Associate Economist – Saudi Arabia

Job Description

Be Challenged
With us, your preconceptions will be tested, your resilience built, and your career enriched.
Your daily responsibilities are expected to comprise the following...
• Assessing existing economic and commercial sectors, pillars, and activities at the neighborhood, town, and/or city-hinterland scales, including sector profiling, business sizing and concentration, human capacity bottlenecks, informal sector sizing, and customer profiles
• Identifying themes and trends in economic and commercial activity including business tenures/closures, profitability estimates, and sector transitions
• Conducting, as needed to support the above, primary research, secondary research, and data collection
• Designing of monitoring indicators and KPIs for economic and commercial performance and health
• Identifying business ecosystem gaps and constraints to local economic growth; and synthesizing information to inform and strategically guide program development and planning in support of business ecosystem support and development
• Exploring and modeling the impact of economic development programs at scales ranging from individual firms to regions
• Developing innovative ways of predicting and measuring urban prosperity and quality of life
• Helping to brief and advise senior decision-makers and business leaders using data- and evidence-based analytics
• Close coordination and liaison with other allied consulting disciplines including sustainability and urban & regional planning
• Draft summary and analytical reportage to support project deliverables
• Develop and maintain Excel-based economic sector models and projections
• Conduct field visits to project sites in Saudi Arabia to assess economic dynamics
• Supporting the development of work-winning relationships in the region to facilitate future project pipelines, including preparing bid submissions and fee proposals
• The line management of team members, with responsibility for managing workload as well as assisting and mentoring staff where suitable
• Be active in promoting and communicating current and future offerings of the economic consulting team
Be Respected
We'll help you meet your goals, respecting your ideas and fostering your creativity, collaboration, and innovation.
Our ideal candidate is expected to demonstrate the following...
• Technical background in economics, econometrics, and economic development, with a demonstrable track record of leading complex city- and region-scale projects
• Experience with successful, multidisciplinary project delivery
• Comfort and adaptability in data-poor environments
• Familiarity with both quantitative and qualitative (focus group) methodologies
• Demonstrable ability to manage team members
• Excellent communication and presentation skills when client-facing or engaging with senior leadership
• Demonstrable project management experience
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite may be an asset
• Excellent English language writing, editing, and oral communication skills; Arabic language ability is highly desirable
• Masters's degree in economics or business administration required, with additional training in business promotion, economic development policy, SME finance, or stakeholder management desirable
• Willingness to travel, adaptability, and an inquisitive, critical mindset
• Experience collaborating and delivering work with a core built environment disciplines (planning, urban design, and sustainability) will be an asset
• Experience with Middle Eastern, and particularly Gulf/GCC, economies