/2015
• Closing date: 13/03/2015

Objectives

The main objective is to recruit a resident macro economist to be based at the Bank’s Egypt Field Office (EGFO) to monitor closely the economic situation in Egypt and to be able to respond quickly and efficiently through policy dialogue as well as diagnostic and knowledge products.  This is a priority given Egypt is the third largest shareholder, the third biggest economy in Africa, and is 4th in terms of portfolio size with ongoing commitment of UA 1.2 billion and expected to grow to UA 2.3 billion by 2017.

Duties and responsibilities

Based in the Egypt Field Office (EGFO) in Cairo, under the supervision of the Resident Representative and Director of ORNA, the incumbent will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Prepare and manage  an active and complex portfolio of project/programs (from identification to completion) of  program based operations ( budget support operations, balance of payments support  program) as well as institutional support projects  in the area of economic and financial management reforms to ensure  timely implementation according to agreed objectives;
• Provide expert advice and contribute to  the  preparation of Economic and Financial Assessment Programs/Plan and other upstream analytical and diagnostic work to inform Country Strategy Papers (CSPs),  Regional Integration Strategy Papers(RISPs) and lending operations; provide  guidance to Country/Regional departments on policy dialogue with RMCs relating to economic and financial reform programs and related issues (economic and financial governance, creating an enabling environment for the private sector, strengthening regional cooperation and economic integration); interact with Country Economists based in the other N. African countries Tunis, Morocco, Libya and Mauritania) in CSP/RISP implementation, mid-term review and completion reports with due attention to economic and financial reforms; and provide back-up to country offices to ensure provision of quality advisory service to RMCs; 
• Lead, organize and/or coordinate the identification, appraisal and supervision missions; and ex-post reviews of Bank operations focusing on economic and financial management reforms, involving RMCs’ governments, other development partners and concerned parties or other stakeholders;
• Promote (i) sector knowledge building and dissemination in the area of economic and financial management and business enabling environment for private sector development within and outside the Bank, including establishing and managing networks relevant to issues related to EGFO’s areas of responsibility; (ii) new approaches, procedures and techniques to improve EGFO’s operational activities formulation and implementation  and lead dialogue with relevant Divisions/Departments on these issues;
• Participate with other development partners in public expenditure reviews (PER), public expenditure and financial accountability assessment (PEFA); and ensure that operations meet quality and compliance with Bank’s rules and procedures, and international best practices;
• Represent the Bank at key donor meetings and conferences as well as selected donor partner working groups that exist in Egypt and maintain active dialogue with other economists working in IFIs in Egypt;
• Draft the inputs for various corporate documents such as the African Economic Outlook, CPIA, Country Risk Assessments and CPFs.
• Lead, coordinate and/or participate in the preparation of policy statements, papers, briefs and various reports on economic and financial management issues; program-based operations policy and guidelines;  and other areas of interest
• Lead the process for development of new Economic and Sector work and preparation of policy papers in consultation with the economists from the North Africa department;
• Provide assistance in understanding and applying the Bank Group’s policies and procedures relating to assistance to the Economic and financial sectors as well as on other issues related to project or program implementation, including policy issues;
• Participate in the preparation of the Departmental budget and recruitment of research assistants and consultants;
• Participate in the Quality control of documents including peer review of documents from within the Bank and mentor junior colleagues in projects/programs design, launching and implementation;
• Draft grant proposals from various Trust Funds for new initiatives and implement the grant proposals once approved;
• Carry out any other duties pertinent to the work of the Department, assigned by the Resident Representative or the Director.

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• At least a Master’s degree in in Economics (preferably Macroeconomics/Econometrics) or a related development field.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in the area of macroeconomic analysis and Public Finance preferably gained in a multilateral development institution or a development oriented institution.
• Demonstrable understanding of Africa’s economic development challenges and broad understanding of bilateral and multilateral donors’ approaches to economic reforms.
• Familiarity with program-based operations and issues.
• Excellent written and spoken communication in English or French, with a good working knowledge of the other language. Candidates with written and spoken communication skills in Arabic are preferred.
• Client and results oriented individual, with strong analytical skills, sense of accuracy and attention to details.
• Ability to deal with sensitive issues in a multi-cultural environment and to build effective working relations with colleagues.
• Capacity to work in a team and set work program priorities.
• Aptitude in designing intervention strategies, applying innovatory approaches and changing working methods while remaining effective in a changing work environment. 
• Competence in standard Microsoft Office applications; familiarity with SAP recommended.

Apply online

Apply for this position

To apply for this position, you need to be national of one of AfDB member countries.

• Submitted by: Division Manager, CHRM.1
• Approved by: Director CHRM

Only applicants who fully meet the Bank's requirements and are being considered for interview will be contacted. Applicants will only be considered if they submit an online application, and attach a comprehensive Curriculum Vitae (CV). The AfDB President reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level. The African Development Bank is an equal opportunities employer and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply: www.afdb.org/jobs