World Bank Group

Economist

World Bank Group, Washington

Overview

Economist – World Bank

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work 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. For more information, visit

About the World Bank Group

Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. It is governed by 188-member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff located globally. The World Bank Group consists of five specialized institutions and is organized into regional and corporate structures to provide knowledge and solutions to clients.

IEG’s Role

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) is responsible for the assessment of relevance, efficacy, and efficiency of World Bank Group policies, programs, and activities, and their contribution to development effectiveness. IEG’s evaluations aim to enhance accountability and learning to inform new directions and policies.

IEG is responsible for: • Assessing whether Bank Group institutions’ policies, programs and activities are producing the expected results. • Incorporating evaluation findings into recommendations to improve effectiveness and responsiveness to member country needs. • Appraising self-evaluations and attesting to their adequacy to Boards. • Reporting to Boards on actions and improvements to the evaluation system. • Identifying and disseminating findings to maximize learning within the Bank Group. • Encouraging member countries to build evaluation capacity and ensuring harmonization with development partners.

* Appraising institutions’ self-evaluations and attesting to their adequacy to the Boards.

* Reporting to Boards on actions taken and on measures to improve the evaluation system.

* Identifying and disseminating evaluation findings to maximize learning and accountability.

* Encouraging and assisting member countries to build evaluation capacities.

* Working with donors and developing countries to foster evaluation harmonization and best practices.

Internal and external context

The IEG’s work aligns with changes in the World Bank Group’s mission and evolving development priorities, including the Evolution Roadmap and sustainability goals. IEG focuses on providing evidence for long-term strategy and real-time feedback to help the institution course-correct in times of crisis. The organization emphasizes collaboration, independence, and impact in evaluations to inform policy and operations.

Organizational structure

IEG is led by the Director General of Evaluation and includes the Office of the DGE, and departments/units such as IEGHE, IEGSP, and IEGKC. The Economic Management and Country Program Evaluation Unit (IEGEC) covers four main areas of work: evaluations of Prosperity operations, thematic evaluations, Country Partnership Frameworks, and Country Program Evaluations.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Economist will contribute directly to IEG evaluations, including country-level, thematic, sectoral, and corporate evaluations. Responsibilities include:

Co-lead and/or participate in thematic evaluations and evaluative knowledge products assessing World Bank Group assistance in economic management and country programs.
Co-lead and/or participate in the validation of self-evaluations of Prosperity projects (Economic Policy, Poverty and Equity, Governance, FCV).
Supervise evaluation analysts and data scientists, provide QA and mentorship, and advise other IEG teams.
Collaborate with the IEG Methods team on evaluation questions, methods, and the validity of findings and recommendations.
Engage with IFC, MIGA and World Bank operational counterparts during key stages of evaluation development.
Disseminate findings internally and to external clients; coordinate with IEG KC for dissemination planning.
Contribute to IEG-wide, departmental, and cross-sector activities and products to advance IEG’s mission.

Selection Criteria

The successful candidate will meet the following qualifications and attributes:

Macroeconomic Knowledge and Analytical Skills
Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) and at least 5 years in macroeconomics, macroeconomic and fiscal policy, or related fields; experience in one or more economic management sectors; knowledge of Fragile, Conflict and Violence contexts is a plus. Experience with international development and World Bank/IFC/MIGA strategies and operations; hands-on experience with development policy operations, IPFs, and diagnostics; ability to translate analyses into policy recommendations; country experience in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies.
Evaluation and Writing Skills
Experience designing and leading evaluations; proficiency in qualitative and quantitative methods and working with large datasets; strong writing skills and ability to present clear, evidence-based findings.
Team Leadership and Communication Skills
Ability to co-lead or contribute to teams; strong teamwork, leadership, and interpersonal skills; capacity to communicate effectively, build partnerships, and travel as required. Fluency in English is required; knowledge of French or Spanish advantageous.

WBG Culture Attributes

Sense of Urgency – Anticipate and respond quickly to stakeholder needs.
Thoughtful Risk Taking – Make informed decisions to push for impact.
Empowerment and Accountability – Engage others with accountability for results.

Core Competencies

World Bank Group Core Competencies and related information are included for applicant awareness. The organization offers comprehensive benefits and is an equal opportunity employer.

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