Post of duty: Washington, D.C.
The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.
About this position
The Fiscal Management Division (IFD/FMM) is looking for a consultant to provide technical expertise, conduct research, and support the operational work concerning design and implementation of technical cooperation projects and lending programs of IFD/FMM and contribute to the achievement of the objectives and goals proposed by the IDB. The consultant will contribute to the implementation and monitoring activities of such projects as indicated by the Team Leader.
In the post-pandemic period, fiscal consolidation is essential for LAC economies due to high debt, slow growth, and decreasing tax revenues. Reforms are necessary to establish sustainable fiscal revenues and improve the efficiency of public spending. A comprehensive understanding of revenue administration and tax policy in LAC is crucial for enhancing tax revenue generation and ensuring compliance. In that context the consultant will work on topics of relevance for the Fiscal of Management Division: (i) digitalization of tax administrations in LAC, including the assessment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, blockchain, and others; (ii) State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in LAC, their fiscal management, governance, and their contribution to countries’ emissions of greenhouse gases and climate change, with a special focus on the cases of Haiti and Suriname; (iii) the fiscal trends of extractive industries in the LAC region, including the role of critical minerals and the contribution of public and private enterprises to the development of their host countries; and (iv) other topics that converge with the previously mentioned areas of focus.
The consultant will work in the team of the Bank's Fiscal Management Division, which is part of the Institutions for Development Sector. This team is responsible for supporting the formulation and execution of sustainable and inclusive fiscal policies, to promote economic growth in the region.
What you’ll do
- First responsibility. Enhance the understanding of LAC tax administration and tax policy by producing comparative research papers on the digitization, cybersecurity and data management in the field of tax administration, identifying best practices that apply to the LAC region, focusing on innovative reform initiatives. Utilize international benchmarks to analyze the cases of Barbados, aiming for actionable insights that can enhance the country’s tax administration.
- Second responsibility. Consolidate databases of State-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly those related to the energy sector. With them, provide input for the diagnosis of fiscal management SOEs and its implications for climate change. Use international best practices as a benchmark for the cases of Haiti and Suriname.
- Third responsibility. Support the research related to extractive industries in the LAC region, including assessing the importance of critical minerals in a context of energy transition.
- Fourth responsibility. Assist in research initiatives about the digitalization process of tax administration in LAC, including analyzing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and blockchain.
- Fifth responsibility. Support the implementation of components of technical cooperations (TCs). Components will include preparing discussion papers, implementation of pilot projects, designing of training programs, and dissemination of results. As requested by the Team Leader, the consultant will be supporting the design of additional technical cooperation projects and loan programs.
- Sixth responsibility. Assist in strengthening partnerships among Tax Authorities and Ministries of Finance of LAC countries supporting the agenda-setting, researching potential areas of cooperation, and providing analysis on topics raised by the members. Assist the Team Leader in fostering partnership with external partners and support the coordination of joint activities.
- Seventh responsibility. Assist in developing policy recommendations for strengthening public financial management fostering the LAC’s institutional capacity, taking international best practices into account.
- Eighth responsibility. Ensure accurate and timely submission of quarterly and annual activity progress reports, financial report and other documentation related to fiscal policy operations implemented in IFD/FMM.
- Ninth responsibility. Participate in missions regarding the portfolio and pipeline of the IDB projects in the LAC region as per request of the Team Leader.
- Tenth responsibility. Assist in developing inputs, information, and databases for both the projects and papers under the responsibility of FMM as per request of the Team Leader.
- Eleventh responsibility. Support the organization of knowledge dissemination events to socialize the results of the projects with client governments. Coordinate and organize capacity building programs, dissemination events, and workshops as planned as part of projects or demand from the FMM. Manage the agenda, logistics coordination with other areas of the Bank and engagement with client countries to identify new areas of cooperation or follow up on technical assistance request that might arise.
- Twelfth responsibility: Support the involvement of IFD/FMM Division on all other instances within the IDB and with other countries and international organizations to nurture relationship and strengthen the body of knowledge and state of the art in public financial management.
What you'll need
- Education: master’s degree in areas related to economics, public administration, public policy, public finance, or governance.
- Experience: A minimum of five years of professional experience in project management, operations, and/ or research.
- Languages: Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of French and Portuguese is preferable.
Key skills
- Learn continuously.
- Collaborate and share knowledge.
- Focus on clients.
- Communicate and influence.
- Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, proven ability to coordinate and manage grants and technical cooperation.
- Proficiency in statistical packages such as STATA and R is preferred.
- Ability to manage priorities and workflow with strong multi-tasking and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent writing and communication skills
Requirements