Full Job Description
Department: Middle East and Central Asia Department (MCD) - Division D - Saudi Arabia
Typically Reports to: Deputy Division Chief, Division Chief
The Middle East and Central Asia Department (MCD) has an opening for an Economist/Senior Economist in Division D to work on Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is a G20 member, the largest economy in the MCD region, and a major player in the global oil market. It has embarked on wide-ranging reforms to diversify the economy away from oil, expand the role of the private sector, and strengthen fiscal sustainability. This transformation has become more critical and more complex in the context of the war in the Middle East, which has brought to the fore issues such as macroeconomic policymaking under exceptional uncertainty, resilience to disruptions, and economic security. The dialogue between the Saudi authorities and the IMF remains strong, supported by Saudi Arabia's chairmanship of the IMFC, the Saudi Arabia-IMF capacity development (CD) partnership, and the Fund's regional office in Riyadh. The IMF also maintains a close dialogue with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretariat, including through participation in annual meetings of GCC finance ministers and central bank governors, for which it prepares a surveillance note.
The selected candidate will contribute to all aspects of the desk work, including conducting macroeconomic analysis, drafting policy notes and staff reports, coordinating the macroframework, supporting self-financed CD, and handling other desk responsibilities, such as review work, following up on action items and requests, and liaising with the Front Office, Management, and other departments and stakeholders.
The selected candidate will also be expected to contribute to the work of the division, including analytical and policy work on topics relevant to the GCC region, preparation of briefing books for management visits, and review work on behalf of the division. Time permitting, the candidate will have opportunities to participate in MCD policy groups and contribute to broader work in the department. Division D covers the following GCC countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Interested candidates are encouraged to reach out to the Saudi Arabia mission chief, Azim Sadikov ([redacted]), for further information.
Qualifications:
In addition to the qualifications set forth in the job standards, the successful candidate should be a self-starter with a track record of high-quality analytical work on policy-relevant issues; excellent drafting skills; strong leadership and organizational skills and adaptability to meet tight deadlines and carry a substantial workload; outstanding interpersonal and communication skills to foster effective relationships with authorities and work collaboratively in a team environment; deep knowledge of Fund policies and procedures; and attention to detail.
A regular staff member who is selected to fill the vacancy will maintain their open-ended status. Staff members already on a term appointment will continue their current term but may receive an extension provided that their current term appointment has not already been extended.
Department:
MCDDD Middle East and Central Asia Dept Division D
Hiring For:
A11, A12, A13, A14
