Head of Research and Chief Economist, Apac

Overview

ING’s Global Markets Research (GMR) team has presence in APAC, EMEA and the Americas with Amsterdam and London being the main Research hubs. Its core activities range from internal support for senior management and the front office to direct client engagement and media activities.

The GMR team looks at regions, industry sectors and asset classes with a view to gaining valuable insights and making predictions about futures states of the world. Ultimately, the purpose of GMR is to help people stay ahead in life and business.

In APAC, ING offers wholesale banking across 11 markets, namely Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Role

As the Head of Research and Chief Economist, APAC, you are responsible for the smooth running of the APAC research team of economists and strategists - setting the team direction, managing the competing demands for the team’s output, and acting as quality control for research publications and forecasts.

Key responsibilities:
- Ensure that the APAC team adheres to ING’s “Orange Code”, meets all compliance requirements, and promotes diversity and inclusion- Act as the primary point of contact for senior management in the region, relaying and explaining local developments in macroeconomics and markets, as well as the broader global backdrop. This is performed through frequent high-level meetings- Manage the team’s support for Financial Markets - managing contributions to the daily sales/traders call and associated publications- Work with the sectors teams to help support client coverage through appropriate written research and client meetings including frequent overseas travel. Assist in organizing and participating in visits by other research colleagues as appropriate- Coordinate the production of APAC-focused research content and intelligence to be shared with the Global Research team to help shape the global view and to support flagship global publications- Support local franchise building through participation in appropriate conferences / seminars, as well as appearances on international broadcast media- Contribute to the Research Management Team and development of the Global Research Department’s policies and procedures

The Person- A solid academic background in Economics, most likely to post-graduate level. This will be complemented with appropriate work experience (at least 10 years) in a financial institution, independent research institution or public institution-
- The role requires the management of a small and tightly knit team spread across various geographies and will require strong but supportive management skills. Demonstrating management experience would be an advantage- Ability to communicate well under pressure is another key requirement, whether this is related to management support, client contact, or franchise-building with international media. Strong oral and written English language communication skills are important. Ideally media trained / experience in presenting at externally organized seminars- Effective stakeholder management skills through strong interpersonal and influencing skills- Role will be expected to provide some country coverage (currently this is Australia and India, and remains flexible to meet business requirements), so technical competences for forecasting are a further requirement (for example, econometric skills)- Role will provide back-up and support to the team as well as acting as the primary sounding board for regional forecasts, so a broad versatility of regional coverage will be more helpful than detailed expertise in one or two areas- A solid background in the region’s economies, a strong understanding of the US economy, USD and US rates markets is also a distinct advantage