Job Description

About

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. IISD combines research, technical assistance, and policy engagement to support governments and international institutions in addressing systemic challenges in global economic governance.

IISD’s Sovereign Debt Program sits at the intersection of development finance, macroeconomic policy, and climate policy. The program combines analytical work, in-country technical assistance, and engagement in international normative processes to promote sustainable and equitable approaches to sovereign debt.

Scope

The Sovereign Debt program operates across three core thematic pillars:

• Debt management
• Debt sustainability
• Debt and climate

Within these pillars, IISD engages in applied research, direct technical assistance to governments, and outreach to influence international policy debates on debt architecture reform.

Detailed Tasks and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Sovereign Debt Program Lead, the Consultant will be involved in the following:

1. Quantitative Data Collection and Database Management
• Compile, update, and harmonize sovereign debt data sets from multiple international sources (e.g., the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, United Nations, national authorities, climate finance databases).
• Clean, standardize, and reconcile data sets with differing formats, definitions, and reporting standards.
• Construct and maintain structured Excel-based databases suitable for ongoing program use.
• Develop reproducible data workflows (including formulas, pivot tables, lookups, Power Query, and other advanced Excel functions) to ensure transparency and ease of updating.
• Perform quality control checks, identify inconsistencies, and document assumptions and data gaps.

2. Quantitative Analysis
• Conduct descriptive and comparative analysis of sovereign debt indicators (e.g., debt composition, maturity profiles, interest costs, creditor breakdown, currency exposure).
• Support debt sustainability-related analysis, including calculation of key ratios and scenario comparisons.
• Analyze linkages between debt indicators and climate vulnerability, climate finance flows, and fiscal space metrics.
• Produce tables, charts, and data visualizations suitable for publication and policy briefs.
• Translate quantitative findings into clear analytical insights relevant to policy discussions.

3. Background Research and Analytical Writing
• Conduct desk research on sovereign debt sustainability and debt–climate linkages.
• Synthesize technical literature and policy documents into concise background notes and analytical summaries.
• Draft sections of research papers, policy briefs, presentations, and technical reports.
• Prepare structured briefing materials to support IISD engagement in international policy processes.
• Ensure all outputs are analytically rigorous, clearly argued, and accessible to policy audiences.

4. Technical Assistance Support
• Prepare country-specific data briefs to support in-country technical assistance engagements.
• Develop tailored Excel tools or templates for use in government advisory work (e.g., debt composition dashboards, creditor mapping tools).
• Contribute to analytical inputs for workshops, presentations, and stakeholder consultations.

5. Documentation and Internal Knowledge Management
• Clearly document methodologies, sources, assumptions, and calculation steps to ensure reproducibility.
• Organize datasets and outputs in a structured format accessible to IISD staff.
• Maintain version control and update logs for analytical files

Ideal Candidate Profile

Education

• Master’s degree or PhD (preferred) in economics, public policy, international development, finance, political economy, or a related field.
• Academic background with strong quantitative coursework (e.g., macroeconomics, econometrics, public finance, development economics, or financial analysis).

Professional Experience

• Up to 3 years of relevant professional experience, including research assistantships, consultancy assignments, internships, or policy roles.
• Experience working with macroeconomic, fiscal, financial, or development datasets.
• Demonstrated exposure to sovereign debt, public finance, development finance, or climate finance issues is an asset.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including:
  • Complex formulas (e.g., nested functions, index/match or xlookup)
  • Pivot tables and structured data analysis
  • Data cleaning and transformation
  • Working with large data sets
  • Strong attention to accuracy and reproducibility
• Ability to clean, harmonize, and reconcile data sets from multiple sources with differing definitions and formats.
• Experience producing clear data visualizations and policy-ready tables and charts.
• Familiarity with statistical software (e.g., Stata, R, Python) is an asset but not required.

Skills, Competencies, and Attributes

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Excellent analytical, research, and writing skills in English.
• Strong presentation and networking skills.
• Excellent IT skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally for work.
• Ability to work effectively in a remote, asynchronous team.
• Flexibility and adaptability to work effectively across different topics and themes at the same time and to pick up knowledge on new topics quickly.
• Ability to work on own initiative and under minimal supervision.
• Strong commitment to the ideals, values, and mission of IISD.
• French and/or Spanish language skills are highly desirable.

Location: Remote. IISD will not be applying for residency, and work permits for this position on behalf of the applicant.

Remuneration: Remuneration commensurate with experience

Consultancy type: Part-time

Start Date: April 2026 or as soon as possible

Deadline of Application: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled.

Application Process

This is a consultant position. Submissions must be in English

Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for locations where they expect to be based.

Candidates must submit a cover note (one page maximum) outlining their interest in the consultancy and why they are suitable. They will be required to provide references and a piece of written work on request. This written work should be on a topic relating to sovereign debt or macroeconomic policy more generally.

Selected candidates will be interviewed by IISD and may be required to submit a written test.

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