Overview
The Economic Specialist serves as Programme Specialist and Head of the Inclusive Growth, Economic Analysis, Employment, and Trade (GREAT) Unit, providing strategic leadership for the Country Office’s inclusive growth portfolio and delivering high-quality economic policy analysis and advisory services.
Key Responsibilities
- Analyze and interpret economic and statistical data; conduct research on economic and development issues; produce analytical reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products.
- Provide economic policy advice to Senior Management, government counterparts, and partners on inclusive growth, structural transformation, trade, investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
- Provide analysis and inputs to Common Country Assessments (CCA), UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and Country Programme Document (CPD).
- Select strategic research topics, surveys and case studies; produce and launch economic reports, including National Human Development Reports.
- Provide advice on possible areas for UNDP support and adjustment of ongoing programmes.
- Ensure programme strategy formulation considers youth and women's economic empowerment, digital technology opportunities and risks, trade facilitation, private sector ecosystem development, and future signals.
- Operationalize UNSDCF/CPD in collaboration with main partners and other UN Agencies.
- Establish relevant programme Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) within the Unit; oversee workflows and ensure cross-collaboration.
- Review and sign-off proposals at programme level; analyze, present, and implement UNDP policies in the CO.
- Facilitate policy dialogue on economic issues with Government, partners, civil society, and private sector.
- Provide policy options on economic and development issues to governments and other development actors.
- Assess the country's economic policies and strategies for their impact on poverty reduction, inclusive and sustainable growth, youth and women's empowerment, and private sector development.
- Provide training and capacity building support for UNDP staff, Government officials and public institutions on economic and development issues.
- Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
- Design and formulate CO programmes and translate UNDP priorities into local interventions; oversee programme implementation with implementing partners.
- Lead efforts to integrate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other bilateral and multilateral trade arrangements into national strategies.
- Develop and strengthen partnerships with the financial sector and private sector stakeholders to mobilize blended finance, de-risk investments, and scale inclusive growth initiatives.
- Lead, organize and coordinate implementation of all unit activities.
- Provide leadership in strategically utilizing portfolio management tools and practices.
- Provide strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing, and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources.
- Manage team members and relationships with donors, government and all counterparts.
- Provide practical guidance to team members and clients on UNDP's evolution towards a dynamic portfolio approach.
- Promote peer learning within the team and adapt to new thinking and approaches.
- Coordinate daily activities in close coordination with national and international stakeholders.
- Manage the team and provide proper guidance and supervision of staff, consultants and experts.
- Prepare/produce written outputs including background papers, correspondence, working papers, mission reports, analyses, briefings, presentations, policy proposals and documents, and reports.
- Conduct timely projects, budget and grant reviews, revisions and monitoring, and complete related reporting obligations.
- Organize cost-recovery system for services provided by the CO to projects.
- Conduct analysis and advocacy on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Rwanda.
- Develop partnerships with UN Agencies, IFIs, government institutions, private sector, civil society and development partners.
- Research and analyze information on donors and prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation.
- Undertake selected studies/research on emerging development concerns.
- Lead development of CO pipeline and portfolio components including designing Programme/Project documents, concept notes, and proposals.
- Determine strategic programmatic areas of cooperation, including for joint programming.
- Produce periodic updates and briefs on country development situation for stakeholders, CO and HQ.
- Lead policy advocacy for Human Development and inclusive sustainable economic growth.
- Provide support to monitoring progress and formulation of strategies towards achievement of Development Goals.
- Produce high quality research papers for UNDP presentation at national and international workshops and conferences.
- Produce blogs, op-eds, and articles on development issues and UNDP Programmes and projects activities.
- Manage events and publications on economic issues, including annual Global Human Development Reports launches, and advocacy of findings.
- Identify policy-driven issues; and identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned.
- Establish/strengthen national and international advocacy networks.
- Implement relevant, high-impact advocacy with key partners.
- Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.
- Organize and deliver training for operations/projects staff on programme related matters.
Required Experience
- Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level that includes extensive experience in research and policy-level analysis, and some experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
- Proven track record in economic policy formulation and analysis on inclusive growth, structural transformation, trade, investment, entrepreneurship, or private sector development is required.
- Demonstrated experience providing policy advice to senior government officials and national institutions is required.
- Experience and strong background in producing analytical reports, policy briefs, and economic knowledge products is required.
- Experience in programme/project design, monitoring and evaluation of development portfolios is required.
- Experience working on youth and/or women's economic empowerment, entrepreneurship development, or MSME support programmes is required.
- Advanced proficiency in statistical and econometric analysis and modeling is required.
- Experience in resource mobilization and partnership building with government, private sector, and development partners is required.
- Experience managing and supervising teams is required.
- Proven experience supporting AfCFTA and/or other bilateral and multilateral trade arrangements, including policy harmonization, private sector readiness, and trade facilitation for inclusive economic transformation is desired.
- Track record in forging finance-private sector collaborations, such as innovative financing for MSMEs or public-private partnerships aligned with regional integration agendas is desired.
- Experience with UN agencies, international development organizations, or international financial institutions is desired.
- Experience in middle/upper management roles with comparable complexity is desired.
- Experience and knowledge of Rwanda's economic context, NST2, Vision 2050, and institutional landscape is desired.
- Experience in trade facilitation, investment promotion, or private sector ecosystem development is desired.
- Experience producing Human Development Reports is desired.
- Proficiency in web-based management systems (ERP, Quantum) is desired.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Political Sciences, Public Policy, or related field is required.
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
