Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

Regional Context

The South Asia Region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) is at a crucial stage of development. Rapid economic growth, driven by urbanization and demographic dividend, has brought down poverty rates, but severe forms of exclusion and disparities based on ethnicity, caste, and gender remain. Rapid growth has also come with congestion and pollution in cities. South Asia is more than other regions affected by changes in temperature and extreme weather event. Additional challenges are that South Asia is underperforming in exports, has large informal sectors and low female labor force participation rates. All these challenges must be addressed to secure rapid growth in coming decades. 

Private sector led growth, focused on investments in infrastructure, energy, logistics and cities are essential to generate the jobs needed to employ South Asia’s sizeable youth population. At the same time, the region needs to continue building human capital so that South Asia’s population is well equipped for the jobs of the future. 

The World Bank in South Asia: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar

Poverty Global Practice

The Poverty and Equity Global Practice, part of the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions vice-presidency, plays a key role in supporting the World Bank Group’s goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. It generates knowledge and dialogue and supports operational solutions, focusing on poverty monitoring and statistical capacity building, markets and institutions, fiscal and social policy, and resilience to shocks and sustainability.

Main Duties and Responsibilities will be:

We are seeking an international-recruited Economist to join our South Asia team based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  Like all members of the Poverty GP, you will also be encouraged to support the global knowledge base of the practice.   In particular, you will have the following duties:

• Participates as a core team member working on poverty alleviation, equity, spatial, gender, labor markets, and micro-fiscal, including diagnostics of mobility, vulnerability, multi-dimensional poverty, and agency and voice.
• Contributes to devising technical and policy advice to country and sectoral teams on how to address poverty alleviation and equity and promotes evidence-based decision-making.
• Uses and develops instruments and technologies to monitor poverty, equity and gender trends.
• Analyzes the distributional impact of fiscal, social, and other sector policies and investments.
• Supports the development of statistical public goods and initiatives for data sharing and analysis.

Selection Criteria

We are looking for the following:  1. An experienced development micro-economist that is committed to reducing poverty and increasing shared prosperity and has professional experience using imaginative and innovative approaches and tools to meet that objective.  2. A professional with a demonstrated track record of sound analytical work, excellent judgment, and international development experience.  And 3. a technically strong economist who can not only produce high-quality technical products but is also able to translate technical results into policy applications. 

Minimum Education/Experience

Minimum Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in Economics, Public Policy, Statistics or other related field, with a strong quantitative background and at least five years of relevant professional experience. 

Other Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated strength in at least one of the three streams of work around which the poverty global practice’s country-level programs are structured. Experience in more than one of those work streams is desirable;
• Technical and Quantitative Skills as an Applied Development Microeconomist - Has experience in micro econometrics and statistical modeling - designing, implementing and analyzing household surveys, administrative data, big data, and performing complex econometric analysis; 
• Superb interpersonal skills; ability to collaborate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, and to listen and integrate ideas from diverse sources, governments, NGOs and donors, while being respectful and sensitive to cultural, political and gender issues;
• Ability to work with staff from all levels and to mentor, coach and motivate more junior staff.
• Other than English, can speak (read and write) the local language.
• Desired experience includes acting as a practitioner in developing and/or transition countries, and experience with poverty, labor, and/or gender-related operational programs (including capacity building).

For information about WBG Core Competencies, please visit: https://bit.ly/2kbIA7O  

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.

This vacancy is archived.

Recommended for you