Economist , Industrial Organization- Istanbul, Turkey

Job #:	121757
Title:	Economist , Industrial Organization
Job Stream:	Technical Assistance & Advisory Services
Location:	Istanbul, Turkey
Closing Date:	09/05/2012
Background / General description:
[This is a two-year term appointment. However, staff currently on open-ended contracts are encouraged to apply and if selected, will retain their appointment status.] The World Bank Group’s Investment Climate Department (CIC) assists governments of developing countries and transition economies in reforming their business environments, with support focused on reforms that strengthen business environments and the investment climate (IC) at economy-wide as well as industry/sector level. The Department collaborates extensively with other teams across the World Bank Group in the design and delivery of advisory services and other operational work related to investment climate reform, and develops IC knowledge products for staff and clients. Serving as the global backbone of the Bank Group’s IC activities; CIC: (i) anchors the Investment Climate Business Line (one of IFC's four Advisory Services Business Lines), and handles the global dimension of its work; (ii) anchors the Investment Climate Global Practice of the Bank's Financial and Private Sector Development Network (which covers six Practices); (iii) implements MIGA’s technical assistance mandate, and (iv) manages the multi-donor Facility for Investment Climate Advisory Services (FIAS), a global funding and partnership platform for IC reform. CIC is organized into four main units, reflecting four global service or product lines: Business Regulation, International Trade and Investment, Investment Climate for Industry (CICIN), and Private Participation in Infrastructure and Social Sectors, as well as a unit dedicated to Africa (CIC is co-managing IFC’s IC work program in Sub-Saharan Africa), an Operational Support unit, and a unit supporting FPD’s Global IC Practice. The CICIN unit is comprised of specialists who identify practices that impede productive private investment, design financially and politically practical plans of action, and support their clients through all phases of transition and implementation. Typically many projects are developed and delivered in conjunction with the IFC Regional Advisory offices in the field, as well as World Bank colleagues, to maximize the relevance of client-focused interventions and leverage local stakeholder relationships. The two sectors of focus are tourism and agribusiness, and in Fragile and Conflict-affected states (FCS), the CICIN unit seeks to identify and engage whichever sectors are most relevant for the broad purposes of economic growth and political stabilization.
Duties and Accountabilities:
Within this context, CICIN is seeking an economist with a specialization in regulatory, institutional, and policy analysis, to provide a range of guidance and support to the staff of sectoral and technical specialists that comprise IC4I globally, and who are leading IC4I projects and components in the regions. This position will report to the Manager, CICIN, who is based in Istanbul , Turkey, in the IFC Operations Center, with a secondary reporting line to the Global Product Specialist, IC4I, based in Washington, DC. Specific responsibilities will include: • Work closely with the CICIN Manager, Global Product Specialist, and regional counterparts to provide intellectual leadership on the IC industry agenda, including: (i) the economic underpinnings of sector-specific reforms; and (ii) the link between sector and industry reform and investment facilitation and growth, economic development and competitiveness; • Advise CICIN and regional teams on specific analytical and research questions that relate to the microeconomic and institutional underpinnings of tourism and agribusiness sector reforms • Work closely with the impact program team and provide advice on the economic aspects of the global IC industry program • Provide background notes, briefs, and viewpoints on industry-specific policy reform and investment facilitation, in preparation for senior management discussions, conferences and decision meetings. • Coordinate and provide key inputs to department papers/reports/briefings and support advisory projects, as directed. • Work closely with the impact program team and provide advice on the industry-specific economic aspects of the program. • Coordinate with IFC regional and strategy officers and World Bank country economists on the priority issues of each country, to put in place effective strategies to build on reforms made • Organize regular BBLs/workshops to spur intellectual debate and thought innovation.
Selection Criteria:
• Advanced degree in economics, public policy, business administration, engineering, tourism, agronomy, or equivalent. • At least 5 years of experience in research or policy advice, preferable in the area of private sector development and investment climate, or in one of the primary sectors of interest. • Proven ability to conceptualize, design and implement policy advisory services and to produce complex analytical notes and reports. Excellent command of applied economic theory as demonstrated in publications. • Strong analytical and research skills and experience pertaining to investment climate issues; demonstrated understanding and experience of substantive issues in international development, with emphasis on regulatory and institutional economics related to the investment climate area. • Demonstrated experience and ability to translate policy recommendations into implementation; demonstrated record of innovative and strategic public policy advisory work, advising the public sector on policy / investment climate reform; practical understanding of the political economy of investment climate reforms. • Quick thinker, able to pull notes and presentations together on industry/policy topics at very short notice. • Strong integrative skills and demonstrated ability for sharing knowledge and applying knowledge to different economic areas. In particular, demonstrated ability to integrate and apply microeconomic and institutional concepts to other economic areas, like the investment climate area. • Well-developed interpersonal and teamwork skills; ability to reach out to different parts of the World Bank Group and to interact with different levels of the organization and diverse profiles (Bank FPD teams, IFC advisory teams, research department, management, etc.). • Ability to deal sensitively in multicultural environments and to build effective working relations with local and international partners in the private sector, in the academic community, civil society and with client governments. • Ability to juggle numerous competing demands and priorities, respond quickly to management requests. • Fluent in English, with excellent interpersonal, verbal communication and writing skills. Demonstrated experience in writing effective reports and communicating in public. •Fluency in Spanish or French is a plus.
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