Economist (Economics Issues & Insights Unit)

Ministry of Trade and Industry

Permanent/Contract

What the role is

The Economist Service is the premier service for economists in the Singapore public sector. By developing a core group of professional economists, the objective of the Economist Service is to sharpen economic analysis in the public sector in order to improve public policies.
Economists in the Economist Service undertake economic research and analysis in many Ministries and agencies across the public sector. These include the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. Through postings to diverse Ministries and agencies, the economists contribute their expertise to inform a wide range of public policies, from economic policies to fiscal, socio-economic, health, security and infrastructural policies.

What you will be working on

You will be part of a team of economists whose primary focus is to develop a comprehensive evidence base to support policy formulation in Singapore. Together with your team, you will strive to keep abreast of the latest economic/socio-economic issues in our public discourse, be at the forefront of the latest economic ideas and thinking, and be thought leaders on economic issues within the Singapore public sector. This will be achieved through:
(i) Identifying pertinent "hot-button", emerging and/or longer-term economic/socio-economic issues in Singapore by conducting pre-emptive sensemaking;
(ii) Synthesising what is currently known about these issues by drawing on existing research studies and the experience of other economies to form an evidence base; and
(iii) Leading research and policy projects to provide insights on these issues within the Singapore context if there are gaps in the existing literature.

What we are looking for

* Degree / Master's / PhD in Economics. While a postgraduate degree will be advantageous, strong candidates with an undergraduate degree will also be considered.
* Strong quantitative skills (e.g., econometrics) for policy modelling and simulations, as well as impact evaluation studies.
* Strong passion for empirical research and extensive experience in solving complex problems using quantitative approaches.
* Proficiency with statistical/programming software (e.g., STATA, R, Python).
* Ability to distil, synthesise and explain the key insights from existing research studies and economic theory.
* Strong interest and a willingness to develop expertise in a diverse range of issues, including economic structure and growth, sustainability and resilience, labour market, internationalisation and investments, as well as productivity and innovation.
* Excellent communication skills, including an ability to express complex ideas simply and clearly.

About Ministry of Trade and Industry

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) seeks to transform Singapore into a leading global city of talent, enterprise and innovation. Our mission is to promote economic growth and create good jobs to enable Singaporeans to improve their lives. In MTI, you can expect an exciting, challenging and rewarding career

About your application process

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the job ad closing date, we seek your understanding that it is likely that we are not moving forward with your application for this role. We thank you for your interest and would like to assure you that this does not affect your other job applications with the Public Service. We encourage you to explore and for other roles within Ministry of Trade and Industry or the wider Public Service.