Resident Macroeconomic Advisor - APDPI - PFTAC (Fiji)

Work for the IMF. Work for the World.

The IMF’s Asia Pacific Department (APD) is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the position of Resident Macroeconomic Advisor to cover the Pacific region. The Advisor will provide technical assistance (TA) in macroeconomic analysis to Pacific Island Countries (PICs). The successful candidate will be based at the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center (PFTAC) office in Suva, Fiji.

The aim of macroeconomic TA is to help government institutions in recipient countries improve their macroeconomic forecasting and policy analysis capabilities in support of their policy decision-making process. Depending on country needs and capacity, TA projects may entail assisting country officials in building, maintaining, documenting, operating, and interpreting a range of macroeconomic forecasting tools, from Excel-based, sectoral-relationship frameworks with supporting economic projection equations, to semi-structural gap models or even structural DSGE models of national economies. In view of the capacity constraints and limited resources of these countries, the work agenda may also include assistance with the implementation of basic elements of macroeconomic diagnostics, such as the analysis of equilibrium exchange rates, output gaps, and the basics of debt sustainability analysis. The program also provides technical support on operational issues through country-specific TA in collaboration with IMF functional departments, including with other long-term expert advisors based in PFTAC.

The APD-backstopped Macroeconomic Advisor will undertake these activities through TA missions, TA-related training engagements, and peer-to-peer learning activities, either alone or together with IMF staff and/or specialized short-term experts (STX) employed by the IMF. She/he will coordinate closely with APD’s country teams and the IMF Singapore Training Institute, to ensure consistency with other IMF CD activities in the region. She/he will also coordinate with other IMF Resident Advisors working on related topics in the region at large. Among the main tasks, the Macroeconomic Advisor will:

• Deliver, oversee, and coordinate TA and related training on developing macroeconomic analysis to support forecasting and policy analysis and decision-making processes in central banks, ministries of finance and relevant government agencies, under the guidance of APD’s backstopper and in close cooperation with IMF country teams, PFTAC Director and other PFTAC resident advisors.
• Maintain regular communication with the APD Division Chief and country mission chiefs, providing updates on engagements with recipient countries.
• Prepare, under the supervision of the PFTAC Director, medium-term workplans based on demand from country authorities, prioritization by country teams, and APD backstopper.
• Manage the STX certification and contracting process, by preparing the STX’s draft terms of reference, submitting them to Headquarters (HQ) for final approval, and acting as back-stopper of the STX’s work.
• Prepare required TA and training documents (e.g., pre-mission briefs, BTOs, Aide-Memoires, TA reports) for APD’s internal review and approval, including through CDMAP; maintain existing projects updated in CDMAP, including overseeing budget expenses and Results-Based Management (RBM) reporting (logical frameworks).
• Contribute, as required by the PFTAC Director, to PFTAC corporate work (e.g., steering committee meetings, annual report, quarterly newsletters, outreach efforts, preparation of conferences/seminars and other activities of the center). Contribute to prepare reporting and assessment reports related to internal funding processes and other inputs, as requested by APD.

The Advisor is expected to have a strong awareness of the Fund's surveillance dialogue in each of the beneficiary countries in planning and implementing training and TA programs, actively seeking direction and feedback from IMF country teams, and reflecting guidance from the APD’s regional CD strategy note and country CD strategy notes. The Advisor will report routinely to APD, with a focus on the achievement of results set out in PFTAC work plans. The Advisor may participate in APD Surveillance missions if required.

The selected candidate will work under the guidance of APD macroeconomic TA back-stoppers based in HQ. She/he will coordinate with the PFTAC Director on day-to-day administrative and logistic support issues.

The IMF offers competitive compensation and benefits package commensurate with the successful candidate’s skills and experience. The selected candidate should be prepared to take up the position in Suva, Fiji, as soon as possible. The initial appointment will be for a period of 1 year with the possibility for extension contingent on performance and ongoing budget/business needs.

Qualifications

The successful candidate should have: (i) a post-graduate degree in Economics; (ii) at least five years of relevant professional experience, with practical knowledge of the IMF's financial programming framework—experience as an IMF country desk economist and/or delivering IMF’s technical assistance would be a plus; (iii) excellent data management and analytical skills, including the use of MS Excel and econometric applications; (iv) Extensive practical experience in the development of macro-modeling tools, including in developing countries with limited statistical capacities and in using relevant software—knowledge of EViews, Matlab, Dynare, and Iris would be a plus; (v) Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, with proficiency in Portuguese desirable, but not required; (vi) exceptional organizational, interpersonal, and diplomatic skills, as well as the ability to work well in teams.

Preference will be given to candidates who have practical experience in a senior or advisory position within a ministry of finance, central bank, or international financial institution, and who can additionally show experience in managing and overseeing TA work in macroeconomic analysis or related areas, familiarity with the RBM and CDMAP, and coordinating with donors. Experience in organizing and conducting training courses and workshops would be an advantage.

The IMF is committed to achieving a diverse staff, including gender, nationality, culture, and educational background.

Department:

APDPI Asia and Pacific Department Pacific Islands Division

Hiring For:

A11, A12, A13, A14

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.