Economist/Sr. Economist – STARE (Contractual)

Work for the IMF. Work for the World.

The IMF’s Statistics Department (STA) has an opening in its Real Sector Division for an Economist/Senior Economist that will contribute to the implementation of its work program in the areas of input-output related economic and environmental analysis and national accounts.

Background:

The Real Sector Division of the Statistics Department (STARE) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides global leadership on macroeconomic statistical methodologies and standards for the IMF, its member countries, and the international statistical community at large. It supports IMF surveillance and lending operations by strengthening member countries’ capabilities to produce and disseminate macroeconomic and financial statistics for sound policymaking. STA collaborates with other IMF departments, donors, and other external partners to ensure that data needs for bilateral and multilateral surveillance and lending operations are met.

STARE is responsible for operationalizing the Fund’s role as global standard setter in the methodology for national accounts, input-output analysis, and price statistics and contributes to the development of international macroeconomic statistical standards. It plays a lead role in the development of global databases on national accounts and prices, including the global Multi-Analytical Input-Output (MARIO) database, while also contributing to STA’s emerging climate change and environmental economic statistics program. It is a major contributor to the STA’s capacity development (CD) program through the delivery of technical assistance and training in national accounts and price statistics to Fund member countries.  

Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will contribute to STARE’s work program on MARIO development and analysis, and national accounts and related real sector statistics. Areas of work include:

• Contribute to the development of the MARIO model by compiling and validating source data, estimating and reconciling missing or inconsistent inputs, developing balancing software, drafting methodological documentation, and producing IO-based economic and environmental indicators to support IMF analytical work;

• Conduct other analytical and conceptual work aligned to STARE’s national accounts program;

• Contribute to the development of international standards and/or promote the adoption of updated statistical methodologies, compilation materials, and/or related advice on national accounts related to the updated standards;

• Develop, implement, and promote data and research projects that support STA’s work program, including by showcasing STA national accounts databases and indicators, and/or using them for evidence-based policy making.

Minimum Qualifications:

Educational development, including and/or supplemented by work experience, typically acquired through the completion of considerable graduate work in Economics, Finance, Statistics, or a related field of study, or equivalent, is required; or, an advanced university degree in Economics, Finance, or a related field of study, or equivalent, plus a minimum of four (4) years of relevant professional experience is required.

Additional Qualifications and Key Responsibilities:

STA is seeking a dynamic, highly motivated economist with proven ability to work independently as well as being effective in teams. Specialization in the development of input-output models and analysis is key for the position and experience with trade, macroeconomic, and environment indicators analysis will be a strong asset. The successful candidate would have:

• An advanced degree (Masters’ or PhD) in economics, statistics, or related field. 

• Expert knowledge in input-output analysis and national accounts, with a solid grounding in quantitative analysis and experience in empirical input-output estimation and national accounts’ measurement-oriented research.

• Proven expertise in input-output models and national accounts methodology and compilation—demonstrated by at least five years professional experience in carrying out estimation and quantitative analyses in support of IO related policy analysis – either at national levels or in the context of global or multiregional IO systems (MRIOs). Expert knowledge of climate statistics would be an additional asset.

• Programming skills in software tools for quantitative and statistical analyses and database construction (such as R, Python, Matlab, STATA and SQL). Proven ability to learn new software tools quickly.

• Experience in contributing to multidisciplinary projects.

• Experience in managing a team and in contributing to complex projects with strict deadlines and budgets.

• Very good knowledge of the latest quantitative methods for constructing MRIOs and related IO analysis and economic modelling.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

• Strong relationship management, negotiating and influencing skills, as well as developing relations with national authorities, are important for the position.

• Strong drive for results with proven ability to work both independently and in teams on various projects under tight deadlines.

More detailed duties for MARIO:

• Compile source data required for MARIO estimation, such as national supply-use and input-output tables, national accounts, and balance of payments statistics.

• Carry out quality checks and develop and apply methods for estimating missing data, and checking and validating the results, graphical or otherwise.

• Develop software for balancing domestic and international flows of intermediate and final goods and services within a set of aggregate time series constraints. Identify optimal methods – general and country specific to maximize international consistency.

• Draft technical documentation that clearly describes the sources and methods used.

• Contribute to the development of a range of indicators for addressing policy economic and environmental issues associated with global value chains and foreign direct investment (FDI), like trade in value added, GHG associated with trade and domestic consumption, jobs, etc.

•  Conduct IO analysis to contribute to other strands of IMF work as required.

• Coordinate and oversee the work of MARIO estimation and updating.

• Contribute to the production and dissemination of IO related indicators and analysis in IMF publications and reports.

• Represent the IMF at conferences, workshops and seminars related to the construction of global Input-Output systems and analysis and the development and use of indicators based on MARIO.

This is a one-year contractual appointment. Contractual appointments at the IMF are renewable for up to four years of cumulative contractual service, pending incumbent's performance, budget availability and continuous business need.

Department:

Hiring For:

The IMF is guided by the principle that the employment, classification, promotion, and assignment of staff shall be made without discrimination against any person. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process. Information on how to request accommodations will be provided during the application process.