Economist Job #: req32577 Organization: World Bank Sector: Financial Sector Grade: GF Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Kathmandu,Nepal Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 4/15/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank 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.
VPU 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
Unit Context:
The Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice of the World Bank combines expertise in the financial sector with expertise in private sector development to foster private-sector led growth and help create markets in client countries. FCI’s core lines of business are: (a) Financial Stability & Integrity; (b) Financial Inclusion, Infrastructure & Access; (c) Firm Capabilities & Innovation; (d) Long-Term Finance; (e) Climate & Risk Management; (f) Markets and Technology; and (g) Investment and Competition. For more information, please visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/unit/fci
SAR FCI unit is seeking an Economist for a locally recruited, 3-year term appointment based in Kathmandu, Nepal, to support our growing portfolio of advisory and lending projects focused on private sector development. The selected candidate will contribute to financing and lending operations, analytical and advisory services (ASA), and policy dialogue related to private and financial sector development. This experienced economist will collaborate closely with colleagues in Nepal, Washington DC, and across the Global Practice, reporting directly to the FCI Practice Manager based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Duties and accountabilities:
• Contribute expertise to lending operations, advisory services, and analytical tasks, ensuring high-quality delivery of financing projects and knowledge engagements in Nepal.
• Conduct analysis on private sector development topics such as investment climate, sector development, financial inclusion, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) growth, public-private partnerships, and effectively link financial sector development to private sector activities.
• Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data on financial and private sector issues, prepare technical reports, and support dissemination of analytical products.
• Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of FCI financing/lending projects and Analytical and Advisory Services (ASAs), and contribute to developing future lending and ASA programs aligned with country needs and global practice priorities.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues from FCI, IFC, and other Global Practices; support briefings for WBG country management; and contribute to integrating private and financial sector perspectives into key strategic documents such as Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF), Systematic Country Diagnostics (SCD), Country Economic Memoranda, and Development Updates.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with government clients, private and financial sector stakeholders, supervisory authorities, and development partners.
• Prepare diverse written outputs, including briefs, analytical notes, Back to Office Reports, Aide Memoires, Project Concept Notes, Project Documents, and technical working papers; act as a liaison between team members in headquarters and the country office.
Selection Criteria
• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Economics, Finance, Management, Business Administration, or Public Policy, with at least 5 years of relevant experience in private and financial sector development policy issues, including quantitative analysis, in at least two areas: investment climate and financial markets enabling environment, firm and market competitiveness, industry-specific solutions, or public-private partnerships. Knowledge of financial sector development is an advantage.
• Proven experience and deep understanding of private sector development challenges in Nepal.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical analysis and reports on private and financial sector development topics, and deliver tasks efficiently within tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of investment policy, business environment, entrepreneurship, firm competitiveness, and innovation; familiarity with financial infrastructure, financial inclusion, and MSME finance is desirable.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills in English and Nepali, with demonstrated ability to build effective relationships with government counterparts, development partners, and World Bank Group colleagues.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and project management skills, with proven capacity to independently manage tasks from conception to completion.
• Willingness to travel within Nepal and potentially internationally.
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.
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