Principal Economist, Knowledge and Innovation
Date: 8 Jul 2026
Location: Abudhabi, AE
Company: arabmoneta
Job Purpose:
The Principal Economist, Knowledge and Innovation will play a key role in delivering the organization’s innovation strategy through fostering a culture of innovation across departments. The selected candidate will act as a catalyst and advisor to promote innovative thinking, identify opportunities for process improvement, and design mechanisms that enable staff and management to co-create and pilot innovative Proof of Concepts and solutions aligned with the institution’s strategic objectives. The position requires close collaboration with departments, senior management, and external partners to ensure that innovation becomes an embedded, sustainable, and measurable part of the organization’s DNA.
Derive the implementation of the institution’s innovation strategy, ensuring alignment with core priorities and strategic vision.
• Support senior management and thematic teams in integrating innovation considerations into policies, programs, and operations.
• Design, coordinate, and monitor innovation initiatives, pilots, and proof-of-concept projects across departments.
• Advise teams on methodologies such as design thinking, agile experimentation, and data-driven innovation
• Develop and manage innovation toolkits, frameworks, and training materials to build internal capacities.
• Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration and knowledge exchange to strengthen an innovation-oriented culture.
• Identify and assess new technologies, processes, and partnerships that can enhance the institution’s efficiency and impact.
• Liaise with external innovation ecosystems including international organizations, research centers, and private-sector partners to benchmark and share best practices.
• Play a key role in the governance structure, monitor the KPIs, and build reporting mechanisms for innovation performance and impact.
• Prepare analytical reports, presentations, and communication materials to showcase innovation impact, outcomes and lessons learned.
• Play a central role in engaging country authorities and promote cross country knowledge exchange and peer learning.
• Strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to translate ideas into actionable plans. • Excellent facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills across diverse technical and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong communication and presentation abilities, both written and oral.
• Creativity and problem-solving orientation, with sound judgment and pragmatism.
• Capacity to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
• High degree of adaptability, collaboration, and team spirit.
• Proficiency in Arabic and English is a must; knowledge of French could be an asset