Econometrician

Central Bank of Oman; Ruwi; On-site; OMR 18,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Central Bank of Oman is seeking an Econometrician to expand in-house modelling and forecasting capabilities. The role involves developing statistical models for country and sector indicators, and presenting analyses to senior staff and stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have strong econometric knowledge, post-graduate qualifications, and experience with time-series methods and software such as MATLAB, R, and SAS. The position supports collaboration with national and international bodies.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or MSc in Economics, Econometrics, Monetary/Financial Economics, Statistics, or related field from a reputable university.
• Experience applying econometric modeling techniques; relevant post-graduate experience is desirable.
• Strong ability to communicate complex analyses clearly in reports and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and expand modelling capacity; integrate advanced statistics into models for macroeconomic forecasting.
• Estimate and re-estimate model equations; select specifications that reflect macro behavior.
• Train staff on economic modelling concepts and practical tool usage.
• Collaborate with national and international agencies to enhance modelling performance.
• Prepare technical documentation and present results to senior stakeholders.

Skills

Econometrics

Time series

Data analysis

MATLAB/R

Communication

English

Education

MSc/PhD in Economics

Tools

EViews

SAS

MATLAB

R

Stata

Python

Job description

Central Bank of Oman is seeking to recruit competent, committed, self-motivated and enthusiastic an Omani candidate to work as Econometrician.

Role Purpose:

This position requires a highly motivated problem solver with robust analytical ability and strong organizational skills. The ideal candidate will have superior analytic skills to expand and improve existing models within CBO research team as well as build statistical models to forecast country and sector specific metrics and macroeconomic indicators. Position will also involve fundamental analysis and collaborating with the analysts to enhance forecasting and scenario analysis at CBO. The position also requires working alone or with others, and directing, supervising and reviewing the work of less experienced researchers. In particular, the econometrician’s responsibilities will include: assisting with scoping complex problems; suggesting and designing economic, statistical and econometric analyses capable of addressing those problems; identifying data requirements, and managing the process of collecting and processing that data; implementing and supervising those analyses using the appropriate tools; preparing PowerPoint slides, memorandums and formal written reports; assisting with the presentation and discussion of the results of these analysis with senior members of the team, and directly with stakeholders.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Be responsible for model development and expansion at CBO, building and strengthening in-house capacity of modelling resources, integration of advanced statistics and mathematics into the model, and development of multipurpose models that can simultaneously investigate different scenarios which would serve the long-term objectives of economic modelling.
• Track and identify all possible impact paths to better reflect the new policies into the modelling procedures and derive the impact of such policies.
• Test and re-estimate the existing model equations and selection of the most appropriate specification for the country that better reflects the behavior of macroeconomic variables.
• Train team members in the theoretical and practical aspects of economic modelling to understand the underlying economic basis behind the model specifications, reasons derived model outcomes, economic behaviors, hand-on experience on model running, model linkages, and scenario analysis.
• Build up the team’s computer programing skills which will enhance and increase the strength of economic models and increase the efficiency and accuracy of the input-output process in a modelling procedure.
• Collaborate with the national and international agencies in order to enhance CBO’s modelling performance given the nature of Oman economy.
• Developing several, but specialized, models that address and test different scenarios/ analyses based on data available, time frame, attendant economic conditions, and the type of policy examined.
• Develop statistical methodologies and deploy analytical tools to support different CBO initiatives; and continuously enhance statistical techniques and their applications in solving CBO objectives.
• Contribute to department level discussions and participate in global conference calls and meetings as needed and manage multiple stakeholder interfaces
• Identifying econometric procedures that should be incorporated into the model and implementing those procedures to the model.
• Build collaborative relationships with colleagues across CBO, as well as with key institutions, authorities, and government and private stakeholders in issues related to model and data acquisition and analyses.
• Provide advice, develop policies, conducting research, or deliver teaching in assigned fields. Perform and present a comprehensive empirical research on various relevant economic issues of Oman.
• Writing technical documentation and manuals .
• Train staff members on model utilization and analyses.
• Produce and publish research papers both locally and internationally in recognized journals.
• Assist the department head in other initiated projects of the department specifically in the area of model solution and empirical estimation of different models.
• Any other related tasks.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience:

• Ph.D. degree or M.Sc. in Economics, Econometrics, Monetary Economics, Financial Economics, Statistics, Financial Engineering or related subjects from a reputable university. Work experience in application of econometric modeling techniques; will be preferable.
• Required Experience 0-10 Years.
• A genuine interest, ability and experience in applying economics, statistics and econometrics to solve complex, unstructured problems;
• A deep and intuitive understanding of the core principles in economics (especially microeconomics), statistics, and econometrics;
• Significant post-graduation professional experience, in a role that requires the direct application of the above subjects. Examples include roles in economic consulting, economic research and policy analysis for a financial institution, government department, industry regulator, regulated firm or think-tank; .
• To be able to communicate effectively both orally and in written reports, to explain complex analyses in simple, intuitive, and non-technical terms;
• Strong project management skills, with experience of managing small teams and individual work streams;
• Proficiency in statistical and econometric package (such eViews, SAS, MATLAB or R), Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; and strong attention to detail.
• Have a good understanding of the core principles of economics, finance and accounting (especially in relation to valuation) or other relevant qualification.
• Keen interest in economic, statistical, or financial analysis and research. Proven capability with analytical software (e.g. MATLAB, EViews, R, GTAB, SAS, Stata, SPSS, MS package), especially software related to time-series, general equilibrium, forecasting and scenario analysis.
• Well-developed written and spoken communication skills and good manner to present results.
• Analytical and critical thinking.
• Detail-orientation and ability to work accurately under time pressure.
• Ideally had experience in model development within the financial industry (experience in quantitative consulting would be a plus).
• Experience with methods of statistical data analysis such as linear models, hypothesis testing, multi-level models, and Bayesian methods.
• Practical experience and good understanding of time series econometrics.
• Excellent written skills, with a clear ability to compose well-structured technical model documentation.
• Need to be comfortable doing some tactical software development to interface with existing technology/modeling infrastructure, and coding languages.
• Relevant professional experience at the national and regional levels in macroeconomic policy, quantitative techniques, and country surveillance, usually gained in a central bank, ministry of finance, or international financial institution.
• Experience in a research institute or academia is also acceptable if it is combined with some exposure to macroeconomic policy making.
• Strong interpersonal, communications and writing skills, and excellent written and oral communication skills in English.