Rural Development Economist

The Government of Luxembourg contributes to the Pro-Poor Development Basket Fund (PPD-Basket) in Rwanda with a focus on strengthening the quality, climate resilience, and inclusiveness of local infrastructure investments. The PPD-Basket, managed by the Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) under the Ministry of Local Government, pools resources from multiple development partners, including Luxembourg, KfW and AFD, to finance prioritised pro-poor rural infrastructure aligned with District Development Strategies (DDS) and national priorities.

2. DEPARTMENT / WORKPLACE

RWA/029 LuxDev / Rwanda – Based in Kigali with regular travel to Project Districts

3. WORK ORGANISATION

Project: RWA/029 PPD Basket

Place of work: Kigali, with occasional travels abroad

Contract duration: 22 months

4. POSITION ON ORGANISATIONAL CHART

Reporting to the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) With functional supervision from the Project Officer. Supervises none directly but collaborates with district-level Economic Officers, M&E specialists, Finance Advisor, And External Partners (NISR, Academic Institutions).

5. JOB PURPOSE

The purpose of the Rural Development Economist role is to support the CTA by co-leading the development and piloting of the economic contribution methodology under Result 3, ensuring institutional ownership and integration of economic and financial perspectives into O&M models and district budgeting practices developed under Result 2. Success criteria: validated methodology adopted by at least two districts and one national statistical or academic partner; clear evidence of integration into district budgets and O&M plans.

6. DUTIES AND MAIN TASKS

Co-lead the development and piloting of the methodology for evaluating the economic contribution of rural infrastructure under Result 3.
Collect, clean and analyse socio-economic data relevant to project outcomes.
Liaise with NISR MININFRA, MINECOFIN, and academic partners to ensure institutional ownership of methodologies.
Integrate economic and financial perspectives into O&M models and district budgeting practices under Result 2.
Produce deliverables (methodology manual, technical notes, policy briefs, case studies and learning products).
Contribute to designing Result 3 indicators, monitoring frameworks and ensuring QA/QC of all economic analysis inputs.

7. COMMUNICATIONS

In-house contacts

Has regular contact with CTA, Project Officer, M&E Specialist, Finance Advisor, District Project Teams – frequent contact for coordination, data sharing and reporting and project staff to coordinate methodology development and data analysis.

Has frequent contact with district-level officers to support budgeting practices and model integration.

External contacts

Has regular contact with NISR, Ministry counterparts (LODA, MINALOC, MININFRA, MINECOFIN), district administrations – regular contact for data access, validation and policy discussion, and academic partners to ensure institutional ownership and validation of methodologies.

Has occasional contact with international experts and stakeholders for consultation and knowledge exchange.

8. Education and/or work experience

Advanced degree (PHD or equivalent acquired through experience) in Economics, Development Economics, Public Policy, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in economic analysis, public sector budgeting or development projects; at least 2 years working in Rwanda or East Africa preferred.
• Prior experience collaborating with national statistical offices, ministries or academic institutions.
• Experience with donor-funded projects and familiarity with results-based management and reporting.

How to apply:

Please apply via our website: https://careers.luxdev.lu/job-invite/2003/

Deadline: 26th November 2025 at 11:59 pm