Economist - Real Estate Job #: req33941 Organization: IFC Sector: Economics Grade: GF Term Duration:ย 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 8/25/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
IFC โ a member of the World Bank Group โ is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet.
The Development Impact Measurement Department (CDI) analyzes economic sectors with a view to identifying opportunities and solutions for private sector development and works closely with IFC Operations. It provides technical support to operations related to structuring, appraising, and monitoring investment and advisory projects and is responsible for reporting on IFCโs impact. The department is in charge of implementing the ex-ante project assessment framework (Anticipated Impact Measurement and Monitoring, AIMM), monitoring and evaluating impact of both investments and advisory projects, helping to ensure high-quality economic support for IFC investment teams on strategies and projects, and developing sector economic analyses with a focus on solutions for private sector development. In short, the department offers โend-to-endโ support and impact assessments for IFC investments and advisory services, engaging upstream and downstream throughout the project cycle.
CDI staff comprise mainly sector economists and results measurement specialists assigned to units organized along IFC industry groupings.ย These include units for Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Services (CDIMA); Financial Institutions (CDIFI); Infrastructure (CDIIN); and Funds and Disruptive Technology (CDIDF). The department also includes staff working on impact evaluations, results measurement, corporate reporting and sustainability, that support all industry groups (CDIIR). The CDIMA team is in charge of implementing CDI mandates and deliverables described above in relation to investment and advisory projects across Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Servicesโcomprising health, education, tourism, retail and properties (collectively, MAS).ย
CDIMA is seeking to hire an economist to perform development impact work in MAS with a focus on the real estate sector, including commercial properties and housing. The economist will provide, on an ongoing basis, operational support to assess the impact of real estate investments, while ensuring consistent application of standard impact measurement and monitoring frameworks, help generate relevant lessons learned, and support staff in incorporating such lessons into project design. The economist will also contribute to evaluative work beyond the project lifecycle. The staff will work in close collaboration with the Investment and Advisory/Upstream staff responsible for designing and structuring IFCโs real estate operations, under the supervision of the CDIMA Manager.
Duties and Accountabilities
1.ย Ex-Ante Development Impact Assessments:ย โข ย Conduct detailed ex-ante development impact assessments for investment projects in the real estate sector, including commercial properties and housing.โข ย Utilize the Anticipated Impact Measurement and Monitoring (AIMM) framework to analyze, rate, and articulate the expected impacts of real estate projects.โข ย Provide comprehensive economic input into investment approval reports, ensuring alignment with IFC's strategic priorities and development goals.
2.ย Ex-Post Monitoring and Evaluation:ย โข ย Monitor project impacts ex-post to ensure alignment with initial projections and strategic objectives.โข ย Contribute to ongoing impact evaluations for real estate investments, including housing and commercial property projects.โข ย Provide feedback and lessons learned to real estate operations teams to facilitate continuous improvement in project design and implementation.
3.ย Refinement of Impact Measurement Approaches:ย โข ย Monitor and analyze global trends affecting the real estate sector, particularly in emerging markets.โข ย Advance the refinement of impact measurement methodologies to address emerging challenges and opportunities in real estate, ensuring they are robust and comprehensive.
4.ย Analytical Work:ย โข ย Apply advanced economic modeling techniques to assess the impact of real estate investments on local economies, job creation, urban development, environmental sustainability, and market growth.โข ย Analyze emerging trends, including urbanization, housing affordability, green building technologies, and commercial property market dynamics, and their potential to drive economic development.โข ย Produce detailed reports and analyses that inform strategic decision-making and highlight opportunities for market creation and private sector development through real estate investments and technical assistance.โข ย Prepare briefs, reports, and presentations for IFC senior management, the Board, and external stakeholders.
5.ย Corporate Reporting:ย โข ย Ensure that impact data from real estate projects is accurately captured, analyzed, and reported to reflect the true value of IFC's investments.โข ย Support the aggregation and reporting of results at a corporate level, contributing to the World Bank Group Corporate Scorecard system.
6.ย Additional Responsibilities:ย โข ย Perform other tasks as requested by CDI management, contributing to the overall objectives of the department and the IFC.
Selection Criteria
โข ย Advanced degree in Economics or closely related fields with at least 7 years of relevant experience.โข ย Educational background or work experience in the real estate sector, evidenced by solid knowledge of the sector, including key trends, investment and policy approaches, and impact drivers. Knowledge of urban development, housing markets, and commercial property dynamics is highly desirable.โข ย Knowledge of various impact assessment frameworks and methodologies for private sector investment projects. Experience in conducting ex-ante and ex-post impact evaluations.โข ย Ability to assess risks associated with real estate investments and contextual risks that affect development impact. Experience with evaluating financial models and undertaking sensitivity tests is a plus.โข ย Proficiency in econometric modeling and statistical analysis. Experience with software such as R, Stata, SAS, or Python for data analysis.โข ย Proven ability to conduct both quantitative and qualitative research to gather comprehensive insights. Ability to interpret and apply econometric results to real-world scenarios.โข ย Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to communicate complex economic analyses and impact assessments in a clear and concise manner to diverse audiences.โข ย Ability to work effectively in teams, articulate issues, and recommend solutions. Demonstrated ability to build partnerships with key stakeholders to conceptualize and implement solutions.โข ย Proven ability to work in multi-cultural environments.