Senior Pan-African Economist

The company

Stears is a Pan African financial data and software company that provides access to the most comprehensive data on Africa’s private capital market for fund managers, corporates, and service providers. For Africa-focused investors, Stears provides access to a private transactions database, robust company and fund profiles, industry research, and macro data for country risk analysis. Stears accelerates the deal process by combining hard-to-find data with proprietary enrichment and forecasts.

We are looking for a Senior Economist with a robust understanding of economics and finance to provide Pan-African research and data coverage for Stears’ proprietary platform.  

The role

Why it’s important: Our proprietary platform serves organisations making investment and strategic decisions in Africa. Our primary customers are:

1. Fund Managers: Domestic and international organisations with existing or prospective investments in Africa, e.g., Private Equity firms, Development Finance Institutions, etc.  
2. Investment Advisors: Organisations that facilitate investments in Africa, e.g,. Investment Banks, Corporate Lawyers, etc.
3. Corporates: Businesses operating in African industries, including consumer goods, financial services, and so on.

We aim to provide our customers with macroeconomic and country risk information on African economies to support and guide their investment decisions on the continent. As a Senior Economist in the team, your mission is to contribute to Stears’ Africa-wide economic coverage by providing a compelling mix of economic reports, datasets, indices, forecasts, and dashboards to support our customers’ investment decisions.  

What it covers: As a Senior Economist at Stears, you sit within Country Risk, the team responsible for providing country risk data and insights on all African countries. The role requires a strong foundation in economics, familiarity with multiple African economies, and some proficiency in data analysis and econometric techniques.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Economist, your work covers the following areas:

Economic Research

• Produce concise and detailed economic reports and analyses on various African countries to inform and support investment decisions.
• Reports will cover comprehensive economic reviews and forward-looking economic outlooks.
• Leverage proprietary data and artificial intelligence to produce scalable research for customers.

Data 

• Collaborate closely with data analysts and data engineers to maintain and expand Stears' macroeconomic and country risk databases.
• Provide expertise in data sourcing, structuring, technical reviews, and overall guidance to enhance database quality and comprehensiveness.

Analytics

• Work alongside data analysts to maintain and develop Stears' proprietary analytical models, including macroeconomic indices and forecasts (e.g., exchange rate and inflation projections).
• Utilise diverse analytical methodologies, including theoretical frameworks, quantitative techniques, econometric analyses, and primary data collection to ensure accuracy and robustness.

Customer Engagement

• Occasionally deliver presentations to clients in both individual and group formats.
• Collaborate with sales and product teams to conduct customer demonstrations, gather product feedback, and support customer relationship-building initiatives.

Who you will work with: This role is part of the Intelligence team. You will report to the Head of Research (Co-Founder). 

We are looking for someone with

Required skills & qualifications: (These are the minimum requirements for the role)

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics or a related field
• Strong proficiency in both macroeconomics and microeconomics
• At least six (6) years of experience working in an economics-focused role 
• Experience and expertise in analysing two or more African countries
• Demonstrated experience working extensively with data, including sourcing, structuring, and managing large datasets
• Strong data analysis skills with the ability to analyse, interpret or extract insights from data
• Experience producing economic forecasts and developing indices using a variety of methodologies
• Effective communication skills, including conveying complex economic concepts and investment ideas clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, verbally and in writing
• A proven track record of excelling in research tasks—including gathering information through stakeholder engagement—evidenced by previous experience in roles that require significant research activity
• Proven leadership skills, with experience in managing or supervising teams and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture

Preferred skills & qualifications: (These skills & qualifications are not necessary, but will be highly valued) 

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Economics or a related field
• Strong familiarity working with or analysing alternative investments (private equity, venture capital, etc) as an asset class
• Expertise in applied econometrics, including familiarity with econometric software such as R, Stata, Python, or EViews

Perks

Meaningful perks matter to us. They make employees better and contribute to making Stears a great place to work. If you join us, you can be assured that you’ll enjoy a wide range of generous perks, rewards and office benefits including: 

• Flexible working. We currently have both hybrid and remote work modes
• Help lay the platform foundations of our African expansion. We are currently fleshing out our expansion strategy and would love you to be a part of this growth while doing impactful work
• Be part of our new product offerings
• Unlimited access to Stears intelligence solutions 
• The Stears Experience - These are the top reasons economists report having the best experience of their careers at Stears:
  • Deepen their analytical & critical thinking skills which apply beyond a specific domain 
  • Gain a high level of autonomy and responsibility by taking on a senior role in a high-trust startup environment and relatively flat organisational hierarchy.
  • Do something meaningful by being part of a team making African data more widely available.
• Access to an expert Intelligence & Analytics team - Stears Intelligence team includes some of the brightest knowledge experts in Nigeria, covering a wide range of sectors, all with a passion for delivering the highest quality of intelligence and analytics on the African continent.

• Competitive salaries at junior, intermediate and senior levels
• Comprehensive Health Insurance coverage
• Paid time off - 25 days excluding public holidays and sick days (Prorated)
• Compassionate Leave
• Parental Leave
• Unlimited Sick Leave
• Special emphasis on learning and development
• Regular social activities, including annual off-site team bonding
• A well-stocked fridge,  lots of snacks, and bean bags
• Stears branded merchandise and swag

Diversity

Stears is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants regardless of color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, actual or presumed belonging to an ethnic group, or any other legally protected status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.