Research Analyst Program (RAP)

Job Description

Research Analyst under the Research Analyst Program (RAP) | International Monetary Fund

The Tone:
This is a two-year contractual position under the Research Analyst Program at the International Monetary Fund, located at its Headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. The International Monetary Fund is a prominent global organization dedicated to fostering global monetary cooperation, securing financial stability, facilitating international trade, promoting high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reducing poverty around the world. This program offers a unique opportunity for recent graduates to gain useful entry-level analyst experience and contribute directly to the IMF’s important research and analytical projects before pursuing graduate studies.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Contract
• Location: In-person, Washington, D.C.

• Mission: This person supports the operational and policy work of Fund economists by conducting research, managing data, and performing quantitative analysis.
• Tech Stack: STATA, EViews, MATLAB, Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint), Python, R, Tableau, PowerBI

What You’ll Actually Do
• Economist Support: Contribute to and support the operational and policy work of Fund economists.
• Data Collection: Conduct research, collect and compile information, and access and manipulate macroeconomic data from a wide range of sources.
• Database Maintenance: Maintain and update economic, financial, and statistical databases.
• Data Analysis: Conduct quantitative data analysis utilizing econometric and other statistical tools, evaluating economic, financial, or statistical relationships, and analyzing economic time series data.
• System Design: Design systems to facilitate interfaces or to transfer data between external and in-house databases, while collaborating with economists on projects.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Recent completion of a bachelor’s degree in economics, computer science, statistics, mathematics, finance, data science or another related quantitative field is required. Candidates with advanced degrees in the same relevant field may be considered if they have limited combined professional experience.
• Experience: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 (or equivalent for international diplomas) in both the principal field of study and in the overall program is required. The ability to work independently under minimum supervision and be accountable for the accuracy of both data and programs is also necessary.
• Skills: Proficiency in software applications such as Microsoft Office (specifically Excel and PowerPoint) and econometric packages such as STATA, EViews, and MATLAB is essential, along with other statistical and analytical tools. Strong analytical and quantitative skills, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, are also required.
• Bonus: Knowledge of programming languages like Python and R is desirable. Working knowledge of Tableau, familiarity with other data visualization tools, especially PowerBI or Python/R based, or web design are desirable. Proficiency in other languages is a plus.