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Form of workTreasury is looking for a talented, team-orientated, and highly motivated leader to fill a vacancy as a Senior Adviser – Modelling and Capability Building within the Fiscal and Monetary Policy Branch. The successful applicant will develop staff, manage the Branch’s capability building program, and lead the Branch’s maintenance and use of macroeconomic frameworks and modelling for policy analysis.
To deliver on this outcome the successful applicant must work collaboratively with Directors of the three Units in the Branch (Fiscal Policy Strategy, Fiscal Policy Analysis, and Monetary and Macro-Prudential Policy) in developing and driving the analytical work agenda, and to ensure the human and technical capability of the Branch is fit for purpose and delivery focused. They must also be able to lead briefing at the EL2 level independently of Unit Directors. The role will require extensive liaison across groups and divisions of Treasury, the Australian Public Service, academia and the broader macroeconomic and modelling community.
Demonstrated experience in the development and use (including training staff without prior experience) of structural vector autoregression models and dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models (either representative or heterogeneous agent) for policy analysis is necessary. We are also looking for someone with well-developed communication and engagement skills, and strong leadership and project management skills.
The role entails six critical functions:
1) Working across the Fiscal and Monetary Policy Branch to ensure its macroeconomic frameworks and models are fit for purpose and delivery focused. The position requires technical expertise and experience in developing and/or applying general equilibrium modelling (such as the Overlapping Generations Model of Australia), econometrics, data Analysis and economic theory to macroeconomic policy issues. To be successful the applicant must also develop the expertise necessary to model the effect on the economy of a range of policy changes such as: fiscal strategies; monetary/macro-prudential policy; the tax and transfer system; retirement income policy; migration; and policies to increase educational attainment and labour force participation.
2) Developing the capability of other staff (junior and senior) in the development and use of models and modelling results. This includes training staff in the areas of economic theory, general equilibrium modelling, econometrics and computational techniques.
3) Sound judgement and the ability to actively manage and engage with risk, noting that economic modelling is highly contestable. This includes an understanding of the function modelling performs in policy advice and how this function may be best carried out and improved.
4) Excellent project management skills. It requires leading the Branch’s capability building program, including monitoring and the identification of gaps. It includes balancing longer-term projects – notably developing models and building the capacity of MAPD staff – with shorter-terms tasks including responding to requests for policy advice. As such, the Senior Adviser must exercise day-to-day judgement on prioritisation and resourcing to meet the needs of stakeholders.
5) Well-developed communication skills. This includes an ability to explain how a model works, how the analysis would vary with different inputs and assumptions, and what those estimates mean for policy. And an ability to forge strong working relationships with stakeholders within and outside Treasury, particularly the Macroeconomic Conditions Division, Revenue Group, Fiscal Group, key Government agencies, and the broader academic and modelling community.
6) An ability to shape the strategic direction of the Branch’s priorities and analytical effort. This includes working collaboratively with the Branch leadership to shape strategic policy priorities, and bringing together modelling projects and staff development needs with strategic policy priorities.
Desirable Qualifications / Experience
· Tertiary qualification(s) in a relevant field, including, but not limited to, economics, mathematics, or public policy.
· Ideally, we are looking for candidates with at least four to ten years’ relevant work experience in economic research and analysis, including in government, the private sector or academia.
