Job Description 

Deputy Director - Economics Department (Job Number: 11333)

Description

The OECD is a global economic forum working with 35 member countries and more than 100 emerging and developing economies to make better policies for better lives. Our mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The Organisation provides a unique forum in which governments work together to share experiences on what drives economic, social and environmental change, seeking solutions to common problems.

The Economics Department of the OECD (ECO) aims to enhance economic performance in member and selected non-member countries through sound and innovative policy advice. It deals with a wide array of policy areas including macro-economic management, with a very strong emphasis on structural policy issues. Its key products are OECD Country Surveys, the twice-yearly Economic Outlook, Going for Growth and research and policy papers on a wide range of topics. The Department is a co-convener of the Global Productivity Forum, the OECD Fiscal Network and  support work related to COP 21 and SDGs. It contributes to “horizontal projects” particularly to the New Approaches to Economic Challenges, and the Inclusive Growth Initiative. Its policy advice is derived from a variety of sources, including country surveillance, cross-country benchmarking and evidence derived from empirical research.

ECO currently employs about 160 staff members who support work across a broad range of economic policy areas  to advance the Strategic Orientations of the Secretary-General ensuring impact of the OECD economic policy work in the international governance architecture, in co-ordination with the OECD Sherpa team. For further details of the Department’s work see www.oecd.org/eco.

The OECD is looking for a dynamic and highly competent Deputy Director of the Economics Department. S/he will report to the Chief Economist of the OECD, support the Chief Economist and Directors in the Department, and work in close cooperation with the Secretary-General and other Directors.  As a key member of the senior management team of ECO as well as of the Organisation, s/he will be required to contribute to advancing the strategic orientations of the Secretary-General. S/he will provide leadership and strategic guidance to the Economics Department, focusing on horizontality and opportunities to synthesise the work of the Country Studies (CS) and the Policy Studies Branches (PS). The Deputy Director will also be responsible to foster close co-operation and effective interaction with other substantive Directorates.           

The ideal candidate will have excellent and proven public policy skills and a full command of the economic theory and the empirical literature relevant to policy analysis and economic reform. S/he will have a broad  understanding of economic frameworks and institutions across a range of OECD countries and some non-member economies and a track record in policymaking or in a policy advisory role. Along with the Chief Economist and the Policy Studies and Country Studies Branch Directors, s/he will be responsible of ensuring a high level of quality in the work produced by the Department. 

Main Responsibilities:

Strategic vision and leadership

Along with the  Chief Economist and Country Studies  and Policy Studies Directors, support the advancement of the Secretary General’s Strategic objectives by contributing in the following areas:

·         Strong Intellectual leadership, and engagement with across the house initiatives.

·         Identify upcoming policy challenges and research directions to provide evidence-based policy recommendations to national policy makers.

·         Promote agility and flexibility within the Department, with innovative ways to address policy issues.

·         Exercise oversight and identifying synergies between the analytical and policy content of the country reviews and other reports produced by the Country Studies Branch (CS), and the cross-country research and policy reports produced by the Policy Studies Branch (PS).

·         Shape the global economic assessments and narratives presented in the Economic Outlook, and contribute to the New Approaches to Economic Challenges, and the Inclusive Growth Initiatives.  

·         Lead and overseeing a number of both CS and PS missions, involving meetings with Ministers and other high level policy makers and audiences.

·         Support member and partner countries in the follow up of the policy recommendations, and work together with Office of the Secretary General (OSG) to advance policy brochures for member and partner countries.

·         Engage in the overall management of the Department, including budget and human resources policies.  

Representation and liaison

·         Represent the OECD and the Economics Department at high-level meetings around the world and interact with senior policy makers, private-sector players, and representatives of academia and civil society.

·         Represent the Economics Department in OECD-wide bodies, and ensure effective co-ordination and synergies with other directorates and with OSG.

·         Engage both at a research and policy-making level ensuring  effective communication with stakeholders to maximise the value, visibility and impact of ECO’s work.

·         Build collaborative working relationships with other international organisations and fora.

·         Represent  the Directors of Country Studies and Policy Studies Branches to the various committees as needed.

·         Support the Secretary General in his missions and participation in different fora.

 Management

·         Contribute to the management of the Economics Department’s programme of work and its resources to ensure the achievement of results and impact.

·         Ensure excellent level of co-operation and complementarity with other substantive areas in the Organisation.

·         Participate in leading and motivating a multicultural team to deliver high quality results which will have impact in terms of the relevance and effectiveness of policy recommendations.

·         As part of the management team, promote excellence and diversity in the Economics Department as a whole through effective recruitment, performance management and professional development of staff.

·         Engage in the overall management of the Department, including budget and human resources policies.  

·         Ensure strong internal co-ordination on economic policy issues and research, within the Economics Department and with other parts of the OECD.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Academic Background

·         An advanced university degree in economics or another relevant field.

 Professional Background

·         Extensive experience in formulating and implementing policy recommendations to support economic performance, gained through working in a national administration , research institute or international organisation.

·         Good knowledge of the economic performance and institutional settings across a range of OECD member countries and emerging economies

·         Readiness to consider and advance innovative analytical tools, to advance a better understanding of the global economy and of members and partner countries.

·         Well-established contacts with key actors and stakeholders in the economic community

 Key competencies

·         Strong analytical skills combined with an ability to identify emerging issues with implications for economic performance and develop frameworks within which such issues can be assessed and policy recommendations be developed.

·         Ability  to provide strategic direction and vision to the work of the Economics Department.

·         Excellent political sense, proven skills in creating consensus and the ability to interact effectively with multiple high-level stakeholders.

·         Ability and diplomatic skills to influence senior audiences on complex economic issues.

·         Strong leadership skills and proven ability to motivate and manage a high-performance, multidisciplinary and multicultural team.

Languages

·         Excellent oral and written communication skills in one of the two official languages of the OECD (English and French) and willingness to develop proficiency in the other.

·         Excellent skills in public speaking, presenting and dealing with the media in order to communicate the work of the Economics Department to a wide range of audiences.

·         Excellent drafting and editorial skills.

Core Competencies

·         Please refer to the level 5 indicators of the OECD Core Competencies.

Contract Duration

·         Three-year fixed term appointment, with the possibility of renewal.

 What the OECD offers

·         Monthly base salary starting from 11 281.68 EUR, plus allowances based on eligibility, exempt of French income tax.

The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes the applications of all qualified candidates who are nationals of OECD member countries, irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.

The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal