Section Chief (Data & Information Section) – Corporate Services and Facilities Department

Work for the IMF. Work for the World.

About the Role

Work for the IMF. Work for the World.

The Chief of the Data & Information Section oversees the provision of data and information in physical and digital formats to the IMF and the World Bank Group (WBG) to meet the information and knowledge needs of the institutions and their staff. This includes addressing any aspect of human engagement with information and knowledge, such as identification of information needs, discovery and retrieval, analysis and synthesis, sharing, management, organization, and preservation.

The Data and Information Section consists of three functional teams, each with a team lead that reports to the Section Chief:

• Content Management & Data Licensing Team (CD) – negotiates and manages licenses for a broad range of economic and financial data, news, and analytical sources.
• Digital Discovery and Access Team (DDA) – oversees the technology infrastructure and enables the discovery and access to data and information.
• Research & Data Services Team (RDS) – provides research services, user training, and client engagement, and manages the IMF Library and the Data Zone.

In addition, the Section is responsible for providing guidance on copyright and the use of third-party content.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Division Chief of the Information, Resilience & Services Division in the IMF’s Corporate Services and Facilities Department, the selected candidate will provide leadership and oversight in the management and dissemination of data and information to clients within the IMF and at the World Bank. The selected candidate will also be accountable for the acquisition of information subscription across various categories, including banking, bonds equities & loans, credit rating agencies, economic & financial data, real-time sources, news services, and print/electronic books and journals.

The selected candidate will propose enhancements to the content and information management tools, platforms, and methodologies, as well as being the custodian of relevant policies and procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Leads the preparation of the Section’s work program and manages the performance of staff.
• Provides leadership for copyright and compliance initiatives and oversees the work program of the Copyright & Licensing Officer. Provides guidance on complex data and information licensing situations.
• Ensures proper administration and tracking of budgetary resources and provides regular updates to the Division Chief and Deputy Division Chief.
• Works closely with the Procurement Section, oversees procurement requests for services provided by the Section, from solicitation to contract negotiation and management.
• Provides oversight and guidance on the training program, bibliometric services, and other research and data services.
• Provides guidance on client engagement, off-site storage, space planning, and programming activities for the IMF Library and the Data Zone.
• Serves as a member of the IMF’s Data Governance Group and works closely with the Chair of the Data Governance Group on needs assessment and budgetary considerations.
• Works closely with various IT teams on the discovery, access and delivery of data and information resources. Provides guidance and oversight for metadata management, usage analysis, assessment of key performance indicators, and indexing of internal resources and board documents.
• Oversees relationships and develops partnerships with various internal stakeholders including the Legal Department, the Office of Budget and Planning, Office of Risk Management, Finance Department, Knowledge Management Unit, Statistics Department and other area and functional departments.
• Responsible for overseeing the Sharing Agreement with the WBG.

Work Experience

The suitable candidate must have a progressive track record in data management systems, digital libraries, and emerging technologies related to information management, as well as in developing and implementing strategic plans for library and information services. Experience managing a data and information services section or unit at an international organization, academic institution or major corporate is required. 

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Demonstration of professional competence and in-depth knowledge of subject matter; remains calm in stressful situations.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; adapts language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Leadership: Serves as a role model to Section and other colleagues; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements.
• Judgement and decision making: Considers relevant information, and impact, before making decisions; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Behavioral Skills

The successful candidate must have:

• significant management and organizational skills, and the ability to guide, empower and motivate multicultural and multidisciplinary teams to excel in their jobs, and maintain a harmonious work environment.
• strong presentation and communication skills, intellectual flexibility, and openness to differing points of view.
• strong interpersonal skills to perform supervisory functions and to collaborate effectively and build durable relationships with clients and colleagues IMF-wide.

Minimum Qualifications

Advanced university degree, or equivalent, in library or information science, or a related field, supplemented by a minimum of eight years of relevant work experience; or a bachelor’s degree, supplemented by a minimum of fourteen years of relevant professional work experience

Department:

CSFIRDI Corporate Services & Facilities Dept Information Resilience & Services Division, Data and Information Services Section

Hiring For:

A13, A14

The IMF is committed to achieving a diverse staff, including age, creed, culture, disability, educational background, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, nationality, race, religion and beliefs, and sexual orientation. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process.

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