Economist, NOC

The Economist supports the UN Resident Coordinator Office in the Philippines by providing substantive economic analysis and evidence-based advice on sustainable development, economic transformation, and SDG financing. The role involves research, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and contributing to the UN sustainable development programming cycle to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

Responsibilities

• Researches, analyzes, synthesizes and communicates economic, social and sustainable development data and information, including emerging trends and good practices related to economic transformation, green and just transition, digital transformation, the future of work and SDG financing, and translates findings into actionable policy options and recommendations for decision-makers.
• Conducts economic and policy analysis to support the RC and UNCT in identifying challenges, opportunities and policy options for accelerating progress towards the SDGs, with due consideration to gender equality and leave no one behind principles.
• Supports implementation and localization of global/corporate guidelines, tools and other materials related to economic transformation and SDG financing, including methodologies and tools related to integrated SDG analysis, strategic foresight, data-driven decision-making, digital transformation and innovation in close collaboration with the Regional Office and the SDG Coordination, Policy and Programme Division.
• Provides substantive inputs to analysis and briefing materials on economic transformation and SDG financing, including integrated SDG analysis, strategic foresight, data-driven decision-making, digital transformation and innovation.
• Identifies and analyzes entry points for integrated UN policy support including issues affecting multiple SDGs and their targets, and proposes accelerator interventions that can unlock progress across multiple areas, taking into account sustainable development trade-offs, risk factors and early-warning indicators.
• Collects, analyzes and interprets economic and development data relevant to UN country-level operations, identifies trends and gaps and proposes follow-up actions to strengthen evidence-based programming and decision-making.
• Prepares substantive inputs to policy papers, analytical notes, briefing materials, reports and other knowledge products on economic transformation, macroeconomic trends and SDG financing.
• Provides regular political-economy and development intelligence by monitoring national, regional and global economic and policy developments and drawing on data analytics, strategic foresight and evidence from multiple sources to assess their implications for sustainable development, achievement of the SDGs and the United Nations’ role and programme in the Philippines.
• Conducts analysis on the role of the private sector in sustainable economic transformation and SDG financing and identifies potential opportunities for partnerships, innovation and blended financing approaches.
• Researches and analyzes emerging and innovative approaches to SDG financing, including initiatives developed by the United Nations, International Financial Institutions and other development partners.
• Prepares inputs for briefing notes, talking points and background materials for the RC and UNCT on economic transformation, macroeconomic developments and SDG financing.
• Supports UNCT initiatives related to SDG financing, including Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) and follow-up to Sevilla Commitments, as applicable.
• Provides economic analysis and substantive inputs to humanitarian-development-peace nexus approaches, as relevant to the country context.
• Supports the positioning of the United Nations as a strategic partner in the Philippines through policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement and convening on economic transformation, SDG policy and SDG financing.
• Establishes and maintains strategic and working-level relationships with government counterparts, United Nations entities and economists, International Financial Institutions, development partners, the private sector, academia, think tanks and civil society, identifying opportunities for RC and UNCT engagement and ensuring effective follow-through on agreed actions, information-sharing, policy coherence and joint analytical work.
• In close collaboration with relevant RCO colleagues, supports engagement with national planning, economic and finance institutions, IFIs, private sector actors and other partners to identify areas for collaboration on sustainable economic transformation and SDG financing.
• Monitors analytical work, policy developments, financing initiatives and capacity-development support provided by development partners and identifies opportunities for collaboration with the UNCT.
• Supports engagement with private sector and civil society stakeholders to identify potential contributions to sustainable economic transformation and catalytic financing opportunities for achievement of the SDGs.
• Facilitates engagement, as appropriate, with data communities, innovation ecosystems, academic institutions, digital actors and foresight networks to strengthen analytical capacity and support the application of UN 2.0 capabilities in the country context.
• Contributes economic and financing analysis to the development and implementation of the Common Country Analysis (CCA), United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), joint programmes, annual reports and other elements of the UN sustainable development programming cycle.
• Supports the preparation of macroeconomic, socioeconomic and SDG financing analysis for the CCA and other analytical exercises, applying an integrated approach and drawing, where relevant, on data, digitalization, innovation and strategic foresight.
• Identifies economic trends, policy issues and emerging development challenges and provides substantive inputs and recommendations to support UNCT programming and integrated policy responses.
• Contributes to the development, implementation, monitoring and review of the UNSDCF, with particular attention to economic transformation, macroeconomic trends and SDG financing.
• Provides substantive support to the development of UN joint programmes related to economic transformation and SDG financing, including programmes supported by the Joint SDG Fund, as applicable, with a focus on innovative partnerships, accelerator interventions and scalable development solutions informed by evidence, data and emerging technologies.
• Supports the work of in-country Results Coordination Team, Outcome Groups and other UNCT coordination mechanisms by providing economic and SDG analysis and substantive inputs relevant to the implementation of joint workplans and sustainable development priorities.
• Researches and proposes options to strengthen UN support to national and multi-stakeholder processes related to economic policy, financing and capacity development, including the use of data, digital technologies, innovation and foresight for sustainable development.
• Contributes to knowledge management on economic transformation, macroeconomic trends and SDG financing to strengthen the UNCT's shared understanding of sustainable development challenges and opportunities.
• Participates in local, regional and global communities of practice and knowledge networks, including the UN Economist Network, and facilitates the exchange of relevant research, good practices and lessons learned.
• Researches and analyzes good practices and lessons learned from UN policy initiatives and programmes related to economic transformation and identifies their relevance to the country context.
• Monitors and analyzes approaches and successful models for SDG financing and contributes to identifying options that could inform national investment policies and programmes.
• Keeps abreast of emerging economic research, policy developments, analytical methodologies and innovative approaches relevant to sustainable development, including artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and digital collaboration tools, and proposes their application, as appropriate, to the work of the RCO and UNCT.
• Documents lessons learned and knowledge generated through analytical and programme-support activities and produces concise knowledge products, discussion papers, strategic briefs and thought-leadership materials to inform policy discussions and position the United Nations as a trusted partner and source of expertise.
• Supports knowledge-sharing and learning activities using digital platforms, advanced analytics, innovative collaboration approaches and emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools where appropriate and consistent with United Nations policies and standards, to strengthen sustainable development analysis and programming.
• Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Ensures that requirements, background information used for data analysis are documented.
• Performs other duties as required.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in Economics is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree is required.
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is an advantage.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, macroeconomic or socioeconomic policy, applied economics, development economics, or a related area in the context of development cooperation is required.
• Experience in conducting economic and/or policy analysis and translating development trends and data into policy options, recommendations or other analytical products is required.
• Experience in SDG financing, development finance, public finance and/or innovative financing approaches is desirable.
• Experience in supporting strategic planning, policy development or financing solutions with government institutions and/or other development partners is desirable.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders, including government, the private sector, civil society, academia and/or development partners, in support of sustainable development priorities is desirable.
• Experience in applying inclusive approaches that take into consideration gender equality, youth, persons with disabilities and/or leave no one behind principles in economic analysis, policy or development programming is desirable.
• Experience in supporting partnerships and/or resource mobilization initiatives in the context of development cooperation is desirable.
• Experience working in UN inter-agency coordination or other multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms is desirable.
• Experience in knowledge management, research, or the preparation and dissemination of analytical and policy products in the context of development cooperation is desirable.
• 2 years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
• Tagalog is required at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Skills

• Economic Research
• Macroeconomic Analysis
• Socio-Economic Policy Analysis
• Applied Economics
• Development Economics
• Economic Data Analysis
• Policy Analysis
• SDG Financing
• Development Finance
• Public Finance
• Innovative Financing
• Strategic Planning
• Policy Development
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Inclusive Economic Analysis
• Resource Mobilization
• UN Inter-agency Coordination
• Knowledge Management
• Analytical Report Production
• Data Analytics

Languages

English, Tagalog