Economist

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Dihlabeng Local Municipality; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

An international organization is seeking a candidate to support the implementation of a strategic research agenda focused on economic inclusion, climate change, and gender equality. The role involves conducting quantitative analyses, managing impact evaluations, and contributing to policy on rural development. The ideal candidate holds an advanced degree in economics or related fields, has experience in quantitative analysis, and possesses strong knowledge of statistical tools. Proficiency in English and other FAO languages is advantageous.

Qualifications

• At least one year of experience in empirical analysis.
• Working knowledge of English; other FAO languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support design of impact evaluations and data collection.
• Conduct quantitative analyses focusing on smallholder farmers.
• Contribute to policy analysis on social inclusion and climate change.

Skills

Quantitative data analysis

Statistical tools (STATA, R)

Social inclusion policies

Economic analysis of climate change

Education

Advanced degree in economics or related field

Tools

Statistical software (i.e. STATA, R)

Job description

Organizational Setting

The Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP) coordinates FAO’s work on various social dimensions of rural development and livelihood including on the role of rural institutions, services, social protection, gender equality, decent rural employment, tenure rights and the right to food. The division works with member countries and other partners through a rights‑based approach, to empower people by enhancing social protection systems and extending their coverage to rural areas, diversifying rural employment opportunities, reducing gender gaps and other social inequalities, strengthening producers’ organizations and improving governance of tenure and the rural poor’s access to natural and productive resources and financial services.

The Socio‑Economic Research and Analysis (SERA) Team of ESP supports Member States to identify policies and programmes to foster resilient and inclusive agri‑food system transformations through the generation, coordination, and dissemination of rigorous evidence. The hallmark of the SERA team’s strategic research agenda is an explicit focus on identifying policy options to address the socio‑economic barriers and constraints faced by rural populations living in poverty or subject to other forms of structural vulnerability. The team draws on a variety of methodological approaches and datasets, and leverages a range of strategic partnerships, to inform global and national policy debates on the importance of prioritizing inclusive approaches to rural development in the context of an increasingly uncertain world challenged by population pressure with a changing diet, climate change and shocks, conflicts and pandemics.

Reporting Lines

The selected candidate will report directly to the Economist and work under the overall supervision of the Senior Economist and team leader of the SERA team in the ESP Division.

Technical Focus

The position supports the implementation of the strategic research and policy support agenda of the SERA team, which is embedded within the broader strategic framework of FAO. The research agenda is structured around key thematic areas of economic inclusion, climate change, and gender equality, which are fundamental elements of inclusive rural transformation processes. Underlying these thematic areas, the SERA team focuses on four primary policy domains: social protection, rural labour markets, land administration, and rural institutions. In this context, the position provides intellectual leadership and methodological guidance to identify and implement effective policies and programmes to support inclusive rural transformation based on rigorous evidence and analysis. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following methodological approaches: applied econometric analysis of survey data, experimental and quasi‑experimental impact evaluation methods, value chain analysis, geospatial analysis, microsimulation modelling and/or artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The assigned tasks and responsibilities related to this area of work may include one or more of the following:

• Support the design and implementation of experimental and quasi‑experimental impact evaluations of projects and programmes, including sample and questionnaire design, enumerator training, supervision of data collection, data quality checks during fieldwork, and post‑survey data cleaning, curation, and preparation for analysis.
• Assist with the preparation and analysis of secondary survey data, such as Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) household surveys, World Bank Enterprise Surveys (WBES), and other similar datasets.
• Support the processes of extracting and summarizing geospatial data to link with georeferenced survey data from both primary and secondary sources.
• Conduct quantitative analyses, including econometric and spatial approaches, and other relevant methods, with a focus on smallholder farmers in developing countries.
• Contribute to policy analysis on social inclusion, climate change, sustainable agricultural growth, and rural development.
• Contribute to research outputs, including reports, working papers, and articles for peer‑reviewed journals.

Candidates Will Be Assessed Against the Following

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant technical degree or certificate (for Subscribers) or advanced university degree from an institution recognised on the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO list (for Consultants) in economics, development economics, agricultural economics, resource economics, geography, or related fields.
• At least one year’s relevant experience (Category C), at least five years’ relevant experience (Category B) and at least ten years’ relevant experience (Category A) in empirical analysis.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English. Knowledge of a second FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in quantitative data analysis using statistical tools (i.e. STATA, R, etc.)
• Work experience in developing country settings
• Experience in social inclusion and rural development policies
• Experience in economic analysis of climate change adaptation
• Experience in the management of large datasets
• Knowledge of geospatial analysis
• Track record of published quantitative research papers