The Middle East Technical Assistance Center (METAC) is located in Beirut, Lebanon and provides technical assistance to ten Middle Eastern member countries (Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen). The Center is supported by a group of international donors and is managed by the IMF.

The IMF’s Statistics Department is seeking to fill a position of a statistics advisor at METAC. The position reflects a demonstrated strong demand for technical assistance in statistics within the region. The advisor will have the advantage of working in a small team environment while providing leadership in the area of expertise.

The work of the statistics advisor will be focused on providing technical assistance and training in balance of payments statistics to countries in the METAC region and managing technical assistance in other areas of macroeconomic statistics, particularly national accounts statistics. The technical assistance will concentrate on advice on the following: (i) underlying basic data collections; (ii) concepts and internationally-accepted methodologies; (iii) compilation procedures, including data preparation, verification and computerization; and (iv) dissemination of data.

The statistics advisor will be expected to undertake technical assistance missions in balance of payments statistics as well as recruit and supervise short-term experts in national accounts and other macroeconomic statistics. The advisor will work under the supervision of the METAC coordinator. He/she will coordinate technical assistance activities with IMF’s Statistics Department and Middle East and Central Asia Department as well as with other international institutions and regional/bilateral agencies. The advisor will maintain regular contacts with member countries for implementing METAC’s technical assistance program.

Specific Qualifications: The successful candidate will be expected to have a strong knowledge of and experience in balance of payments statistics and demonstrated experience in compiling the statistics. A good knowledge of macroeconomic statistics, in particular national accounts statistics, is desirable. The advisor is expected to have a good command of English, the working language of the METAC. Arabic language skills are desirable.

The position is for one year with the possibility of extension subject to the mutual agreement of the IMF, METAC, and the advisor.

Interested candidates should send their curriculum vitae to the METAC at [info@imfmetac.org] by February 4, 2008 for forwarding to the IMF’s Statistics Department for possible interview and final selection. Only candidates selected for interview will be notified for scheduling an interview through teleconference.