Location

Post of duty: Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

We improve lives

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

We are looking for an Economics Principal Specialist or Lead Specialist who will provide technical and analytical support for increased impact of IDB operations.

You will work in the Strategic Planning and Monitoring Division (SMO) which is part of the Office of Strategic Planning and Development Effectiveness (SPD). SPD is charged with providing technical guidance to develop a culture of results within the Bank, and to help the Bank innovate its core business and ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of its products and methods over time.

As part of SPD, SMO is responsible for: (i) developing the Institutional Strategy and strategic proposals for its implementation, contributing to defining the IDB’s role in best serving the evolving needs of its clients; (ii) leading the review and design of operational instruments; (iii) monitoring the Bank's performance in alignment with the priorities outlined in the Institutional Strategy, as measured and reported in the Impact Framework, the annual Impact Report, and periodic business and SG operational reviews; (iv) drafting the Bank’s Business plan; (v) ensuring the alignment of the Bank's organizational structure and business processes with its objectives; (vi) carrying out analytical work and provide business intelligence to inform strategic decision making by Senior Management and (vii) managing systems and tools to monitor SG project portfolio implementation.

What you’ll do

• Lead and manage the SMO economist team, setting priorities, ensuring quality outputs, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
• Conduct and supervise economic research on issues central to the Bank’s corporate agenda, ensuring outputs inform policy dialogue and operational design.
• Drive the identification and execution of high-impact strategic projects, providing methodological leadership and applying cutting-edge empirical approaches to address complex institutional challenges.
• Shape and co-lead, in collaboration with the other SPD and areas of the Bank, the design of key strategic corporate initiatives, including reforms to processes, instruments, and governance frameworks, integrating global best practices, empirical evidence, and economic theory to strengthen IDB’s positioning and value proposition.
• Advise SPD Management and Bank's Senior Leadership on economic and institutional trends, offering forward-looking insights to promote innovation, creative thinking, and strategic foresight.
• Produce and validate strategic intelligence and corporate performance reports, delivering actionable recommendations for Senior Management and the Board.
• Lead the development and institutionalization of new tools, methodologies, and digital solutions to improve strategic planning, monitoring, and decision-making processes.
• Critically assess frontier research and global trends to identify emerging opportunities and risks, translating insights into actionable strategic initiatives for the IDB.
• Support the refinement of IDB’s lending and non-lending instruments, ensuring they remain agile, innovative, and responsive to evolving client needs.
• Represent SMO and SPD in high-level internal and external forums, building partnerships with MDBs, governments, and thought leaders to advance the strategic agenda.

What you'll need

Education: You must hold a Master's degree or equivalent education (PhD strongly preferred) in economics, public policy, business administration, or other fields relevant to the responsibilities of the role.

Experience: At least seven (7) years of experience for a principal specialist position and six (6) years for a lead specialist position, preferably ten (10) years of relevant and progressive substantive experience working in policy issues and development problems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Demonstrated ability to conduct applied research on economic and development issues and/or on corporate topics. Track record of economic research, publications, and analysis on broad economic issues and other areas of relevance to the development field. Track record of mastery of econometric methods.

Languages: Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of French and Portuguese is preferable.

Requirements

Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.

Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

• International: International staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement.

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee's life. These benefits include:

• • A competitive compensation package, including an annual base salary expressed on a net-of-tax basis.
  • Leaves and vacations: 24 days of paid time off + 8 personal days + sick leave + gender-neutral parental leave.
  • Health Insurance: IDB Group provides employees and eligible dependents with a robust medical benefits program that covers medical, dental, vision, preventive care, and prescription drugs.
  • Pension plan: defined benefit pension plan that provides financial security and support employees in planning for their future.
  • We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies.
  • Hybrid and flexible work schedules.
  • Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center that provides preventive care and health education for employees.
  • Development support: We offer tools to boost your professional profile, such as mentoring, 1:1 professional counseling, training and learning opportunities, language classes, mobility options, among others.
  • Other perks (country specific): Lactation Room, Daycare Center, Gym, Bike Racks, Parking, Spouse Career Program, and others.

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.

Our Human Resources Team reviews carefully every application.