Economist

Job Description

The Role

The global public sector organisation is hiring an Economist to evaluate the impact of emerging economic and non-economic policy issues affecting Arab economies. The scope covers climate change, green finance, energy security, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and public e-services. The role involves producing research publications, generating data-driven insights, and collaborating with internal and external partners to support member countries on complex economic challenges.

• Conduct applied and exploratory research on frontier economic topics, integrating AI and machine learning to analyse digital transformation, climate change, energy transition, and inclusive growth.
• Analyse economic, financial, and sectoral data using advanced tools to identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities across digital economy, energy security, and climate-related financial impacts.
• Prepare research papers, analytical studies, and policy notes; publish findings in reputable outlets; develop thematic studies on pressing regional issues.
• Develop evidence-based policy recommendations on areas including AI governance, circular carbon economy, and green finance, aligned with international best practices and regional priorities.
• Assess the effectiveness of innovative policies and reform initiatives in areas such as digital identification and energy transition, identifying lessons learned and areas for improvement.
• Support the design and delivery of technical assistance, capacity development programmes, and thematic trust funds related to frontier policy issues and digital economy initiatives.
• Participate in and organise workshops, seminars, and field missions to share research findings and contribute to policy debate.
• Monitor project timelines and milestones for research and capacity-building initiatives to ensure timely delivery of outputs.
• Ensure all activities comply with the organisation's governance standards, policies, and procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve research methodologies, knowledge management, and workflows by tracking technological trends and best practices.
• Contribute to the development of systems, tools, and training curricula supporting research productivity and policy design.
• Build and maintain working relationships with regulators, policymakers, and external experts to support cross-divisional collaboration.
• Collaborate with internal departments and external partners to align frontier research and digital economy initiatives with the organisation's strategic objectives.

• Master's degree in Economics, Macroeconomics, Public Finance, Development Economics, or a related field. A PhD is an advantage.
• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience for PhD holders, or 5–6 years for Master's degree holders, in economic research, policy analysis, or financial sector development.
• Experience preferably gained within international financial institutions, central banks, Ministries of Economy or Finance, research centres, or think tanks.
• Strong track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals is preferred.
• Experience delivering training courses and managing research projects is preferred.
• Quantitative and analytical expertise, including proficiency in AI and data analytics tools such as Python and R, is preferred.
• Demonstrated exposure to innovation-related topics, policy research, or applied economic analysis is preferred.
• Additional certifications in financial innovation, digital finance, risk analysis, or policy design are an advantage. Examples cited include Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) by GARP, Certified Energy Manager (CEM) by the Association of Energy Engineers, and Data Science and Machine Learning certifications by AWS.