Economist – Youth, Employment and Skills (YES)

Organization: African Center for Economic Transformation
Location: Accra, Ghana
Employment Type: Full-Time
Application Deadline: 24 March 2026

Company Profile

The African Center for Economic Transformation is a leading pan-African economic policy institute dedicated to advancing Africa’s long-term economic transformation. ACET works with governments, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to develop practical policy solutions that promote sustainable growth, job creation, and inclusive development across the continent.

Through evidence-based research, policy advisory services, and strategic partnerships, ACET supports African countries in implementing transformative policies that strengthen economic competitiveness and improve livelihoods.

Job Summary

ACET seeks a highly skilled Economist to support its Youth, Employment and Skills (YES) agenda through rigorous research, policy analysis, and strategic advisory work focused on Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Economist will lead and contribute to high-quality analytical and consulting engagements, applying advanced quantitative and econometric methods to generate actionable insights on labour markets, skills development, and economic transformation. The role will manage research projects, translate complex analysis into policy-relevant recommendations, and support strategic engagement with governments, partners, and stakeholders.

The position will also contribute to strengthening ACET’s thought leadership in youth employment and provide leadership continuity within the YES program when required.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Economist – YES will play a central role in advancing ACET’s youth employment and skills agenda. Key responsibilities include:

• Lead rigorous economic research and analysis on trends, challenges, and policy reforms related to youth employment, skills development, and structural transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Design and manage datasets, including data collection, cleaning, validation, and database development to support research programs and consulting engagements.

• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to produce high-quality technical reports, policy briefs, and thought leadership outputs.

• Monitor and interpret emerging global and regional economic trends, particularly in labour markets and education policy.

• Serve as Project Lead for assigned initiatives, ensuring effective project planning, coordination, quality assurance, and delivery within agreed timelines and budgets.

• Provide strategic and analytical support to the YES Chapter of the Pan African Coalition for Transformation, contributing to evidence-based advocacy and programming.

• Support proposal development by providing analytical inputs and conducting background research for new initiatives and partnerships.

• Identify and document best practices and translate technical research findings into actionable recommendations for policymakers, partners, and stakeholders.

• Develop high-impact presentations and other client-facing outputs tailored to governments, development partners, and private sector actors.

• Represent ACET as a technical resource on youth employment and economic policy issues during stakeholder engagements and public discussions where appropriate.

• Serve as Deputy Team Lead and provide leadership continuity in the absence of the Head of the YES program.

• Undertake additional tasks as assigned in support of ACET’s mission and strategic priorities.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in Economics, Statistics, or a closely related field with specialization in Labour Economics, Development Economics, Education Policy, or Macroeconomics, with a minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience; OR

• PhD in Economics, Statistics, or a closely related field with similar specialization and at least three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience.

Professional Experience

• Demonstrated experience working as an Economist or Research Analyst, with a strong focus on labour economics and/or education policy within an African context.

• Proven experience working with micro-level datasets, including household surveys and labour force surveys; familiarity with nationally representative datasets in Sub-Saharan Africa is highly desirable.

• Experience in statistical modelling and forecasting will be an advantage.

• Demonstrated experience managing research or policy projects, including planning, budgeting, stakeholder engagement, and timely delivery of outputs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to translate complex economic analysis into practical policy recommendations.

• Proficiency in statistical and econometric software, particularly STATA and/or R.

• Solid understanding of macroeconomic concepts and economic frameworks, with the ability to apply them across multiple sectors of the economy.

• Strong independent work ethic with attention to detail and responsibility for data accuracy.

• Demonstrated leadership and teamwork skills, including experience working within multidisciplinary teams.

• Effective project management skills, including the ability to manage timelines, deliverables, and budgets.

• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities while maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical ideas clearly to non-technical audiences such as policymakers and development partners.

• Fluency in spoken and written English; working knowledge of French will be an advantage.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively in diverse and multicultural environments.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their CV