Senior Health Economists - Policy Analysts

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation comprised of 38 member countries, that works to build better policies for better lives. Our mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.  Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, we work on establishing evidence-based international standards, and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, we provide a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.

The Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS)  is working towards building more cohesive and healthier societies through policy advice related to quality jobs, continuous investment in human capital, reduction in poverty and exclusion, better health-care systems and good management of migration flows. The OECD helps countries to improve their health systems by providing internationally comparable data, state-of-the-art analysis and appropriate policy recommendations on a wide range of health policies.   

Within ELS, the OECD Health Division  works to support and advance the strategic orientations of the Secretary General in the area of health, and deliver the programme of work agreed by the OECD Health Committee. The Division includes around 50 staff members including health specialists, economists, policy analysts, statisticians and support staff. The work of the division helps countries achieve high-performing health systems by measuring health outcomes and health system resource use as well as by analysing policies that improve access, efficiency, resilience and quality of health and long-term care.

We are looking to recruit one or more Senior Health Economists /Policy Analysts, to deliver high-quality comparative analysis of health systems and policies, and contribute to the quality and impact of work of the Division. Areas of work of the Division cover include\: measuring of health care outcomes, activities and inputs; health spending trends; health care quality policies; health data governance; health system resilience and value for money; long-term care systems and ageing; the economics of public health; pharmaceutical policies and new technologies; health workforce; and global health (see http\://www.oecd.org/health).

The selected candidates will develop project proposals and work plans, lead projects and teams, and will deliver reports to the OECD's Health Committee which will inform health policy decision-making in OECD as well as non-member countries. The selected candidate(s) will have a strong background in analysing health policies or applying economic concepts to health, and in translating technical evidence into strong policy messaging. They would also have proven experience leading projects and teams and in raising funds. The selected candidates will work under the supervision of the Head of the Health Division of the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS).

Main Responsibilities

Management

• Work with the Head of the Health Division and senior management in ELS to support and advance the strategic orientations of the Secretary-General in the area of health.
• Contribute to the management of the OECD programme of work on health, and to maximise its quality and impact, in close collaboration with the Head of the Health Division and senior management in ELS.
• Assist the Head of Division in raising funds through voluntary contributions from member countries and Organisations and ensure the timely delivery of high quality outputs. 
• Manage a multidisciplinary team, which can include scientific specialists, policy analysts, statisticians and consultants, and participate in the recruitment process for these positions.
• Work horizontally with colleagues in other Divisions and Directorates of the OECD, including peer review of reports and contribute to horizontal projects with other OECD Directorates.  

Analytical work 

• Formulate proposals for analytical projects linked to key priorities of the Health Committee. Develop work plans geared towards informing policy questions, taking into account time and resource constraints.
• Conduct investigations of health system performance and evaluations of health policies, taking account of the institutional context and environmental factors.
• Produce high-quality papers and reports on issues relevant to Health Ministries in OECD countries, undertaking analysis of data and policy and critical review of research evidence.
• Contribute to OECD work to identify existing gaps in data and indicators needed to monitor and analyse the performance of health systems, and undertake collection of original data needed for analysis in particular studies.    

Liaison and outreach

• Disseminate the findings of OECD work and represent the OECD at relevant meetings and events involving policy makers and representatives of academia, business, NGOs and the media in member and partner countries.
• Contribute to the dissemination of the work of the Health Division by drafting briefs, speeches and presentations.  
• Collaborate closely with other parts of the Organisation directly involved in health issues, and ensure appropriate communication and coordination with the European Commission and with officials in other international organisations (including the World Health Organization and the World Bank). 

Ideal Candidate Profile

Academic Background

• An advanced university degree in economics, health economics, policy analysis, or a similar discipline. 

Professional Background

• Eight to ten years' professional experience in health economics or health policy analysis.
• Management experience and involvement with policies and international co-operation in the area of health
• Experience in managing projects and teams of analysts/economists and statisticians.  
• Broad knowledge of health policy issues in one or more key issues of health-systems performance, demonstrated through publications record or otherwise.  
• Experience in formulating studies to answer policy questions, to conduct analysis in a cross-disciplinary context, to draw conclusions based on the evidence, to identify policy implications and formulate practical recommendations.  Familiarity with economic concepts and their application to the health sector. 
• Experience in quantitative techniques used in analysis and research in the social sciences. Knowledge of the types of data used in analyses of health systems performance and health policy, particularly in a cross-national context. Experience in designing and carrying out original data collection activities and analyses in support of health policy studies, preferably acquired in a national administration, research institute or an international organisation.   
• Experience working on health related issues in international organisations, government agencies and policy research.
• Strong presentation and drafting  skills.

Languages

• Working knowledge of both OECD official languages (English and French) would be an asset.

Core Competencies

• Please refer to the level 4 indicators of the OECD Core Competencies.

Contract Duration

• Two year fixed term appointment, with the possibility of renewal.

What the OECD offers

• Monthly base salary starting from 9,047 EUR, plus allowances based on eligibility, exempt of French income tax.
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Please note that the appointment may be made at a lower grade based on the qualifications and professional experience of the selected applicant.

The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes the applications of all qualified candidates who are nationals of OECD member countries, irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.

The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal.