Senior Economist

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 www.worldbank.org . The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises 30 extremely diverse countries, with a population of nearly 500 million people. Three of our clients are IDA only and another 2 are IDA blend countries. The remaining 25 are IBRD eligible. ECA has a strong lending pipeline as well as a large and growing portfolio of Reimbursable Advisory Services. Knowledge is critical to the Bank’s value proposition to client countries in the ECA region in both lending and advisory services. A predominantly middle- and high-income region, the ECA region is at the vanguard of building regional connectivity while having to manage the changing structure of the labor market and the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These threaten to reverse the region’s achievements in regional integration, poverty reduction and shared prosperity. Many parts of the region continue to struggle with multiple structural weaknesses, including high public debt burdens, tight fiscal space, low investment, lack of contestable markets, and financial sector vulnerabilities. In view of these challenges, the ECA regional strategy is to help countries (i) create solid foundations for higher productivity and resilience— macroeconomic and financial stability, effective governance and institutions, enabling the environment for the private sector-led growth, and capacity to address global public goods, especially climate change; (ii) build an environment for productive individuals to overcome vulnerability and achieve middle-class status—investing in maternal and child health, investing in safety nets to protect households during times of adversity, improving labor productivity and labor force participation to achieve higher incomes, fostering inclusion and engaged citizenry for shared prosperity; and (iii) enabling markets to achieve sustained and inclusive growth—support private sector growth, promote entrepreneurship, competition and innovation, facilitate access to new markets, foster regional economic integration, and participate in global value chains. Kazakhstan, the largest economy in Central Asia, has made significant progress in reducing poverty and achieving upper middle-income status, largely driven by its abundant natural resources. However, the country faces persistent challenges related to its heavy reliance on oil and gas, limited economic diversification, and spatial inequalities, particularly between urban and rural areas. The government is committed to transitioning toward a greener, more inclusive, and competitive economy, as outlined in its National Development Plan 2025-29 and Low Emissions Development Strategy. Key reforms are underway to strengthen productivity, diversify the economy, and create better jobs, including through measures to attract private capital, promote renewable energy, enhance digitalization, and improve social protection systems. These efforts are complemented by initiatives to address climate vulnerability and water scarcity, which are critical given Kazakhstan’s exposure to extreme climatic events. Despite external shocks such as fluctuating oil prices and global uncertainties, the economy has demonstrated resilience, with real GDP growth projected at 6 percent in 2025, underpinned by a recovery in oil production and robust domestic demand. Inflationary pressures have resurfaced, prompting tighter monetary policy, while the banking sector remains sound. The government has advanced institutional and structural reforms, including new tax, budget and procurement laws, tariff reforms to improve cost recovery in energy and heating sectors, and enhanced digital and financial market regulations. The reform agenda enjoys substantial support, grounded in the country’s ambitions to double the size of the economy by 2029, though implementation risks persist due to institutional capacity and stakeholder interests. The WBG has an active policy dialogue in Kazakhstan underpinned by Development Policy Operations which support reforms to leverage Kazakhstan’s development progress and address key challenges to sustainable and inclusive growth. In addition, the WBG has a wide range of knowledge products and technical assistance engagements, being Bank’s primary instruments for broadening engagement with stakeholders in Kazakhstan. The Fiscal Policy and Growth (FPG) Global Practice The Fiscal Policy and Growth (FPG) Global Practice leads the World Bank Group’s dialogue and engagement with clients in macroeconomics, fiscal policy, trade, competition and investment. FPG links the macroeconomic dialogue with programs focused on expanding the role of the private sector in economic development. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/topic/fiscal-policy-and-growth The FPG unit has an exciting program in the region. The FPG team has led most of the Development Policy Operations and has led Public Finance Reviews, Country Growth and Jobs Reports, and other key flagship report. It has provided technical assistance on a range of issues including on carbon taxation, debt management, and fiscal risk monitoring, among other topics. The team has a strong technical engagement with key agencies of economic management across government and other stakeholders in the private sector, academia and the civil society in the three countries.

Duties and Accountabilities

As part of the ECA Fiscal Policy and Growth unit, the Senior Economist will:

• Lead and/or advise teams working on Development Policy Operations or other types of lending operations focused on broader economic policy and institutional reforms;
• Lead and/or advise teams working on core diagnostics and other economic reports;
• Lead the economic policy dialogue with the government counterparts in Kazakhstan.
• Provide thought leadership and advice to the CMU on core economic policy issues, working closely with the Lead Economist working on Kazakhstan.
• Lead coordination on macroeconomic policy dialogue with the IMF and other development partners;
• Serve as the focal point or spokesperson on economic issues to clients and other external constituencies and expert economic groups;
• Support the analytical work program of the CMU, including the preparation of CPFs and other key strategic pieces, and their quality control, and provide advice to the CMU on country strategic engagement;
• Work closely with other GPs on the preparation of key strategic pieces and/or engagements;
• Mentor and coach FPG colleagues working on the delivery of the practice’s work program. Note : This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.