Individual Contractor - Macroeconomic Nowcasting and Econometric Analysis

Organizational Context

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) seeks an Individual Contractor to develop and operationalize macroeconomic nowcasting models for member countries. This role supports evidence-based policymaking by providing near real-time estimates of key indicators, strengthening ESCWA's analytical capacity through advanced data integration and econometric methods.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to develop and implement nowcasting models for macroeconomic indicators across ESCWA member countries. This involves creating automated data pipelines and conducting rigorous econometric analysis to provide timely, high-quality macroeconomic insights. The role contributes to enhancing ESCWA's analytical capabilities by integrating high-frequency data and advanced modeling techniques, ensuring reproducible results and supporting the development of policy-relevant outputs. The contractor will work under project management supervision to deliver defined objectives within specified timelines, ultimately aiding evidence-based policymaking in the region.

Responsibilities

Collect, clean, and harmonize macroeconomic and high-frequency data from various sources. Develop and maintain reproducible, scalable data pipelines for automated data updates using Python. Construct datasets suitable for nowcasting and econometric analysis. Apply econometric techniques, including time series and panel data analysis, to support broader analytical outputs. Validate model performance through statistical evaluation and back-testing. Prepare comprehensive technical documentation to ensure the reproducibility of all developed models and outputs. Support the integration of nowcasting results into ESCWA's analytical products, such as reports, briefs, and presentations.

Work Experience

A minimum of one year of professional experience in macroeconomic analysis, econometrics, or quantitative research is required. Experience with macroeconomic and/or high-frequency data is essential. Proficiency in Python for data processing, analysis, and pipeline development is necessary. Experience in the Arab region is desirable.

Skills

Macroeconomic analysis, Econometric analysis, Data pipeline development (Python), Time series analysis, Panel data analysis, Statistical evaluation, Back-testing, Data cleaning and harmonization, Technical documentation, Arabic and English language proficiency.

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