Job: Lead Economist

Location: Washington
Deadline: Tuesday, 05 November 2013

Background / General description:

Background / General Description

The Development Research Department (DECRG) is a widely recognized hub of knowledge generation and intellectual leadership both within and outside the World Bank. The Department also provides technical assistance and substantive advice to other departments of the World Bank in areas of corporate importance. As part of this institutional mandate and in line with these departmental priorities, DECRG's Human Development and Public Services team (DECHD) is seeking to hire a Lead Economist to work primarily on service delivery issues in the education and health sectors. The work will include both the measurement of provider performance in the public and private sectors including medical care quality and student learning, and the analysis of how local markets in education and health work and can be improved. Both areas of work will involve the development of novel instruments and datasets, as well as the evaluation of government and other initiatives on provider performance. Prospective experiments of promising ideas will also be a feature of this work.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 5 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:

Reporting to the Research manager of the Human Development and Public Services team (DECHD), the Lead Economist will:

• Define and contribute to the research agenda of DECRG, including an active program on the study of both education and health, especially provider performance and the role of the private sector.
• Develop innovative instruments and datasets, encourage their use in the World Bank and beyond.
• Provide technical assistance and substantive advice on performance measurement and the role of the private sector in education and health.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to younger researchers in DECRG working on education and health issues.
• Provide intellectual leadership across the World Bank Group in education and health, especially in the areas of performance measurement and the role of the private sector.
• Engage in the broader research community outside the World Bank in the areas of focus for this position, including participation in international fora and conferences on education and health including those catering to professionals in these fields.

Selection Criteria:

The position requires a motivated and well-trained economist with strong analytical and interpersonal skills, significant leadership potential, a commitment to excellence, and a track record of research on education and health in developing countries, especially in the areas of performance measurement and the role of the private sector.

In addition to meeting the generic criteria for international level GH, successful candidates need to meet the following criteria:

• Advanced university degree (PhD preferred) in economics with a focus on both education and health, plus a sustained record of achieving high-quality substantive results over an extended period of time (typically at least 10 years) in more than one world region (including both pre-Bank experience and Bank experience).
• A very high level of proficiency in econometric and other quantitative methods, with evidence of ability to innovate in this area.
• A distinguished record of publications in leading peer-reviewed journals.
• Demonstrated ability to be an intellectual leader in the areas of education and health, with a strategic vision to shape initiatives in these areas with partners in the donor community and developing countries.
• Experience in developing innovative instruments and collecting innovative datasets, disseminating them and fostering their use.
• Proven ability in fundraising and linking research to policy at the global level on issues related to the education and health research of DECRG. Managing trust funds and projects within the Bank will be considered a strong asset.
• Strong commitment to enhancing the availability and quality of education and health data to inform policy through research and technical assistance and capacity building.
• A commitment to work with Operational colleagues on policy-relevant research and technical support.
• Willingness to contribute to the success of the broader DECRG agenda, including on education and health, but also in other areas - a willingness to contribute to work on poverty, governance, and development effectiveness is especially welcomed.
• Fluency in English is essential.
  Competencies:
  General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills - Has track record of intellectual leadership and ability to integrate economic-specific knowledge and specific micro/sector fields of expertise; provides quality assurance and assesses technical soundness of works/reports.
  Knowledge and Experience in Development Areas - Influences the design and execution of major policy and/or research initiatives; conceives and promotes innovations in development policies, organization, and management to improve operational work.
  Policy Dialogue Skills - Has a track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts; communicates and defends difficult issues and positions to senior bank management and government officials.
  Leadership within the Profession - Has significant volume of professional publications (including articles, books, and book chapters, as well as refereed papers in top development, professional thematic, and policy journals.)
  Research Temperament/Intellectual Curiosity - Has the curiosity, drive, and maturity to uncover complex and sometimes overlooked questions and perspectives.
  Written and Verbal Communication - Demonstrates a strong command of all forms of communication and delivers messages in a consistently effective, timely, and engaging manner.
  Team Leadership - Successfully puts together a team with complementary skills and ensures high-quality technical output and success of projects while being cost-conscious.
  Client Orientation - Translates insights into practice across disciplines, hierarchies, geographies and organizational units in service of clients.
  Drive for Results - Ensures successful implementation and delivery of key programs and projects.
  
  
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