Junior Economist/Policy Analyst, Conflict and Fragility - Temporary

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 Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD) supports coordinated, innovative, international action to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in developing countries and improve financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Directorate helps set international standards for development co-operation, supporting the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), and monitors how donors deliver on their commitments. Drawing upon OECD-wide expertise, DCD supports members and partners with data, analysis, and guidance.

The DCD also provides the Secretariat to the DAC International Network on Conflict and Fragility (INCAF), which is a unique network of bilateral donors and key multilateral agencies working in fragile situations. The group works together to deliver better humanitarian, development and peace programming, co-ordination, and financing in fragile and conflict-affected states. The Secretariat of the network is the Conflict and Fragility (CF) team, located in the Division for Global Partnerships and Policies (GPP). In 2023, one of the CF team’s main workstreams will be on the specificities of inclusive economic development and financing in fragile contexts. This includes work on a) the economic dimension of fragility, the development of entrenched war economies and incentives towards violence in situations of prolonged fragility and conflict; b) the tailoring of tools and approaches by the international community in response; and c) support for the development of financing strategies in fragile situations.

To support this work, DCD is looking for a Junior Economist/Policy Analyst (temporary position) to support cross-disciplinary analysis on economic and financial issues in fragile contexts. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will be an active and substantive contributor to the team’s research agenda and, where appropriate, lead on elements of research according to their experience and skills.

The Junior Economist/Policy Analyst will report to the Policy Analyst who oversees the economic and financing workstream, with oversight provided by the Team Lead of the Crises and Fragility team in the Global Partnerships and Policies Division, under the overall guidance of the Head of the Division.

Main Responsibilities

Research, Analysis, and Drafting

• Support and deliver research, analysis and drafting of economic and financial issues in fragile contexts in a cross-disciplinary manner (economic, security, humanitarian, social, governance, etc).
• Provide country-level and sub-national analysis as needed to support financing strategies and other aspects of country support.
• Provide data analysis, data management and data visualisation support, in consultation with the Conflict and Fragility data analyst.
• Preparation of publications related to crises and fragility, in particular those related to the economic/financing file.

Co-ordination, representation, and liaison

• Contribute to the team’s network and liaison activities with e.g. financial and economic actors, for example outreach, relationship management, and collaboration with other teams and organisations on the economic/financing file.
• Develop outreach and communication materials for the dissemination of the Team’s fragility work, and assist with organising launch events, workshops, conferences, and other meetings as relevant.

Other tasks

• Carry out other tasks required to enable the Conflict and Fragility Team to deliver on its overall objectives.
• Contribute to joint projects and activities with other divisions of the DCD, the OECD, or other key partners as relevant.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Academic Background

• An advanced university degree in economics, development economics, political science, international relations, statistics, or other relevant discipline.
• 3-5 years’ professional experience in a relevant role is desirable. More recent graduates are also welcome to apply.

Professional Background

• Experience working on economic and financing issues or development cooperation in national governments, international organisations, think tanks or NGO, ideally related to conflict, fragility, or resilience.
• Demonstrable ability to work in a cross-disciplinary way, combining analysis from different perspectives (economic, security, social, governance….) to provide practical insights and recommendations.
• Demonstrable expertise in data analytics and data visualisation, especially economic and financial data.
• Ability to organise and summarise complex material clearly for both specialised and non‑specialised audiences using different written and verbal media.
• Familiarity with economic, social, environmental, and other statistics used in developing country contexts
• Excellent organisational, communication and, especially, drafting skills, with the ability to work collaboratively and creatively in a team.

Tools

• Proficiency in the use of standard (Microsoft Office) software applications.
• Proficiency in the use of “R” statistical software or other statistical (Stata, Python, etc) or data visualisation tools is considered advantageous.
• Familiarity with the OECD’s Creditor Reporting System (CRS) data and other ODA datasets is considered advantageous.

Languages

• Fluency in one of the two OECD official languages (English and French) and knowledge of the other, with a commitment to reaching a good working level.
• Excellent drafting ability in English.

Core Competencies

• For this role, the following competencies would be particularly important\: Achievement Focus, Analytical Thinking, Flexible Thinking, Drafting Skills, Strategic Networking, Teamwork, Strategic thinking.
• Please refer to the level 3 indicators of the OECD Core Competencies.

Contract Duration

• Temporary assignment of 12 months with possible extension to a maximum of 24 months starting as soon as possible.

Salary

• For temporary staff, the salary will depend on the professional experience of the candidate, typically EUR 3 000 gross per month for candidates who have 3 years’ professional experience.

Selection Process

For retained candidates, written/data tests are foreseen mid-April and panel interviews are planned for end April.

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.