Work for the IMF. Work for the World.

The IMF’s Statistics Department (STA) is seeking a specialized Economist to join its Financial Institutions Division (STAFI), with a focus on the Financial Access workstream, including the Financial Access Survey (FAS) database.

This is a three-year fixed term position with the possibility of extension for one more year. The division works closely with other Fund departments on analytical, policy, and operational activities to support the IMF’s bilateral, multilateral, and financial sector surveillance.

STA provides global leadership in macroeconomic and financial statistics methodologies and standards for the IMF, its member countries, and the broader international statistical community. It works closely with other Fund departments, donors, and external partners to meet data needs for surveillance and lending. STA supports these activities through capacity development aimed at strengthening countries’ statistical capacity to produce and disseminate statistics for sound policy analysis and effective policymaking.

STAFI operationalizes the IMF’s role as the global standard setter for the Financial Access Survey (FAS), alongside Monetary and Financial Statistics (MFS) and Financial Soundness Indicators (FSIs), by developing and updating internationally agreed methodologies that ensure high-quality, consistent, and cross-country comparable data. It leads the development, maintenance, and dissemination of the global FAS database, which supports analysis of global financial inclusion. STAFI also manages STA’s capacity development program for the FAS, providing technical assistance and training to IMF member countries worldwide, while contributing to broader updates of international statistical methodologies on emerging financial sector issues and to related STA and IMF initiatives.

The FAS provides a unique supply-side database on access to and use of financial services, covering more than 190 economies, with over 120 series and historical data dating back to 2004. The FAS dataset includes both traditional and non-traditional financial services data. Selected series are disaggregated by type of financial service provider, type of customer (e.g., households and SMEs), gender and income group. These cross-country comparable statistics help policymakers and financial institutions identify gaps in financial inclusion, design targeted interventions, and monitor progress toward enhancing access to and use of financial services. The statistics are sourced from financial sector authorities.

Duties and responsibilities

The successful candidate will support STAFI’s Financial Access Survey (FAS) work by contributing to statistical methodology, data management, analysis, and capacity development. Responsibilities include supporting the FAS revamp and expansion to new data dimensions, contributing to the Financial Health Data Framework, supporting the development and delivering capacity development activities, supporting the monitoring of the FAS data collection automation process, and supporting FI management with reporting commitments to FAS donors on the overall FAS workstream under STAFI management guidance. 

More specifically, the selected candidate will be involved in the following activities within STAFI’s work program:

• Enhance and maintain the FAS, including leading the revamp of the survey to strengthen financial sector and macro-financial surveillance.

• Develop, update, enhance, and implement international statistical methodologies for the FAS, including developing new methodologies on additional data dimensions such as consumer protection, competition, merchant payments, fintech, and financial health.

• Develop and implementing STAFI’s capacity development program for the FAS, including training and TA.

• Support other Fund departments in multilateral and bilateral surveillance through methodological advice, data, capacity development, and analytical work.

• Pursue research and analytical work within the division’s areas of responsibility, in support of furthering STA’s objectives, including showcasing STA databases and/or using them for evidence-based policymaking.

• Mentor junior staff on core workstreams and divisional activities.

• Collaborate with other international organizations and external stakeholders.

• Participate in other divisional/departmental activities as appropriate, including review of relevant policy/country documents and data related issues and the development and leverage of other STAFI databases.

• Support FI management with reporting requests for FAS donors on the overall FAS workstream.

Minimum qualification

Educational development, including and/or supplemented by work experience, typically acquired through the completion of considerable graduate work in Economics, Finance, Statistics, or a related field of study, or equivalent, is required; or, an advanced university degree in Economics, Finance, or a related field of study, or equivalent, plus a minimum of four (4) years of relevant professional experience is required.

In addition,

• An advanced degree in Economics, Finance, Statistics, and/or a related field, supplemented by at least by five years of relevant professional experience, is preferable.

• The ideal candidate will have a deep background in financial inclusion, strong proficiency in data management, and robust technical expertise in the statistical compilation and methodology of financial inclusion data.

• Proven experience producing these statistics within a financial sector authority is essential. In addition, the candidate should have a demonstrated track record in capacity development and in developing research and data methodologies related to financial inclusion.

• Experience working in multilateral organizations is a strong asset.

• In addition to the technical skills described above, the candidate should possess excellent written and oral communication skills in English, as well as strong interpersonal skills to foster effective working relationships with country authorities and to collaborate effectively within teams.

• The candidate should be dynamic and highly motivated, with a strong results orientation, a proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and have an appetite for innovation.

• The candidate must also be capable of managing a wide range of assignments and working under tight deadlines. A working knowledge of Spanish, French, or Arabic would be an additional asset.

A regular staff member who is selected to fill the vacancy will maintain their open-ended status. If the selected candidate is a contractual employee, they will be offered a Term staff appointment. 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.

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The IMF is guided by the principle that the employment, classification, promotion, and assignment of staff shall be made without discrimination against any person. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process. Information on how to request accommodations will be provided during the application process.