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Job Description:
The Economist is a subject matter expert on specific aspects of banking and financial services, with a strong understanding of both practices and policies and regulations of banks and non-banks and their products and customers. There is a focus on rigorous quantitative economic analysis of ongoing trends in banking as well as the broader financial services sector. This requires expert familiarity with all relevant data sets and their limitations.
Research output includes white papers, blogs, op-eds, testimonies, comments to consultations rule proposals, and presentation decks. In the context of regulatory changes, the incumbent focuses on assessing their impact – qualitative and quantitative – on banks and other financial service providers, their customers, and the broader US economy.
The Economist conducts quantitative economic analysis on micro issues of specific products, e.g., mortgage loans, small business lending, credit cards, savings, and investment products, as well as more macro, systemic issues of banking and the financial system, e.g., financial inclusion and access to banking and financial services, systemic risk, and financial stability, and more generally, resilience of financial institutions.
The incumbent conducts research on ongoing trends in banking and financial services, access to financial services, the cost of provisioning these services, competition in the broader financial services sector, and macro issues related to financial inclusion. In addition to the usual research output, the incumbent collaborates with colleagues in the broader ABA Policy team and the Office of Member Engagement to track and study these developments and develop policy recommendations.
Risk management is core to banking, and the incumbent will be expected to engage in issues about interest rate and credit risk, operational and cyber risk, digital assets, and other emerging topics like climate risk. The incumbent’s research on these issues includes keeping abreast of current developments in terms of industry practices, global standards, regulations, and research; communicating these developments to ABA members and the larger public via research notes and presentations; independent research including impact costs.
The incumbent acts as an advisor to the Chief Economist in developing policy positions, arguments to support them, and research and analyses necessary to inform these positions.
This position has high visibility with bankers (including key ABA policy committees), members of Congress, their staff, various regulatory agencies, the media, and the public.
The Economist takes on new issues quickly, bringing analytical expertise and economics training to inform ABA’s positions on policy issues. This requires working collaboratively with policy and subject experts, both within ABA as well as among ABA members. Further, the individual develops and maintains strong working relationships with staff in various regulatory agencies, think tanks, and academic experts, both domestic and international.
As an expert in banking and financial services, the incumbent will be expected to present at various ABA-organized conferences and member meetings, and industry conferences.
In coordination with others in the ABA Policy team and the general membership, the Economist participates in various ABA committees, both leading specific committees and providing quantitative economic expertise.
Oversee other projects and duties as assigned by business needs.
