Principal Economist, Asia

As the research and analysis division of The Economist Group (TEG), EIU helps leaders prepare for opportunity, empowering them to act with confidence when making strategic decisions. EIU is the global standard in providing quality, actionable intelligence to the public and private sector, assessing issues that impact the marketplace for over two hundred countries.

The Country Analysis division of EIU is seeking to recruit a Principal Economist, Asia. For this senior role, we are looking for an intellectual leader who can lead a team of analysts to generate insightful, market-leading content on the region for our clients. They will be expected to promote and present our views to improve the EIU’s visibility among current and prospective clients, address media outlets and participate in client facing events, and address internal group meetings. The role requires a thorough understanding of Asian economics and policy, and the ability to practically apply research and analysis to real world situations.

The Principal Economist, Asia will have strong leadership skills and be able to effectively develop and guide a team of country analysts. They will need to demonstrate economic and forecasting skills, and be able to convey their knowledge and insight to help drive innovation and forecast quality among the team and guide team members. The role will report to the Regional Director, Asia and can be based in TEG’s offices in Hong Kong, India (Gurgaon/Mumbai), Singapore and Tokyo. 

How you will contribute

Provide thought leadership and guidance:

• Be an intellectual leader within the Country Analysis team, providing timely, market leading analysis and insight on Asia to a global and regional audience
• Drive the EIU view for Asia, by providing forecast guidance to analysts on economic and policy developments and offering constructive feedback
• Be a central point of contact for the region both within Country Analysis and externally with clients and the media

Produce and lead high-quality forecasts and analysis:

• Personally contribute and ensure the team produces high-quality economic and policy forecasts for Asia and selected economies, incorporating trends in EIU’s global forecast 
• Write data- and graphic-rich research notes and analysis that identify important trends and developments in Asian economics and policy, and highlight implications for EIU clients 

• Show a strong sense of editorial judgement and ensure adherence to editorial guidelines, including independence, objectivity and quality

Manage and develop a team of analysts:

• Directly manage around six analysts and research analysts working on Asia and influence the wider team, helping to engender an environment of intellectual challenge and creativity 
• Help design effective recruitment processes and implement training and onboarding strategies to enhance analytical skills across the team
• Work with analysts to mentor them and ensure they have a continuous programme of development 

Provide oversight of external contributors: 

• Ensure the Asia team has access to a strong database of external freelance contributors, and that their skills and experience mesh with EIU requirements
• Build a network of sources in academia, business and government to draw on for research purposes

Support promotion of views externally: 

• Promote our work on Asia within TEG and externally, and liaise directly with external clients and media organisations 
• Conduct Speaker Bureau briefing engagements to clients on the region 
• Work collaboratively with EIU sales colleagues to support new business development

The ideal skills for this role are:

• In-depth knowledge of economics and policy in Asia (specialist understanding of a major regional economy or cross-cutting topics, such as geopolitics, risk or supply chains, is a strong plus) 

• Developed team or project management skills and an ability to mentor and guide an intellectually-driven team   
• Strong analytical and forecasting skills, and deep understanding of macroeconomic data series and models used in forecasting
• An ability to spot and articulate trends in economics and policy
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, and an ability to write well under time pressure
• Strong presentation skills, and comfort in maintaining a public profile   
• An ability to work collaboratively with other senior stakeholders and balance their competing requirements 
• Fluent written and oral communication skills in English (fluency in relevant Asian languages is a strong plus) 
• Strong knowledge in MS Office, especially Excel and Powerpoint; experience with data terminals and econometric and data science software and platforms is desirable

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Track record in delivering top-level insight on economics, business and geopolitics in Asia
• Strong team management skills and leadership potential 
• Comfort in presenting to senior audiences on economic and political themes