Job Description
City:  Washington DC
Company:  IDB
Posting End Date:  3/1/2026 11:59 PM EST

We improve lives

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

The IDB Group’s new Institutional Strategy renews its commitment to eradicating extreme poverty and reducing overall poverty across the region. To support this strategic priority, the IDB Group (IDBG) has established the Poverty Group (PG), a dedicated team tasked with advancing these efforts. The PG will lead the development and implementation of a cutting-edge applied research agenda focused on poverty dynamics and vulnerability. This research will inform the IDBG’s policy advisory services and operational work related to poverty reduction. In addition, the PG will design and promote state-of-the-art tools and methodologies to enhance poverty analysis and guide targeted interventions throughout the region. Collaboration is central to the PG's mission. The group will work in partnership with other organizations to share data, resources, and knowledge in pursuit of its mandate. While housed within the IDB’s Social Sector Department, the PG operates across IDB business units to ensure a coordinated and impactful approach.

The Principal Economist will play a pivotal leadership role within the PG. In close collaboration with the Social Sector Economic Advisor, the Principal Economist will oversee the planning and execution of the PG’s research and analytical activities. This includes efforts to strengthen the IDB’s policy advisory services on poverty and vulnerability, improve poverty targeting and measurement in projects across sectors, and ensure alignment with the IDBG’s new Institutional Strategy.

What you’ll do

  • The Principal Economist will play a central role in ensuring that high-quality analytical work on poverty directly informs—and is informed by—IDB operational engagement in the region.
  • Proactively identify priority policy questions emerging from country dialogue and operations in Latin America and the Caribbean and steer the Poverty Group’s research agenda toward generating rigorous, timely, and actionable evidence to inform policy design and IDB operations.
  • Lead the development and execution of a cutting-edge applied research agenda on poverty and vulnerability in the region, aimed at informing the IDB Group’s policy advisory services and operational work on poverty reduction.
  • Collaborate on data collection and systematization efforts to support evidence-based decision-making.
  • Design and adapt tools and methodologies—such as poverty maps and incidence analysis instruments—to assess the poverty status of potential beneficiaries of IDB-financed projects.
  • Advance the development of guidelines for assessing poverty targeting in IDB projects, enhancing frameworks applicable across diverse sectors and project types.
  • Oversee the dissemination of research findings from the Poverty Group's agenda to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Develop and deliver training programs for IDB teams on the use of poverty and vulnerability measurement tools to strengthen institutional capacity.
  • Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with organizations and researchers working on poverty and vulnerability issues to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.
  • Represent the Poverty Group’s work in high-level meetings and strategic dialogues with IDB member countries, international financial institutions, development organizations, think tanks, academia, and civil society.
  • Effectively manage the Poverty Group's team and resources, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and operational efficiency.

What you'll need

  • Education: A master's degree in economics, statistics, public policy, or a closely related field with a strong quantitative focus is required (PhD strongly preferred) 
  • Experience: At least seven (7) years of relevant and substantive experience (ten (10) years preferred) in international development, with a strong emphasis on poverty and vulnerability research and policy advisory services, preferably in Latin America and the Caribbean. A demonstrated track record of publications related to poverty and vulnerability analysis is required, evidencing deep technical expertise and thought leadership in the field. Proven proficiency in statistical software packages such as Stata and R is required.
  • Languages: Full professional proficiency in Spanish and English, both written and spoken. Knowledge of French and Portuguese is considered an asset.

Requirements

  • Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.
  • Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

•    Staff:
    -    International: International staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement.
  

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee's life. These benefits include:

  • A competitive compensation package, including an annual base salary expressed on a net-of-tax basis.
  • Leaves and vacations: 24 days of paid time off + 8 personal days + sick leave + gender-neutral parental leave.
  • Health Insurance: IDB Group provides employees and eligible dependents with a robust medical benefits program that covers medical, dental, vision, preventive care, and prescription drugs.
  • Pension plan: defined benefit pension plan that provides financial security and support employees in planning for their future.
  • We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies.
  • Hybrid and flexible work schedules.
  • Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center that provides preventive care and health education for employees.
  • Development support: We offer tools to boost your professional profile, such as mentoring, 1:1 professional counseling, training and learning opportunities, language classes, mobility options, among others.
  • Other perks: Lactation Room, Daycare Center, Gym, Bike Racks, Parking, Spouse Career Program, and others.

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.

Our Human Resources Team reviews carefully every application.
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