Policy Analyst - Economist - Social economy and social innovation

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation comprised of 38 member countries, that works to build better policies for better lives. Our mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, we work on establishing evidence-based international standards, and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, we provide a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.

The Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) provides relevant and timely information, analysis, statistics, and recommendation to support governments’ efforts to improve the domestic and international performance of their policies in the area of entrepreneurs and SMEs, regions and cities, and tourism. It helps local and national actors work together to unleash the potential of entrepreneurs and SMEs, promote inclusive and sustainable regions and cities, boost local job creation, and implement sound tourism policies. It includes the Secretariats serving the Regional Policy Development Committee (RDPC) and its Working Parties, the Committee on SMEs and Entrepreneurship (CSMEE), the Tourism Committee and its Working Party, and the Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Directing Committee.

The Local Employment and Social Innovation Division (LESI) within CFE focuses on supporting OECD member and partner countries at national, regional and local level to drive local economic development and growth, including through innovative approaches to local job creation, skills development, social inclusion, and place transformation. The division’s work involves analytical and policy-oriented research, conducted in a multicultural environment by a multi-disciplinary team of highly qualified and experienced staff.

CFE is looking for an experienced, dynamic Policy Analyst/Economist to join the Local Employment, Skills and Social Innovation Division (LESI) to undertake research and analysis on social economy policies, including social entrepreneurship and social innovation. The selected candidate will undertake deep dives into the nature, contributions, challenges, and opportunities of the social economy in specific sectors (e.g., energy, care, housing), and its potential to generate employment/skills/job creation both as an employer and in its capacity to support public labour market programmes. Additionally, the work will focus on framework conditions such as taxation, legal frameworks, access to markets and finance, impact assessment, and the development of data, evidence and information at both national and sub-national levels. The selected candidate will report directly to the Head of the Social Economy and Innovation Unit.

Main Responsibilities

Research, analysis and drafting

• Design, lead, and contribute to high-impact analytical and policy-oriented research and case studies on the social economy and social entrepreneurship, including framework conditions, sectoral applications in care, housing, energy, and retail, skills and employment strategies, integration of social economy actors in supply chains, data, digitalisation, AI, productivity and competitiveness.
• Analyse international evidence and data to inform policy analysis on the Unit’s topics (social economy, social entrepreneurship and social innovation) in OECD member countries and beyond.
• Draft and edit high-quality evidence-based assessments and tailored recommendations in substantive policy papers, case studies, and chapters in reviews or thematic reports, designed for policymakers and interested audience.
• Prepare other high-quality documents, including blogs, seminar proceedings, and policy messages based on research and relevant published material.
• Organise and summarise complex material in a clear manner for specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Keep abreast of emerging research, exploratory work and evolving policies on local economic development, emanating from governments, other international organisations, non-governmental organisations, academia and the private sector.

Strategic Leadership and Project Management

• Provide strategic input into the Committee on Local Employment and Economic Developpement (DC LEED), Programme of Work and Budget (PWB), and contribute to its implementation.
• Conduct and contribute to country level projects involving both qualitative and quantitative research, policy reviews, peer learning activities, and capacity building.
• Manage staff and consultants, including junior analysts, consultants, and external experts; ensure the delivery of quality outputs on time and within budget.
• Work collaboratively with other divisions and directorates on horizontal initiatives.
• Oversee the planning, execution and delivery of meetings and workshops on topics related to social economy and social entrepreneurship. 
• Contribute to and oversee the preparation of presentations, speeches, briefings, press releases and other communication materials.

Project management and fundraising

• Contribute actively to the management of projects, including ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Actively support the Division’s and CFE’s fundraising efforts, including drafting project proposals and strengthening networks and engagement with potential donors as required.
• Supervise the work of junior staff, including interns, external and internal consultants as needed.

Co-ordination, representation and liaison

• Support the activities of the Social Economy Unit, including organising webinars and in-person events, as well as contributing content to the social-economy  online toolkit. Organise other project-related meetings and events, such as seminars, roundtables and workshops, as needed.
• Establish and maintain contacts with high-level representatives in relevant ministries and government agencies, as well as intergovernmental organisations and relevant stakeholders.
• Represent the OECD Secretariat at international conferences and contribute to raising the profile and disseminating  LEED and CFE work at local, national and international levels.
• Collaborate with other Divisions and OECD directorates actively contributing to horizontal and multidisciplinary projects and outputs as needed.

Other duties

• Provide general support to the activities of the Division as required, in particular as requested by LESI management and the Director’s office.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Academic Background

• An advanced university degree in a relevant area such as economics, public policy, social sciences, or a related field. 

Professional Background

• A minimum of three, but preferably at least five years of professional experience, acquired in an international organisation, a national or subnational government, or in a university or related research institution.
• Good knowledge of the OECD’s substantive work, especially related to the social economy.
• Excellent policy research and analytical skills proven by prior substantive contributions.
• Proven ability to draft analytical and policy-relevant reports and papers.
• Proven experience in dealing with stakeholders, including representatives of local or national governments.
• Ability to make and deliver effective presentations to policymakers, expert and non-expert audiences.

Tools

• Strong knowledge of MS Office.

Core Competencies

• OECD staff are expected to demonstrate behaviours aligned to six core competencies which will be assessed as part of this hiring processes: Vision and Strategy (Level 2); Enable People (Level 1); Ethics and Integrity (Level 2); Collaboration and Horizontality (Level 2); Achieve Results (Level 2); Innovate and Embrace Change (Level 2).
• There are three possible levels for each competency. The level for each competency is determined according to the specific needs of each job role and its associated grade.
• To learn more about the definitions for each competency for levels 1-3, please refer to OECD Core Competencies.

Languages

• Fluency in one of the two OECD official languages (English and French) and knowledge of the other, with a commitment to reach a good working level.
• Knowledge of additional languages would be an asset.

Closing Date

• This vacancy should be filled as soon as possible, and applications should reach us no later than midnight 27th August 2026 (Paris time).

Contract Duration

• Open-ended appointment, with no foreseen end date. 

What the OECD offers

• Monthly salary starts at 6 975.54 EUR, plus allowances based on eligibility, exempt of French income tax.
• Click here to consult the Staff Regulations applicable to officials of the OECD. Please note that from 1 July 2025, all Official appointments will be made under the OECD’s new contractual modalities.
• Click here to learn more about what we offer and why the OECD is a great place to work.
• Click here to browse our People Management Guidebook and learn more about all aspects relating to people at the OECD, our workplace environment and many other policies supporting staff in their daily life.
• Please note that the appointment may be made at one grade lower in the specified job family, based on the qualifications and professional experience of the selected applicant.
• This vacancy may be used to create a pool of candidates for comparable positions, both for open-ended and fixed-term functions. 

Selection Process

For retained candidates, the selection process may include a video-recorded interview, job-based assessment and panel interviews.

The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes the applications of all qualified candidates who are nationals of OECD member countries, irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.

The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal.