Africa Economist

Job description / Role

Who we are:

Pharo Management is a leading global macro hedge fund with a focus on emerging markets. Founded in 2000, the firm has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi, and currently manages $8 billion in assets across four funds. Pharo trades foreign exchange, sovereign and corporate credit, local market interest rates, commodities, and their derivatives. We trade in over 70 countries across Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America as well as developed markets. Our investment approach combines macroeconomic fundamental research and quantitative analysis.

Pharo employs a diverse, dynamic team of 140 professionals representing over 20 nationalities and 30 languages. We have a strong corporate culture anchored in core values such as collaborative spirit, creativity, and respect. We are passionate about what we do and are committed to attracting the best and brightest talent.

This is a great opportunity to join a market leader and contribute to our continued success.

Job description:

We are looking to bring on board an economist to join our global research team. Based in Abu Dhabi, the successful candidate will focus on Sub-Saharan Africa economics and regional analysis across asset classes. Personality and passion will be as key to the hiring decision as experience. The successful candidate will:

• Provide rich macroeconomic context on economic, political, and structural trends across countries of coverage, and shape the firms top-down regional view.
• Forecast key macroeconomic variables (inflation, GDP growth, current account and fiscal balances) using quantitative tools and business cycle analysis.
• Analyze central bank reaction functions and make monetary policy calls.
• Assess linkages between countries of coverage and the global economy.
• Communicate insights to portfolio managers, contributing to investment themes and actionable market calls.
• Participate in global investment team meetings and deliver in-depth presentations on macro themes and country analysis.
• Collaborate actively with colleagues across local and international offices.

Required qualities and skills:

• Strong academic background in macroeconomics, with solid quantitative and statistical skills and familiarity with tools such as EViews, STATA, SPSS, and MS Office.
• 4-6 years experience in a macroeconomic role covering African markets at a top-tier investment bank, buy-side firm, or international financial institution (e.g. IMF, central bank, or finance ministry).
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present clearly to investment teams and communicate relevant insights to portfolio managers.
• Strong work ethic and ability to operate in a fast-paced, intellectually demanding environment.
• Strong learning agility, with the capacity to quickly grasp new topics and concepts.
• Fluency in English required; additional languages are a plus.

Work status and location

Full time in Abu Dhabi.