Director - Western Hemisphere Department (WHD)

Work for the IMF. Work for the World.

The Director of the Western Hemisphere Department oversees the IMF’s relations with its member countries in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Director works under the overall guidance of the Managing Director and in close collaboration with other members of the IMF’s management team. The Director is responsible for providing strong intellectual leadership and strategic vision in planning, managing, and supervising the work of the department employees. The Director is also expected to contribute to the development of IMF policies.

The primary function of the Western Hemisphere Department is to provide policy advice to our member countries in the region, with the aim of promoting and preserving macroeconomic, financial, and external stability, and improving the conditions for sustained economic growth. The director is also responsible for implementing IMF policies with respect to these countries, including the provision of financial support and capacity development. Finally, the Director is responsible for maintaining contact with regional organizations and other multilateral institutions and oversees the activities of the IMF Offices in the region.
 

Key competencies required:

Key competencies for the Director of the Western Hemisphere Department include:

• Ability to understand the Fund’s mandate, culture, policies, and practices, especially as they relate to the region, and embody the core values of the Fund to be considered a role model in the institution.

• Ability to provide strong and agile intellectual and operational leadership, and to shape and reshape key strategic priorities, offering clear direction that enables others to achieve mission critical priorities.

• Ability to scan the horizon and keep pace with the external environment, conceptualize ideas and turn them into actions, championing innovation and change.

• Ability to lead the development and transformation of diverse teams, organizational structures, systems, and work processes to build/strengthen institutional capability and address business needs.

• Ability to foster close and effective cooperation with relevant authorities and other counterparts in the region, leading negotiations and persuading/influencing policies/decisions by balancing differing interests.

• Ability to collaborate across the institution, build alliances, consensus and effective cooperation with multiple stakeholders.

• Ability to communicate in a clear, persuasive, tactful, impactful and inspiring manner—capacity to engage effectively with media as the face of the Fund in the region and internally as the face of the department within the Fund.

• Ability to demonstrate self-awareness (of oneself and the department’s image), commitment to continuous learning and development, and resilience.

Qualifications

The successful candidate should have:

• An advanced degree in economics, with a strong background in open economy macroeconomic, financial sector, and structural policy issues.

• Experience working in the region or with the region in a research or policy-making function, with particular emphasis on Latin American and Caribbean countries and advanced economies.

• The ability to engage with member country authorities and other relevant stakeholders at a level that facilitates traction of the Fund’s policy advice, ideally based on prior experience with one or several countries in the region at a senior level. Proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese would be a plus.

• Extensive leadership experience, particularly leading large and complex teams, developing functional strategy, and translating broader organization strategy.

• Proven ability to provide intellectual and strategic leadership and foresee shifting needs in the global and region’s economies.

• Knowledge and understanding of Fund policy and operations.

• Strong interpersonal, communications and influencing skills.

Note
A regular staff member who is selected to fill the vacancy will maintain their open-ended status. Staff members already on a term appointment will continue their current term but may receive an extension provided that their current term appointment has not already been extended.

Department:

Hiring For:

The IMF is guided by the principle that the employment, classification, promotion, and assignment of staff shall be made without discrimination against any person. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process. Information on how to request accommodations will be provided during the application process.