Senior Data Scientist

Title: Senior Data Scientist

Requisition ID: 5502

OVERVIEW

Business Unit: President Complex Department:

Group Chief Economist

Division:

Statistics and Data Solutions

Country: Saudi Arabia Location: Jeddah, HQ Job Grade: E3 Contract Type: Fixed Term Closing Date: 04-Jul-2026

JOB PURPOSE

Undertake advanced statistical and data science work. This includes compiling, harmonizing, developing, and disseminating key statistical indicators and predictive models to support evidence-based research and inform management decisions. Provide high-quality, timely statistics and data-driven insights that are crucial for guiding IsDB's operational strategies and enhancing country-level dialogues. A core part of the role involves ensuring that the IsDB website is updated with the latest, high-quality data and analytical insights on the bank's interventions and its member countries. Additionally, the role involves developing and maintaining robust, well-governed databases and data pipelines, leveraging modern data technologies and advanced analytical methods, including machine learning, using platforms such as Microsoft Azure. It also promotes the adoption of innovative data techniques across the IsDB Group and its Member Countries, while coordinating with regional and international statistical agencies to align with global statistical standards and initiatives.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Policy and Strategy Planning:

• Contribute to the Division’s annual work plans, programs and activities.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of strategies, policies, procedures, and guidelines of the IsDB Institute.
• Contribute to the development and effective implementation of the relevant frameworks and tools for the Economic Work under the Economic Research and Statistics programs of the IsDB Institute.
• Contribute to the effective risk management and country, vulnerability, and debt sustainability assessments of IsDB member countries.
  
  

Statistical Analysis:

• Utilize advanced visualization tools and programming languages (e.g., Python, R, Tableau, Power BI, JavaScript, etc.) modern web technologies, and cloud-based analytics tools to transform raw data into interactive dashboards and easy-to- understand graphical representations, including web-based data applications and institutional analytical products.
• Develop and improve the aggregation techniques and methods to meet international standards and best practices including reproducible statistical workflows, automated indicator calculation pipelines, and documented methodological standards.
• Refine and optimize code to improve efficiency and ensure scalability, maintainability, security, and performance across data pipelines, APIs, dashboards, and analytical applications.
• Apply and deploy AI and Machine Learning techniques in data management, analysis, and quality control in Microsoft Azure , including Azure Data Lake, Azure Functions, App Service, and DevOps-based deployment workflows.
• Design, deploy, and maintain scalable AI solutions, including machine learning models, internal chatbots, and AI-enabled dashboards—to improve data access, automate validation, and support decision-making across the IsDB Group.
• Proactively seek and identify new datasets that align with the IsDB Group's needs including official, third-party, internal, and emerging data sources relevant to macroeconomic, development, and institutional analysis.
• Compile data from Member Countries and other relevant third-party databases and official sources to produce appropriate data sets, key indicators, and aggregates for use by different departments across the IsDB Group including automated ingestion, transformation, and standardization of time-series, country-level, and institutional datasets.
  
  

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develop appropriate mething and organizing relevant data, with special emphasis on the areas of macroeconomic analysis for sustainable development to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the development of centralized, governed institutional data repositories.
• Validate and ensure the credibility of the data compiled from the various official sources to ensure its accuracy, consistency, and comparability using automated quality checks, anomaly detection, reconciliation methods, and documented validation procedures.
• Maintain and monitor the databases to ensure their accuracy and functionality to minimize risks and interruptions in operations, including cloud-based data storage, APIs, dashboard backends, and production data services.
• Timely response to the increasing demand for new and additional data sets to ensure efficient and effective decision-making for the IsDB Group, including the development of secure data access services, dashboards, and self-service analytical tools.
• Provide institutional support through statistical capacity development especially for the less developed countries to ensure capacity building for those countries.
• Contribute to the preparation of the data for the Bank’s Annual Report, Occasional and Research Papers, as well as dashboards, internal briefs, data platforms, and other institutional knowledge products.
• Design, develop, and maintain full-stack analytical solutions that combine data science, front-end dashboard development, backend APIs, and cloud deployment to support institutional data access and decision-making.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of cloud-based data architecture, including Azure Data Lake structures, curated data layers, API-based data access, and scalable deployment patterns for institutional dashboards and applications.
• Develop and maintain secure, scalable, and reusable data services that enable controlled access to curated datasets for analysts, departments, dashboards, and institutional users.
• Support the modernization of the IsDB Group’s data ecosystem by translating business and analytical requirements into practical technical solutions across data engineering, analytics, visualization, AI, and cloud platforms.
• Performs other duties as may be assigned.
  
  

Knowledge Sharing And Dissemination:

• Guide and facilitate the knowledge transfer of the Division’s analyses and findings to other employees within the IsDB Group and externally to Regional Hubs to ensure awareness.
• Contribute to and coordinate the annual and periodic events conducted by the IsDB Institute, such as Seminars, Regional workshops, NGOs seminars and capacity- building workshops.
• Participate in the preparation of statistical outputs and the Division’s publications and releases.
• Develop, participate in, and contribute to relevant internal and external training, conferences and other activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building in member countries in collaboration with other regional and international organizations.
• Report IsDB operational data on the relevant Global Datasets and Global Reports.
• Organization of statistical events and statistical capacity development initiatives, including the OIC-STATCOM, regional workshops, seminars, etc.
  
  

Reporting:

• Prepare periodic and thematic statistical reports and contribute to the preparation of relevant reports for the use and information of internal and external parties.
• Coordinate with other stakeholders to present the reports and publications related to performance of Division’s programs.
  
  

Leadership And Mentoring:

• Mentor data scientists, guiding them in complex data projects and fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration.
  
  

Innovation And Strategic Contributions:

• Lead and contribute to strategic projects that leverage innovative data science methods to drive decision-making and policy formulation.
  
  

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, data science, programming, information management or related fields.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in advanced economic analysis focusing on economic and developmental issues, of which 3 years in an international development institution or national statistical office.
• Languages: English: Mandatory | Arabic: Preferred | French: Preferred
  
  

SKILLS & NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE

• Advanced knowledge in descriptive, inferential, and advanced statistical applications.
• Ability to interpret and present statistical information in a user-friendly manner.
• Data Collection and Management.
• Strong understanding of the national accounts, balance of payments and government fiscal accounts.
• Good macroeconomic understanding of the relationships between variables, both within and across accounting systems.
• Excellent knowledge of the principal sources and retrieval systems of economic and social development data.
• Proficient in appropriate statistical software packages such as STATA, R, PYTHON, Power BI, Tableau, JavaScript, etc.
• Advanced skills in collecting data, synthesizing data and maintaining databases.
• Advanced analytical thinking.
• Drive for Result.
• Accurate and methodical.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• MS Office skills.
  
  

ABOUT APPLICATION PROCESS

If you meet the criteria and you are enthusiastic about the role, we would welcome your application. To complete the application you would need the following document(s):

• Resume/CV
• Copy of passport
• Academic certificate
  
  

If you are currently an IsDB Regular staff applying for this role and get selected through the competitive selection process; your current contract type and other terms and conditions will remain unchanged.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) does not ask for payments of any kind from applicants throughout the recruitment process (job application, CV review, interview meeting, and final processing of applications). In addition, the IsDB does not request information on applicants’ bank accounts. The IsDB declines all responsibility for the fraudulent publications of job posts or job offers in its name or, in general, for the fraudulent use of its name in any way whatsoever.