Job Description

Economist (Poverty)

Job #:
req38007 Organization:
World Bank Sector:
Economics Grade:
GF Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type:
Local Recruitment Location:
Suva,Fiji Required Language(s):
English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date:
9/11/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Build a career with impact. Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) provides a unique opportunity to help countries solve their greatest development challenges. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, the WBG is a unique partnership of five global institutions dedicated to ending poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the WBG works with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.

East
Asia and the Pacific (EAP) Region
EAP is a
large and diverse region, ranging from Small Island States of the Pacific to
the Philippines and China! Despite substantial economic growth and poverty
reduction, the EAP region faces huge development challenges. Growth has been
uneven across and within countries, institutions still need strengthening, and
most countries are heavily affected by climate change. The Bank plays a
significant role on global public goods, including climate, biodiversity, water
pollution, and health. The COVID pandemic, and more recently food and energy
price increases are compounding the impact of the global economic slowdown. The
World Bank Group is seen as a premier development institution in the Region,
with a leadership role on analytical and advisory services as well as
financing.
East Asia
and the Pacific Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/ea
We are
seeking to recruit a highly qualified candidate for the EAP Distributional
Impact of Policies Team. We generate knowledge and dialogue and support
operational solutions.
For more
information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty
Our unit
covers work across all Country Management Units (CMUs) within the Region, with
country work spanning from the smallest Pacific Islands to China; and from
fragile and low- income countries, to upper middle income countries in the
Region.
This
Economist position, based in Suva, Fiji will primarily cover countries in the
Pacific CMU including Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, and Tuvalu.
The Pacific Poverty and Equity Program supports Pacific
Island Countries in strengthening the production and use of data to inform
development policy and operational engagement. The program provides technical
assistance to national statistical offices on household surveys, poverty
measurement, labor market analysis, and the use of administrative data, while
also producing analytical work on poverty, inequality, jobs, and economic
inclusion across the region. Working closely with governments, development partners,
and World Bank country teams, the program helps ensure that high-quality data
and evidence are translated into policy dialogue, country diagnostics, and
operations aimed at reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity.
The proposed Statistical Innovation and Capacity Building in
the Pacific Islands 2 (Pacstat2) project is a regional initiative that seeks to
strengthen statistical capacity in participating Pacific countries through a
combination of country-level investments and regional support. The project aims
to help national statistical offices improve the availability, quality,
timeliness, and cost-effectiveness of official statistics while advancing
innovative approaches such as survey modernization, administrative data
integration, and digital data collection. A central feature of the project is
its partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC), which provides regional
technical expertise, implementation support, statistical standards, and public
goods that allow countries to benefit from shared solutions and economies of
scale.

Duties and Accountabilities

• Contribute to the design and delivery of the team’s Analytical and Advisory Services in country, including poverty monitoring, labor market analysis, core diagnostics, and thematic analytics
• Provide technical assistance on implementing household surveys welfare monitoring, and broader statistical capacity building activities
• Engage in policy dialogue at the country-level on poverty and equity issues across sectors, to find opportunities to enhance the poverty reduction impact of policies and operational programs.
• Adapt global knowledge and methodologies to the needs of government counterparts and Pacific Island country contexts, including poverty measurement, labor market analysis, statistical system, and data innovation.
• Contribute to a variety of tasks in the country team, including, Country Growth and Jobs Reports, Public Finance Reviews, the Economic Updates, the Macro Poverty Outlooks, Country Climate Change and Development Reports, and briefings.
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of the Statistical Innovation and Capacity Building in the Pacific Islands 2 (Pacstat2) project, including support for survey modernization, administrative data integration, regional coordination, and capacity development activities.

Selection Criteria

• Minimum of a Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in Economics, Public Policy, or related field, with at least 5 years of relevant professional experience. A completed PhD is equivalent to 3 years of relevant experience.
• Strong technical and quantitative skills as an Applied Development Microeconomist with experience in labor economics, micro-econometrics and statistical modeling. Analyzing household surveys, use of administrative data and conducting micro-simulations is highly desirable.
• Experience in supporting the implementation of household surveys, official statistics and statistical capacity building.
• Demonstrated track record and experience working across boundaries and being an integrator.
• Innovative and creative, with an ability to find practical solutions and provide analytical advice in data-constrained environments, particularly in small states and developing countries.
• Experience working with national statistical offices, regional organizations, or development partners in the Pacific region is highly desirable.
• Ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and operational, practical, recommendations.
• Proven sense of initiative, results orientation, teamwork and leadership qualities, and ability to work effectively across sectors.
• Excellent English language skills (writing, speaking, listening, and reading).

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.