Information / Data Management Assistant in the Research Department
This is a contractual appointment for one year, renewable for up to four years of cumulative contractual service, depending on the business need and performance of the incumbent.
Research Analyst positions are filled with candidates physically residing in the local Metropolitan Washington, DC area (DC/MD/VA).
Background:
The Data and Information Systems Section (DISS) of the World Economic Studies division of the IMF’s Research Department is responsible for the production of the Common Surveillance Databases (CSD) and providing support for the economic research for the World Economic Outlook (WEO). The Information / Data Management Assistant will participate in the team’s responsibilities to manage the CSD submission process that centralizes country team data collection and validation and promotes multilateral and bilateral surveillance work by collaborating with other Fund exercises; and produce the WEO, which enhances stakeholders’ understanding of key economic trends and challenges, influences global policymaking, and shapes the IMF’s position on key conjunctural themes and policy issues.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Process and review data and metadata submissions to the CSD by communicating economic data and system problems to economists and research officers across the IMF.
- Assist in enhancing CSD standards and quality control checks for economic data and metadata by reviewing and creating new validation rules, tools, and reports.
- Provide support in the development and maintenance of the CSD systems including coordinating activities with cross-country exercise teams in various IMF departments that provide inputs to the CSD; drafting and updating webpages, communications, and documentations for CSD contributors and consumers; and responding to CSD-related inquiries.
- Provide technical support to produce the published WEO Report and Database (and related projects) through the collection of data and information from a variety of sources, and analysis and interpretation of data in quantitative research.
Qualifications:
Educational development, typically acquired by the completion of a university degree in Information Systems, Data/Computer Science, Math/Statistics, or Economics, or related concentrations, is required. In addition, the applicant must demonstrate an overall familiarity with computer and data systems and prior database and programming experience. Knowledge of macroeconomic concepts and relationships as well as the ability to identify and communicate complex problems to economists and research officers is essential.
More competitive candidates should exhibit the following facets: (i) ability to access and manipulate databases from a variety of sources, (ii) have experience with standard econometric and database management tools, e.g., Stata, Python, R, SQL, and VBA, and (iii) have prior experience in data and technical support.
The personal qualities needed for this position include accuracy and attention to detail; resourcefulness and flexibility; excellent verbal and written communication skills; and ability to work both independently and in collaboration with others. The applicant must have the capacity to work well under significant pressure when several different requests must be dealt with simultaneously and able to produce outputs in a timely manner. There are periods during the year when the applicant will be expected to be available to work during evenings, weekends, and holidays and upon short notice.