Senior Economist

Job #: req35723
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Macroeconomics
Grade: GG
Term Duration:  4 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Nouakchott,Mauritania
Required Language(s): ENGLISH
Preferred Language(s): FRENCH AND ARABIC (desirable)
Closing Date: 3/15/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.  For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region
We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.
Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.
In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 350 projects totaling more than $38 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will need to be achieved.
Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID. 

https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

Fiscal Policy and Growth (FPG) Global Practice 
The Fiscal Policy and Growth (FPG) Global Practice houses the Bank’s country economists together with trade economists and specialists, debt and macro modeling experts, competition, business environment and investment policy experts who work together to support countries in their search for private sector led, inclusive growth. FPG offers integrated solutions to macroeconomic and private-sector reform programs. In doing so, FPG staff often serve integrative functions working closely with other GPs. Almost half of FPG professional staff are decentralized to the field partnering closely with the Country Management Units (CMUs) and in proximity to the clients.
You will be working with across a wide array of Bank instruments ranging from Development Policy Operations to advisory projects, combining the strength of Bank analysis and lending with long standing expertise in providing implementation support at the country level. You will often lead or participate in the preparation of Strategic Country Diagnostics for both the public and private sectors, as well as other analytic tools such as Public Finance Reviews and Country Growth and Job Reports. Knowledge and learning is a central part of FPG’s work focused on 9 thematic areas: (a) macroeconomics; (b) fiscal policy; (c) growth; (d) economic management in resource rich environments; (e) macroeconomic modelling & statistics; (f) trade and regional integration; (g) competition policy; (h) investment policy and promotion; and (i) business regulation.
Poverty has no borders. Neither does excellence. This is why we continually search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
The selected candidate will come on board July 1/2026.
For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/unit/mti-gp
Duties & Responsibilities:
The Senior Economist will be part of the Mauritania FPG Team, which is comprised of a Lead Economist based in Senegal, and a Research Analyst support. He/She will also be part of the Mauritania Country Team comprised of colleagues from the different practice groups and other senior global practice staff to ensure cross-cutting solutions to the core (typically multi-practice) country engagements around which the Mauritania Country Partnership Framework and the country program is organized. Each core engagement utilizes different Bank instruments (ASA, policy dialogue, lending [DPO, PforR, IPF]). Mauritania is also part of the Sahel region dialogue and the Senior Economist will be part of the support for this engagement, which includes policy dialogue, analytic work, and operations. 
Duties:
As part of FPG Mauritania team, the Senior Economist is expected to deliver expertise in the following areas:

• Jobs and Economic Growth (including macro-financial stability, private sector led growth, growth inclusiveness, growth diversification) 

• Fiscal Policy (including domestic revenue mobilization, public expenditures management, fiscal institutions) 

• Debt Sustainability and Debt Management

Responsibilities:
As part of FPG Mauritania team, responsibilities of the Senior Economist include the following:

• Lead the macroeconomic monitoring of Mauritania, which includes the Macro and Poverty Outlook (MPO) and the annual Mauritania Economic Update;

• Lead and coordinate the policy dialogue on macroeconomic and fiscal policy and economic growth issues with the Mauritanian authorities, with the IMF and economic departments of other development agencies and non-government stakeholders;

• Lead fiscal and debt ASAs including Public Finance Reviews (PFR) and Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA);

• Lead core country diagnostics such as Country Growth and Jobs reports and other growth diagnostics, working with other GPs to integrate structural, sectoral and macroeconomic issues, as well a co-leading work on the Climate Change Development Report (CCDR) and associated engagements on climate change;

• Lead Development Policy Operations, or other types of lending operations focused on economic and fiscal reforms;

• Advises sector teams on the macroeconomic and fiscal implications of sector policies and investment decisions – for example on the oil and gas and power sectors - and provide cross-support where relevant;

• Provides analytical inputs for and advises the Country Management Unit (CMU) on country strategic engagement and economic policy issues, including participation in review meetings; and

• Actively develops new business that contributes to the development agenda of Mauritania. 

Selection Criteria

• Minimum of a Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) in economics with at least 8 years of relevant professional experience including a track record of delivery of high quality analytical and advisory products.

• Strong analytical skills in macroeconomic and fiscal management and ability to conduct policy-relevant research.

• Experience in leading high impact development policy operations; sound knowledge of Bank lending tools and procedures.

• Integrative capacity including the ability to situate sectoral issues within a broader development framework.

• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present complicated analyses to non-specialist audiences.

• Strong client-orientation and diplomatic skills combined with candor and courage of opinion.

• Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments and adjust to a variety of complex evolving tasks to meet deadlines.

• Entrepreneurial capabilities that can be deployed in identifying and securing new business opportunities.

• High energy and demonstrated interest in achieving impact through analytical work and technical assistance for demanding and sophisticated clients. Previous experience in delivering high impact work in a country under economic transformation would be a plus.

• French language skills are desirable. 

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.

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