Health Economist/Specialist

Opportunity Summary:


Type of contract: Fixed term, staff
Length of contract: 3 years
Starting date: September 1, 2020
Location: Initially at Headquarters in Washington D.C. The final location of your 3 year assignment may be any of the countries where we work in Latin America and the Caribbean or Washington, DC.
Requirements: Candidates must be citizens of one of the IDB’s 48-member countries and have no family members currently working at the IDB Group. As international specialist, the selected candidate will be expected to rotate between country assignments every circa 3 to 5 years.

Our culture: Our people are committed and passionate about improving lives in Latin-America and the Caribbean, and they get to do what they love in a diverse, collaborative and stimulating work environment. We are the first Latin American and Caribbean development institution to be awarded the EDGE certification, recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality. As an employee you can be part of internal resource groups that connect our diverse community around common interests.

Because we are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace diversity based on gender, age, education, national origin, ethnic origin, race, disability, sexual orientation, and religion. We encourage women, Afro-descendants and persons of indigenous origins to apply. 


Are you passionate about improving people’s lives? How about joining us?

Background: We are currently looking for a Health Economist/Specialist to join our Social Protection and Health (SPH) Division. You will contribute to our operational and economic and sector work program in Latin America and the Caribbean particularly focusing on the areas of health system strengthening, health financing, health policy and strategy formulation and implementation.

Our Social Sector (SCL) is a multidisciplinary team convinced that investing in people is the way to improve lives and overcome the development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. Jointly with the countries in the region, the Social Sector formulates public policy solutions to reduce poverty and improve the delivery of education, work, social protection, and health services. Our objective is to advance a more productive region, with equal opportunities for men and women, and greater inclusion of the most vulnerable groups.

The team: The Social Protection and Health (SPH) Division prepares and supervises operations in borrowing member countries in the areas of social protection (e.g. safety nets and transfers, early childhood development, disadvantaged youth, aging) and health (e.g. health systems’ strengthening, health system financing, organization and performance, digital health, etc.).

What you’ll do:

  • Develop and apply innovative economic and sector analytic work to support the preparation of country, sector and regional strategies, loan operations and technical assistance programs in the health area.
  • Engage in policy dialogue with Government authorities and development partners based on your proven knowledge of the sector, development challenges of client countries, and IDB policies, strategies and guidelines.
  • Share and disseminate economic/sector knowledge and learning tools to enhance the relevance of our operations to borrowing countries and the region.
  • Champion health sector modernization and transformation in borrowing countries.
  • Lead or participate in the origination, conceptualization and preparation of operations with other team members and respective authorities.
  • Lead or assist, in coordination with all relevant parties (executing agencies, fiduciary specialists, among others), the supervision of the execution and the monitoring and evaluation of operations for which the IDB has approved financing.
  • Identify and resolve complex execution issues related with the supervision of IDB financed operations.
  • Contribute to transfer technical and operational knowledge to entities in charge of the execution of IDB financed operations.
  • Collaborate with and support the activities of the IDB Invest and IDB Lab, within the IDB Group.
  • Manage project teams and resources effectively.
  • Provide input to prepare business plans and budgets for the accomplishment of our work program, and to report on progress to internal and external partners.
  • Build networks and actively engage with health specialists/economists in other multilateral and bilateral institutions, academic institutions, think-tanks, NGOs and professional bodies to promote joint research initiatives and collaboration.

Skills you’ll need:


Education: You hold a Bachelor´s degree in economics, engineering or medical sciences. In addition, you hold a Master’s degree in health care administration/management or other related field.Experience: You have at least 6 years of relevant and substantive development policy and operational experience.

The ideal candidate will have:

  1. Proven expertise in hospital and health system management, health care network improvement programs
  2. Proven experience in managing health infrastructure projects
  3. Extensive field experience in working with governments and other partners in health sector policy strategy formulation as well as experience in supporting implementation of sector modernization efforts in complex environments to achieve greater efficiency of health systems and quality care
  4. Proven expertise in health sector financing
  5. Knowledge of health digital tools

Languages: You are proficient (oral and written) in Spanish and English. Knowledge of an additional official Bank language (Portuguese or French) would be a plus.


Link to Technical Competencies (← please Ctrl + Click)
Link to Core Competencies (← please Ctrl + Click)


About us: At the IDB, we’re committed to improving lives. Since 1959, we’ve been a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We do more than lending though. We partner with our 48-member countries to provide Latin America and the Caribbean with cutting-edge research about relevant development issues, policy advice to inform their decisions, and technical assistance to improve on the planning and execution of projects. For this, we need people who not only have the right skills, but also are passionate about improving lives.



The IDB offers a competitive remuneration and benefits package.


Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.


A candidate has been pre-identified for this position and may apply. However, this remains a competitive process and

other qualified candidates are encouraged to apply and will be duly considered.


Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for our Region, the IDB Group is reviewing its hiring needs and re-prioritizing its areas of talent acquisition. We encourage candidates to continue to apply to the active postings, yet current job openings may be subject to further decisions in terms of timing of the processes, or other actions, in accordance with business needs. Final hiring decisions may also be conditioned to the candidate’s ability to timely relocate to the post of duty at the moment of starting service.

This vacancy is archived.

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