Lead Economist at IDC

Synopsis

• The Industrial Development Corporation’s Research and Information department (R&I) is responsible for undertaking economic and industrial research and analysis that is aligned with the development objectives and strategic requirements of the Corporation. It also renders a centralised, relevant, and reliable information provision service on economic, socioeconomic, sectoral and industry related matters to the Corporation at large, including the board as well as to specific external stakeholders. R&I’s strategic research and analysis encompasses the following key areas: sectoral, industrial, value chain research and analysis; macroeconomic analysis and reporting; macroeconomic and sectoral forecasting and scenario building; external trade analysis; economic, political; sectoral and trade data management; economic impact assessments; support to policymakers, particularly national government departments and more specifically the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), including the management of the Industrial Policy Support Fund on its behalf.

Job Description

• The purpose of the role is to lead a team of economists undertaking macro-economic and sectoral analysis and forecasting. This includes conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, contributing to the expansion of IDC modelling capacity, compiling macro-economic research reports, compiling publications, and presentations on economic matters for the IDC, and its stakeholders.

Qualification and Experience

• Honours degree in economics, econometrics (or equivalent qualification)
• Masters degree (e.g. M. Commerce (Economics/Econometrics) or M. Science (Economics/Econometrics)) will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of 10 years relevant experience, preferably within an economic research and analysis environment.
• Experience in leading research teams and/or projects.
• Strong understanding, knowledge and experience of macro-economics and development economics theory and principles, as well as their application in industrial development and in the finance environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and an ability to understand, integrate and analyse complex information.
• Understanding, knowledge and experience of the historical and current economic environment (international and domestic) and factors influencing it.
• Substantial Experience and knowledge in sourcing, compiling, interrogating, testing and analysing statistical information (e.g. national accounts, international trade etc), for use in quantitative analyses.
• Good understanding, knowledge and experience of the economic and socio-economic environment in South Africa and southern Africa, including transformation and regional development issues.

Roles and Responsibilities

The main duties of this role will include, but will not be limited to: 

• Lead a team of economists undertaking macroeconomic and sectoral research and analysis, driving a high-performance culture.
• Continuously improve the analytical capability of the macroeconomic team to provide insightful and relevant contributions and recommendations to the strategic planning processes at the corporate and operational levels.
• Exercise effective quality assurance and oversight and ensure consistency and coherence across the macroeconomic research and analysis outputs.
• Facilitate the continued development and maintenance of comprehensive databases of economic and sectoral/industrial data.
• Conduct macro-economic and sectoral trend analysis, forecasting and economic impact assessments.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses and contribute to the expansion of IDC modelling capacity.
• Compile and present macro-economic research reports, publications, and presentations on economic matters for the IDC, and its stakeholders.
• Assist in planning portfolio priorities and objectives from macro-economic and sectoral perspectives, contributing to market risk analysis.
•  Lead various strategic research projects, particularly from a macro-economic analysis perspective.
• Participate in specific fora and liaise with various external institutions.
• Provide information on economic matters to IDC at large and assist through strategic support which enables effective management of the IDC group

Job Requirements

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

• Report writing skills
• Analytical and diagnostic skills
• Problem solving
• People engagement
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and statistical software (e.g. EViews, R, Python etc)
• Business/commercial acumen
• Stakeholder management
• Technical analysis
• Project management skills
• Teamwork

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• Negotiating and influencing
• Presentation and communication skills
• Deciding and initiating.
• Planning and organizing
• Operating within a multi-cultural environment
• Coping with pressures and setbacks

Posting End Date

18 Jul 2026