Senior Economist

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Economist works in the Programming and Country Engagement (PACE) division of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) Secretariat. The PACE division leads the development and operationalization of the Fund’s funding modalities and instruments, reviews funding requests, manages the pipeline and portfolio, engages with countries and access entities, and coordinates with other entities involved in funding arrangements. Under the leadership and guidance of the PACE Program Manager, the Senior Economist leads fiduciary and financial work across the FRLD pipeline and portfolio. The role develops policies, frameworks, methodologies, and financial instruments to help countries respond to loss and damage. It also leads analytical and knowledge work on related economic and financial issues and provides strategic advice to the Secretariat. The Senior Economist reports to the Program Manager of the PACE team and collaborates with colleagues across PACE and the wider Secretariat.

Requirements

Advanced degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international economics, finance, or a related field.
At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in development finance.
Expert knowledge of the economic and financial impacts of climate change and the financial instruments used to address them.
Track record drafting complex technical and operational papers and quality-assuring papers for rigor and quality.
Experience designing tailored financial instruments, including budget support operations and non-grant instruments.
Experience developing technical, policy-oriented knowledge products and operational strategies in climate finance, and implementing dissemination strategies.
Excellent drafting and analytical skills, including the ability to synthesize complex technical information, data, and operational principles into clear, concise papers.
Strong judgment and risk awareness, with the ability to identify emerging challenges and propose solutions.
Effective written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present and train diverse audiences in accessible language.
Coordination skills and ability to collaborate within and across teams.
Ability to work under time pressure, manage multiple assignments, meet tight deadlines, and work across time zones.
High attention to detail in producing high-quality work and papers.
Ability to articulate operational, institutional, and political perspectives related to a topic or area of work.
Ability to work in a matrix, cross-functional environment and adapt to changing institutional and policy priorities.

Nice To Haves

Focus in financial economics, development finance, and/or climate finance.
Experience working in international, regional, or bilateral financial institutions.
Experience with a variety of international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, UN agencies, or climate funds.
Experience working in developing countries across multiple regions.
Proficiency in one or more UN languages in addition to English: French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, or Chinese.

Responsibilities

Lead a team of fiduciary specialists in reviewing funding requests and related implementation documents and reports.
Develop methodologies for fiduciary review, monitoring, and reporting, and train the team as required.
Quality-assure the fiduciary and risk sections of Secretariat assessment reports submitted to the Board, ensuring consistency with assessment methodologies and guidelines.
Manage and monitor processes and requirements for the direct budget support access modality, including reviewing external experts’ work.
Manage and monitor processes and requirements for financial instruments that take debt sustainability into account, including grants, concessional loans, guarantees, budget support, policy-based finance, equity, insurance, risk-sharing mechanisms, pre-arranged finance, and performance-based programs.
Serve as the team’s focal point for operational risk management across the pipeline and portfolio, coordinating with the Risk team in the Board Affairs and Governance unit.
Participate in PACE leadership meetings, advise the Program Manager, and work with other team leads to support coherence across the team’s work.
Lead development of policies for grants, concessional resources, and other financial instruments, modalities, and facilities, taking account of access to other financial resources and debt sustainability.
Contribute to development of other funding and access modalities, including rapid disbursement and small grants.
Develop a simplified, fast-tracked screening mechanism to assess functional equivalency with internationally recognized standards for national or regional funding entities’ safeguards and standards.
Support development of the funding agreement, led by the Board Affairs and Governance team, to ensure alignment with programming and operational considerations.
Lead analytical work and knowledge production on economic and financial issues related to responding to loss and damage, and advance strategic thinking on financial strategies, approaches, and instruments.
Advise the Program Manager and executive leadership on economic and financial matters.
Complete ad hoc assignments as requested by the Program Manager.
Support the Program Manager in representing the Fund at external conferences and events concerning economic and financial aspects of responding to loss and damage.
Contribute to engagement with countries and access entities, including preparing briefing notes, talking points, and presentation slides for meetings and webinars.
Support preparations for Board meetings, including ensuring Board papers are delivered to a high standard and on time.
Contribute to preparations for consultations with the Board and Observers, including developing presentation materials, talking points, and summaries of key issues.