Associate Economist, Research

Position Description

This position is for an Economist to join CLSA’s Economics Team in Singapore. The incumbent will be responsible for forecasting, economic analysis, and data and policy commentary on select Asian economies. From day one, the incumbent will conduct research that will be included in CLSA’s flagship economics products. The successful candidate will also support the Chief Economist in some of the broader global and regional economic coverage.

Key Areas of Responsibilities

• Model and forecast monthly economic data and 2+ years forward forecasts for select Asian economies.
• Provide analysis for CLSA’s economics products, including data commentaries, thematic analysis, and flagship quarterly publications.
• Retrieve and analyse information for economies under CLSA’s coverage, including from external data sources e.g. Bloomberg, CEIC, and others.
• Help track and analyse news relating to the Asian economies and financial markets under coverage, and identify global linkages of the countries covered.
• Provide support to the Chief Economist for some of the broader global and regional research, including data retrieval and quantitative analysis.
• On covered economies respond to CLSA client requests and present to CLSA clients, helping to increase the franchise value of CLSA economics.
• Develop a personal client franchise and conduct face-to-face marketing trips as determined by the Chief Economist.
• Travel to economies covered to speak with central banks, government officials, companies, think tanks, etc. to identify “on the ground” trends and insights.
• Work with CLSA country research teams for the same purpose.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or above in economics. A Master’s degree or a PhD is a plus.
• Approximately 5 years’ experience gained across sell-side, buy-side, research companies/think tanks, central bank, finance ministry and/or multilateral organisations (e.g. IMF, BIS, OECD, etc.). Exceptional candidates with post-graduate qualifications and less experience may be considered.
• Experience covering Asian economies.
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills, and understanding of investment relevance of macroeconomic conditions and prospects.
• Strong quantitative skills an advantage, including economic modelling, econometric analysis, and coding. Strong Excel skills is a must.
• Self-driven, a strong work ethic, and the ability to work independently on countries covered.
• A team player with excellent interpersonal skills who is versatile and flexible.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to manage relationships with both internal stakeholders and external clients.
• Fluent in written and spoken English is essential. Fluency in Mandarin would be a plus and knowledge of Cantonese is also an advantage.