Chief Economist – General:
• Advisory: Advises the President and other senior members of the IsDB Group’s Management on economic and policy issues in areas of strategic or operational relevance.
• Research and analytical work: Undertake peer-reviewed economic research and economic and political economy analysis that contribute to an increased understanding of the economic and strategic challenges and policy issues facing the IsDB Group’s member countries.
• Strategy and operations review: Inform the Bank's strategic priorities by measuring the state of development in member countries, evaluating the impact of operations, developing new concepts and ideas about tackling the problems facing member countries and helping the Bank formulate effective policy responses through macroeconomic forecasts and field studies.
• Macroeconomic forecast and risk assessment: Undertake macroeconomic forecasting and contributes to the work of the Bank’s Risk Management in identifying emergent risks and conducting stress testing.
• Knowledge development: Ensure incorporation of rigorous research into project design, appraisal and monitoring, addresses knowledge gaps at the country and regional levels through the development of statistical capacities and systems, and supports high-level dialogue with shareholder governments through MCPS and other engagement processes.
• Outreach and Bank representation: Represent the IsDB Group at high-level policy and academic events and develops and maintains strong links between the IsDB Group and academia.
• Publishing: Publish research and analytical work and provides underpinning support to the IsDB Group’s key publications and annual reports.
Islamic Research and Training Institute – General
• Knowledge solutions: Guide the Institute in developing knowledge solutions for development through open learning, training and advisory by transforming global and internal knowledge into actionable and dynamic learning based on a close understanding of the problems facing member countries and a strong collaboration with the Bank units and entities and the Member Countries.
• Knowledge creation: Guide the Institute in breaking new grounds in Islamic finance for development by enabling cutting-edge research and technological innovation to move the frontier of Islamic finance and open new markets and helping develop enabling environment for Islamic finance in member countries.
• Relevance and influence: Seek reaching and engaging new publics and creating new partnerships by promoting the purpose and role of the Institute, using effective branding and messaging, and exploiting digital tools for greater connectivity.
• Collaboration and synergy: Seek promoting collaboration and creating synergy across the Institute and with the IsDB Group, as the development issues and solutions involve multiple aspects and require multidimensional knowledge and skills.
• Efficiency and sustainability: Decide on the operating and financing model to support effective implementation of the Institute’s mandate that ensures efficiency and financial sustainability and preserves the independence and intellectual autonomy of its scholars and experts.
Economic Research and Islamic Economy
• Provides high level guidance on global macroeconomic trends and oversee the conduct of forward-looking analytical research and sectoral studies to underpin policy.
• Advises top leadership of the bank in formulating views and adopting positions on key development challenges facing member countries.
• Contributes to the preparation of MCPS and the development of lending/knowledge activities.
• Contributes to the development and update of the pillar strategies/policies in cooperation with the Chief Product Officer of the Bank.
• Oversees economic research agenda as well as policy research to deepen understanding of key challenges relating to development as well as mandates macroeconomic and financial sector monitoring.
• Supervises the Research and Knowledge Management and oversees the development of flagship publications and knowledge documents including the Annual Report.
• Oversees the development of statistical capacity and data systems to support the Bank’s research programs, track development indicators and monitor the Bank’s operational activities.
Islamic Finance Industry Research
• Act as the focal point between the IsDB and other multilateral and supranational institutions/partners in their efforts towards promotion and development of Islamic Finance industry.
• Study ways of supporting the development of Islamic capital markets and undertake activities (in coordination with IsDB’s Member Countries and other stakeholders) required to create an enabling environment for the development of Islamic capital markets.
• Support the establishment of partnerships in Islamic Finance Industry to foster the developers’ network in Islamic Finance areas and recommends the development and implementation of joint initiatives.
• Enable the development of a dynamic, innovative, and sustainable Islamic Financial Services Industry, including assisting Member Countries and Non-Member Countries to create and foster an enabling environment for Islamic Finance sector development.
• Management of applied research on how the principles and best practices of Islamic Economics and Finance can be harnessed for the socio-economic development of Member Countries and Muslim Communities worldwide.
• Promote the development of Islamic Economics and the Islamic Financial Sector and related institutions in Member Countries.
• Be the focal point, collaborate and coordinate with Islamic Infrastructure institutions, multilateral bodies, and other public and private sector organizations to promote Islamic economics, banking and finance.
Knowledge Management and Institutional Learning
• Lead in mainstreaming knowledge management and learning initiatives in IsDB’s activities.
• Ensure institutional knowledge and global best practices on bank’s operations, Member Countries, and priority sectors of the Bank are captured, structured, managed, and disseminated.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the knowledge management framework, strategies, policies, and programs that will facilitate the transformation of the IsDB into a knowledge-based organization.
• Maintain a readily accessible Collaborative Knowledge Platform comprising of contributions from key units of IsDB (capturing past work, lessons learnt, best practices and operational excellence, etc.), Member Countries, global experts, communities and think-tanks.
• Support the Member Countries in setting up knowledge management platforms and programs to serve their development needs.
• Direct the establishment and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with knowledge and learning institutes across MCs and non-MCs and collaborate in capacity building and facilitating the production of knowledge products and services.
• Represent the Bank in external events and forums related to knowledge management and institutional learning.
• Participate as a member in various international Knowledge for Development and Learning Consortiums and Networks for wider knowledge sharing globally.
• Coordinate the organization of flagship events and publications related to knowledge management.
Products Development and Technical Assistance
• Support the development of new Islamic Financial Products (IFPs) and assess the existing ones as a key means for supporting the implementation of the Bank’s strategy to assist the expansion of the Islamic Finance industry.
• Build and engage with and nurture a network of developers to assist in innovative Islamic Finance product research, design, modelling and development.
• Represent the Bank in external forums on issues related to Islamic Financial Product Development.
• Serve as a focal point for all matters related to funding of research that is contributing to addressing member countries’ needs.
Relationship management
• Manage and maintain close relationships with key IsDB counterparts (Chiefs)
• Manage and maintain close relationships with key IsDB counterparts including key research institutions and think tanks.
Leadership, People, and organization development
• Provides leadership for the organization units under IRTI/CE Directorate.
• Ensure all the directorate organization units complies with the set strategies, Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines.
• Ensures adherence of function and employees to IsDB’s legal and compliance guidelines.
• Recommends additions/adaptations of existing legal and compliance guidelines, where applicable.
• Raises relevant requests for additional resources, guidance, conflicts, and concerns in a timely and efficient manner.
• Derives goals for IRTI/CE Directorate from IsDB’s strategy.
• Develops individual targets based on IsDB strategy & management targets including setting yearly and quarterly targets for sub-directorate.
• Conducts performance evaluations of direct reports.
• Coaches, mentors, and develops the direct reports and the top talent/high potential staff.
• Monitors and assesses the skills and capabilities of the directorate, and determines the actions needed to increase the directorate's impact.
• Resolves conflicts and mediate disputes at sub-directorate level.
• Provides motivational and inspirational leadership for the sub-directorate units and communicates to direct reports clear performance expectations.
• Manages the performance and resources of the sub-directorate units through delegation of responsibility, setting stretch objectives and providing regular feedback on results at a sub-directorate units level, promptly addressing areas of underperformance.
• Acts as a role-model to communicate to the sub-directorate units’ staff IsDB's values and leadership competencies; provides direction and support in times of change.
• Create a work environment which ensures continuous learning and staff encouragement to suggest, participate and contribute to initiatives of improvement, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
• Create an environment that promotes responsibility and accountability and positive morale.
• Defines clear roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities, along with matching authorities, to provide a structure that would strengthen accountabilities at all levels of the directorate.
• Communicates intended results, results achieved, performance, and lessons learnt within the directorate as well as to the Management, partners, and other key stakeholders.
• Ensures that Directorate’s development plans, programs and budget requirements are in line with IsDB's requirements and priorities
• Sets yearly and quarterly targets for sub-complexes.
• Develops Directors and Division Managers of sub-directorate units and guide them in management of their functions.
• Supports filling in key capability gaps of teams through capacity development and recruiting efforts.
• Prepare the directorate to be able to respond to Business Continuity issues by overseeing the related actions and activities and equip the directorate with adequate and agile policies, processes, physical equipment, and nonphysical tools in collaboration with CAO.
Strategic planning and Performance Management
• Steer the formulation and development of IsDB Group R&D strategy and work program.
• Steer the formulation and development of key results targets and performance indicators (KPIs).
• Oversee implementation of the strategy, operational plan, and work program
• Set and oversee the objectives for the directorate in order to enable IsDB to achieve its strategic goals.
• Reports to the President on progress and achievements of the directorate in a timely and efficient manner.
• Raises relevant requests for additional resources, guidance, conflicts, and concerns in a timely and efficient manner Derives goals for IRTI/CE Directorate from IsDB’s strategy.