Senior Economist Job at The World Bank

Duties and Accountabilities:

The Senior Economist will:

• Lead or significantly contribute to the World Bank’s support to Kenya’s devolution program.
• Contribute to MFM lending operations in Kenya, including Development Policy Financing.
• Lead or significantly contribute to the preparation of major analytical reports.
• Collaborate with the MFM team on the preparation of just-in-time technical notes on a wide range of macroeconomic and structural reform issues.
• Facilitate the Bank's policy dialogue with the authorities.
• Work closely with other global practices to provide integrated diagnostics and development solutions.
• Disseminate new ideas, creative approaches, and successful international experience; disseminate successful experiences from Kenya to the rest of the world.
• Work closely and provide regular support and advice to the Country Director based in Nairobi and engage with the broader country team 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 working on Kenya 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 and county 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 in other countries in the same Country Management Unit (Uganda and Rwanda).

 Selection Criteria:

Required 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 - Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Identifies and assesses policy issues and takes a leading role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
• Integrative Skills – Had an integrated view of all facets of national accounts and macroeconomics.
• Macroeconomic Skills and Country Economics Experience - Have a strong understanding of macroeconomic relationships, and the use of national accounts and balance of payments data systems from a data-consumer point of view.
• Written and Verbal Communication - Delivers information effectively in support of team or workgroup
• Lead and Innovate- Develops innovative solutions.
• Deliver Results for Clients- Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries- Collaborates across boundaries, listens well to the views of collaborators and remains open-minded. Develops consensual solutions that bring diverse partners together.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge- Creates, shared and disseminated knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.
• Make Smart Decisions- Has a pro-active solution oriented that brings together a wide range of information to develop, implement and monitor solutions.
• Other Selection Criteria
• Minimum of a Master’s degree in economics, with eight years of experience.
• Strong technical skills on macro-fiscal and growth issues and a proven track record in delivering high quality and technically sophisticated analytical work.
• Experience in working with planning units, providing policy advice to government officials, and a track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts.
• Proven sense of initiative, results orientation, and leadership qualities, as well as effective teamwork skills;
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to speak persuasively and to present ideas clearly and concisely with senior policy officials.
• Strong integrative capacities; i.e., ability to situate IDA activities within a coherent strategic framework.6. Excellent communication and presentation skills -- both verbal and written. Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly on complex topics to a wide variety of audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiations skills and ability to work flexibly, creatively and to multitask as the need arises.
• A high degree of self-motivation, positive attitude and drive.
• Strong commitment towards team work and knowledge sharing, especially across the World Bank Group.