Principal Research Economist at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Banks development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Research Economist - ECMR.2

Reference: ADB/17/269/2
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50068965

The Complex

• The Chief Economist/Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management is the Bank’s spokesperson on economic matters and the Vice President for the ‘Economics Governance and Knowledge Management Complex’.
• The Chief Economist/Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management is responsible for (i) providing leadership and visibility for the Bank on economic, finance, financial governance and socio economic development issues; and coordinating the generation of analytical work to inform operational engagement and policy formulation; and (ii) systematically emphasize the critical role of knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and their tangible impact on sustainable, inclusive transformation of African economies.
• The Chief Economist/Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management inspire, generate and provide direct support to the President and Senior Management of the Bank on a broad range of technical and management issues within the broad remit of economic, finance, public financial governance, management and social economics.

The Hiring Department/Division

• The Macroeconomics, Policy, Forecasting and Research Department is dedicated to the generation of high quality knowledge in the area of development in Africa.
• It (i) provides technical support to operations and regional member countries through rigorous analytical work; (ii) engages in impactful policy dialogue with decision-making bodies within and outside of the Bank; and (iii) most importantly enhances the operational effectiveness of the Bank in achieving the High 5s.
• The activities of the department are structured around the Macroeconomic Policy, Debt Sustainability and Forecasting on one side, and the Microeconomics, Institutional and Development Impact on the other.
• The Microeconomic, Institutional and Development Impact division focuses on microeconomic issues related to development finance, infrastructure development, private sector development, industrial organizations, governance, competitiveness & investment climate, agriculture, institutions, and regional integration to support the High 5s.
• In addition, the Microeconomic, Institutional and Development Impact division is the institutional anchor of the ex-ante Additionality and Development Outcome Assessment and Outcome Assessments  (ADOA) of the Bank’s Non-Sovereign and Regional operations, as such it is a key element of the Bank’s Results Framework and Quality at Entry control system.

The Position

• The Principal Research Economist is part of the ECMR.2 team and is expected to perform both ADOA assessments of the Bank’s lending operations as well as research activities related to the Bank’s High5 agenda.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Microeconomic, Institutional and Development Impact Division Manager, the Principal Research Economist will:

Perform Ex-ante Additionality and Development Outcome Assessments of Bank’s lending operations:

• Lead and provide inputs for the delivery of ex-ante Additionality and Development Outcome Assessments of the African Development Bank Non-sovereign and Regional lending Operations and any other type of operation as required by the management.
• Contribute to any revisions to the Additionality and Development Outcome Assessment framework on the basis of lessons learnt from implementation experience and other Development Finance institutions as well as Industry best standards.
• Lead and participate in the division’s research activities supporting the Bank’s High 5s (High   priority areas: Light Up and Power Africa (Energy), Feed Africa (Agriculture and Nutrition), Industrialize Africa (Industrialization), Integrate Africa (Regional Integration) and Improve quality of live for Africans (Sustainable socio-economic development)). This includes also strengthening knowledge generation in the area of inclusive and green growth.

Provide inputs into the production of the Bank’s flagship publications:

• Lead and contribute to the preparation of flagship reports or assigned chapters, write assigned sections and follow up (peer reviews) until final publication;
• Assist and lead on the dissemination of the findings of these flagships.

Provide technical and analytical input into the work of Operations Complexes:

• Provide input into Country Strategy Papers;
• Lead or participate in Economic Sector Work produced by sector complexes;
• Participate in the peer review process of project documents, policy documents, including documents submitted to the Operations Committee and the Board of Directors.

Contribute to the Bank’s “Working Papers Series " and the Bank’s "African Development Review":

• Publish research papers and review submitted articles to the African Development Review and Working Paper Series.
• Provide inputs in collaborative research and knowledge management activities carried out jointly with regional and international organizations, research and capacity building institutions in Africa, development research centers and universities.
• Participate in review meetings, internal Task forces and Working Groups and represent the Bank in external ones.
• Oversee the work of more junior staff and mentor them as needed
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Supervisor or Management.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Have at least a Master Degree in Economics, Finance or relevant field; A PhD would be an added advantage.
• Have a minimum of Eight (8) years of professional experience combining research and strong operational involvement in the design and Evaluation of operations relevant to the High 5s areas including the following: infrastructure including energy, agriculture, private sector development, industrial organizations and social sectors, project analysis and/or monitoring and evaluation.
• Proven ability in Leading and producing development policy research and analysis of economic conditions that are of relevance for the High 5s (Bank priority areas) with a strong publication record in international peer review journals, working papers, book chapters, reports
• Good knowledge and background in the use of statistical and econometric methods and packages in project evaluation, finance and development economics research;
• Ability to understand and identify development outcomes expected from real sector projects, Proven skills in drafting and preparation of policy memoranda, speeches and notes for use in decision making processes.
• Communicate and write effectively in English or French, with a good working knowledge of the other language;
• Good communication skills and a proven ability to work in teams and on multiple projects in parallel until tight deadlines.

Application Closing Date
6th December, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online