JOBS

African Development Bank is hiring for Research Assistants in Economics based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Pretoria, South Africa

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Closing Date: 4 December 2024

African Development Bank is hiring for Research Assistants in Economics based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Pretoria, South Africa

Background

Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 81 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth. In order to sharply focus the objectives of the Ten-Year Strategy (2024 – 2033) and ensure greater developmental impact, five major areas (High 5s), all of which will accelerate its delivery for Africa, have been identified for scaling up, namely: energy, agro-business, industrialization, integration and improving the quality of life for the people of Africa.

The Hiring Department

The mandate of the Country Economics Department is to position the Bank at the center of socio-economic knowledge-led Country and Regional strategies, policy dialogues and operations. The Department leads the knowledge work that informs

(i) the production of Country and Regional Strategy documents, including the Country Strategy Papers, Regional Integration Strategy Papers, Country Diagnostic Notes, and Regional Diagnostic Notes to inform country lending programs,

(ii) Regional and Country Economic Reports: produces the Regional Economic Outlooks Reports, the Country Focus Reports, and the African Economic Outlook Country Notes to update on the economic, political and social developments in the country,

(iii) Policy Dialogue: the department plays a key role in Country/Regional policy dialogues and in the Bank’s collaboration with other Development partners, including participation in Country Thematic Groups in line with Paris Declaration on Aid effectiveness and Accra Plan of Action, and

(iv) Economic and Sector Work: the Country Economics Department leads in the research and analysis of economic and sector issues at the country level to inform the design of Bank’s strategy and programs in the country.

The Country Economics Department is composed of the Office of the Senior Director (ECCE.0) the Lead Economists report to, and two (2) divisions, each overseen by a Division Manager: The Country Economics Department Division 1 (ECCE.1), which covers Central, North, and West Africa, and the Country Economics Division 2 (ECCE.2), which covers Nigeria, Eastern and Southern Africa. The two (2) Division Managers and the Lead Economists report to the Director of the Country Economics Department.

The Position

The Research Assistants in Economics work under the direct supervision of the Division Managers in the Country Economics Department and assist the Lead Economists (on technical matters). They provide research assistance on different topics, focusing on macroeconomic and economic development work to deepen country knowledge and strengthen the Bank’s policy dialogue with policymakers. They undertake research and prepare literature reviews for all ECCE deliverables, including knowledge work, programming documents (Country Strategy Papers and related documents – mid-term review, completion report – Country Diagnostic Notes, etc.), Policy Notes, Institutional Publications, etc., as well as Thought leadership pieces.

Key Functions

The Research Assistants in Economics will:

Undertake research and prepare literature reviews on different topics of interest for Africa’s development.
Update information feeding country and regional briefs on macroeconomic and economic development.

Work closely with the Data Analysts to produce sound economic analysis.
Analyse the economic and financial situations of assigned Regional Member Countries, using internal and external information sources.
Contribute to the preparation of Country Strategy Papers, based on the Regional Member Countries’ development strategies.

Contribute to Economic and Sector Work (including Country Diagnostic Notes), Country Notes for African Economic Outlook reports, Country Focus Reports, etc.
Undertake research for the preparation of Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA), Country Fragility and Resilience Assessment, Country Risk Assessment, etc.
Address peer-reviewers’ comments and produce the matrix of responses to comments.

Competencies (skills, experience, and knowledge):

Hold at least a bachelor’s degree in Economics and other relevant fields and related disciplines.
Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience in macroeconomic policy analysis and the economics of development, working on African development issues.
Demonstrated knowledge of economics and proven analytical skills

Strong planning and organizational skills, including a proven ability to think strategically, seeing the big picture without sacrificing the details.
Proven writing skills, in particular the ability to write professional reports and analysis.
Ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner; present oral information with clarity and appropriate style and adapt language and style to the needs of a particular audience.

Ability to work as a team, to build strong working relationships with colleagues and contribute to the creation of a positive environment for teamwork; Good interpersonal skills and ability to provide and receive feedback.
Ability to handle the high-level demands of a complex organization, including the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
Professionalism, maturity, reliability, integrity, adaptability and initiative are essential to perform this function

Contribute to Economic and Sector Work (including Country Diagnostic Notes), Country Notes for African Economic Outlook reports, Country Focus Reports, etc.