ECONOMIST

BDC; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible benefits

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

Wellness and health care spending

5 personal days

Sick days

Hybrid work model

Learning and development

Job summary

BDC’s Economic Research team seeks a curious Economist to generate insights supporting Canadian entrepreneurs and inform strategic decisions.

You will lead research on SMEs, entrepreneurship, and economic trends, transforming complex information into actionable intelligence for senior leaders and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Economics.
• 5+ years in economic research, applied analysis, or publications.
• Strong ability to communicate complex insights clearly.
• Analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving with knowledge of Canadian industries.
• Experience preparing executive-level briefing notes and presentations.
• Experience with quantitative research methods and data analysis.
• Proficiency in R, Python, SQL or similar tools.
• Bilingual in English and French (spoken and written).
• Comfortable presenting and defending conclusions before diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects from design through analysis, reporting, and presentation of findings.
• Monitor economic and financial developments affecting small businesses and entrepreneurship.
• Prepare briefing notes, presentations, and analyses on indicators, trends, and opportunities.
• Partner with business lines to deliver high-value economic insights.
• Communicate findings through reports, webinars, media, and stakeholder engagements.
• Identify emerging challenges and opportunities for Canadian entrepreneurs and provide evidence-based perspectives.
• Thrive in an agile environment with evolving priorities and tight timelines.
• Leverage data, automation, AI, and innovative analytics to increase efficiency and impact.

Skills

Economic research

Analytical thinking

Communication of insights

Bilingual English/French

Education

Master’s degree in Economics

Tools

R

Python

SQL

Job description

We are banking at another level.

Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits , including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few

• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days , sick days as necessary , and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1

• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life

• Opportunities for learning , training and development , and much more…

Explore the BDC Way in our Culture Book

POSITION OVERVIEW

BDC’s Economic Research team is looking for a curious and driven Economist to help generate insights that support Canadian entrepreneurs and inform strategic decision‑making across the organization.

As an Economist, you will lead and contribute to research projects focused on small and medium‑sized businesses, entrepreneurship, and key economic trends shaping Canada’s business environment. You will transform complex information into actionable insights for senior leaders, policymakers, clients, and external stakeholders.

Working in a fast‑paced and collaborative environment, you will partner with teams across BDC to identify emerging issues, answer strategic questions, and help position BDC as a trusted source of economic and entrepreneurial intelligence.

CHALLENGES TO BE MET

In this role, you will:

• Lead research projects on a wide range of economic, business, and entrepreneurial topics, from research design and methodology through analysis, reporting, and presentation of findings.
• Monitor economic and financial developments affecting small businesses, including trends in business financing, investment decisions, and entrepreneurial behaviour.
• Prepare briefing notes, presentations, and analyses on topics such as economic indicators, industry trends, geopolitical developments, and opportunities for Canadian businesses.
• Partner proactively with business lines and corporate functions to understand their needs and deliver high‑value economic insights and analysis.
• Communicate research findings to internal and external audiences through reports, presentations, webinars, media opportunities, and stakeholder engagements.
• Act as a thought leader by identifying emerging challenges and opportunities facing Canadian entrepreneurs and providing evidence‑based perspectives on important business issues.
• Thrive in an agile environment where priorities evolve quickly and high‑quality deliverables are produced under tight timelines.
• Continuously improve ways of working by leveraging data, automation, artificial intelligence, and innovative analytical approaches to increase efficiency and impact.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

If you can answer “yes” to most of the following questions, we’d love to hear from you:

• Do you hold a Master’s degree in Economics?
• Do you have at least five years of experience conducting economic research, applied economic analysis, or producing research publications for diverse audiences?
• Do you have a strong interest in communicating economic insights and making complex information accessible and impactful?
• Do you possess strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem‑solving skills, along with a solid understanding of Canadian industries and business dynamics?
• Do you have experience preparing executive-level briefing notes, reports, and presentations?
• Are you comfortable framing research questions and identifying analytical solutions when faced with ambiguous or evolving business needs?
• Do you have experience with quantitative research methodologies and data analysis? Experience with survey‑based research would be considered an asset.
• Are you proficient in analytical and programming tools such as R, Python, SQL, or similar technologies?
• Are you bilingual in English and French, both written and spoken?
• Are you comfortable presenting your work and defending your conclusions before internal and external audiences?

WHY JOIN THE ECONOMIC RESEARCH TEAM?

The Economic Research team plays a unique role within BDC. We provide evidence‑based insights that influence strategic decisions, contribute to public policy discussions, and help Canadian entrepreneurs navigate an increasingly complex business environment.

You will have the opportunity to work on meaningful research, collaborate with experts across Canada, engage with senior leaders, and help shape BDC’s perspective on the issues that matter most to entrepreneurs.

Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers , we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at [e-mail].

While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.