Consultant - Developing the Interbank and Bond Markets in Mauritania

About the role

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is recruiting a consultant to support the Central Bank of Mauritania in developing its interbank market and government securities (bond) market. The work is remote, lasts about 10 months and reports to the Chief of the Subregional Initiatives Section and the Director of ECA SRO-NA. The goal is to strengthen financial sector capacity, increase interbank activity and secondary market liquidity, and broaden the investor base.

Key responsibilities

• Diagnostic assessment: review the interbank money market, liquidity management practices, central bank liquidity facilities and barriers to interbank lending; review the Treasury bill and bond issuance framework, auction design, investor participation, secondary market activity and the role of primary dealers and market makers; review payment systems, settlement arrangements and trading platforms, and compare Mauritania with international good practices.
• Develop a reform strategy with recommendations on increasing interbank liquidity (including repo markets and Islamic liquidity instruments), boosting secondary market liquidity, diversifying the investor base, improving payment and settlement, and enhancing market transparency and trading platforms.
• Design and deliver a capacity-building program on interbank and bond market development, financial market infrastructure, trading platforms, settlement systems, market transparency, data reporting and analytics.
• Provide ongoing advisory support throughout the assignment.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree (Master's or PhD) in economics, finance or a related field.
• Minimum of ten years of experience in economics and finance.
• Fluency in French; English is the other working language of the UN Secretariat, and fluency in Arabic is an advantage.
• Analytical policy research, especially monetary policy in North Africa, and experience advising central banks are advantages.