IMF Negotiation Expert - REMIT Programme

IMF Negotiation Expert - SEZs Phase-Out Implementation Plan

Background

The Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (REMIT) Programme, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by Adam Smith International (ASI), provides technical assistance to the Government of Pakistan to improve the business environment, attract investment, and support sustainable economic growth.

Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) regime is undergoing a fundamental policy transition under the Government of Pakistan’s IMF-supported reform programme. The existing framework—anchored in profit-based fiscal incentives—has generated high fiscal costs while delivering limited gains in industrial relocation, exports, and competitiveness. As part of its IMF commitments, the Government has agreed to formulate and implement an SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan that progressively replaces profit-based incentives with cost- and performance-based mechanisms, while safeguarding contractual obligations and investor confidence.

Effective engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is central to this transition. The reform process requires sustained technical dialogue with IMF missions, alignment with structural benchmarks and prior actions, and the translation of IMF requirements into implementable policy, fiscal, legal, and institutional reforms. In this context, REMIT seeks to engage an IMF Negotiation Expert to provide specialised expertise in IMF engagement, negotiation support, and reform coordination.

Job Summary

The objective of the assignment is to provide technical expertise to support the Government of Pakistan in engagements and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) related to the SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan, with a focus on Phase A (Planning and Assessment) of the IMF-mandated reform programme.

The IMF Negotiation Expert will support the Board of Investment (BoI) and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) by coordinating technical inputs for IMF discussions, advising on the interpretation and operationalisation of IMF structural benchmarks, and supporting the alignment of SEZ reform proposals with IMF programme requirements. The role will focus on bridging the policy–technical interface between IMF expectations and domestic reform design.

The Expert will work closely with the SEZ Policy & Governance Lead, Fiscal & Incentives Expert, Legal & Contractual Expert, Senior Economist, and Data & Financial Modelling Specialist to ensure that analytical outputs, reform sequencing, and implementation proposals are coherent, credible, and IMF-compliant.

Duties and Responsibilities

The IMF Negotiation Expert will be responsible for providing specialised support for IMF-related engagements under the SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan. Key duties and responsibilities include:

• Support and participate in IMF technical missions, programme reviews, and consultations related to SEZ reform and incentive rationalisation.
• Interpret IMF structural benchmarks, prior actions, and conditionalities relevant to SEZs and advise government counterparts on their implications for policy and implementation.
• Coordinate the preparation of technical briefs, policy notes, and presentation materials for IMF discussions, drawing on inputs from fiscal, legal, economic, and data teams.
• Advise on reform sequencing and transitional arrangements to ensure consistency with IMF programme timelines and approval processes.
• Support the integration of IMF feedback into the SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan, ensuring that analytical and policy outputs reflect agreed positions.
• Assist government counterparts in responding to IMF queries and data requests, including coordination of inputs across institutions.
• Provide strategic advice on managing IMF engagement risks, including areas of potential divergence between policy objectives and IMF requirements.
• Support internal coordination between BoI, SIFC, Ministry of Finance, and other relevant institutions to ensure a unified government position in IMF engagements.
• Contribute to the preparation of IMF-facing sections of key deliverables, including the Concept Note, calibration analysis, and pilot design documentation.
• Participate in stakeholder consultations and inter-ministerial meetings to align domestic reform proposals with IMF-approved frameworks.
• Provide technical quality assurance for IMF-related outputs, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and consistency of messaging.
• Work closely with the REMIT team to ensure effective planning and follow-up of IMF engagements and timely delivery of agreed actions.

Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Economics, International Finance, Public Policy, or a closely related field.
• Minimum 12 years of senior-level professional experience engaging with the International Monetary Fund or similar international financial institutions.
• Demonstrated track record of supporting governments during IMF programme negotiations, reviews, and technical missions.
• Strong understanding of IMF conditionalities, structural benchmarks, prior actions, and programme monitoring frameworks.
• Proven experience translating IMF requirements into implementable policy, fiscal, and institutional reforms.
• Familiarity with industrial policy, incentive rationalisation, and investment-related reforms is highly desirable.
• Strong ability to operate at the political–technical interface, supporting senior policymakers during negotiations.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Prior experience working in emerging markets and with donor-funded technical assistance programmes is an advantage.

Reporting line

• The IMF Negotiation Expert will work closely with REMIT team and will report to REMIT Team Lead and Investment Climate Lead. The assignment will require close engagement with key governments stakeholders along with presentation and review of deliverables by REMIT team, FCDO and other key stakeholders.

Closing Date: 18 March 2026