About Pooya Karambakhsh
I’m an economist and researcher focused on political economy, labour dynamics, and applied data analysis. My work spans economic research, data systems design, and capacity building—combining rigorous analysis with practical implementation for mission-driven organisations.
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Current Work
I’m currently working as a Macroeconomics and Research Mentor at the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, supporting capacity building in research and analysis. This volunteer role builds on over a decade of experience combining economic research with practical data work in the nonprofit and public sectors. Previously, I’ve held data and research positions at organisations including The Australia Institute, Dress for Success, Save the Children Australia, and Bobby Goldsmith Foundation—designing CRM systems, automating workflows, and producing strategic analysis to support programs serving disadvantaged communities. I also take on select consulting projects through Dianoetic, focusing on economic research, database strategy, and systems integration for advocacy groups and nonprofits.
Academic Background
Political Economy
PhD: Analysing the World Rate of Profit: A New Approach (2024)
MA (Research): Transnational Australia (2019)
Graduate Certificate (2017)
The University of Sydney
Civil & Geotechnical Engineering
MSc and BSc
Sharif University of Technology
Selected Publications & Research
Journal Articles
“The Powers of Australian Retail Workers as a Section of the Global Working Class,” Global Labour Journal (2020)
“Horizontal Stress Estimation Using CPT: a Database Approach,” Sharif Journal of Science and Research (2014)
Conference Proceedings
“The Social Structure of Accumulation: Theoretical-Historical Background and Contemporary Applications,” ISEFE 2018
Technical papers on cone penetration and pressuremeter testing
I also write on political economy at Think Hammerly, exploring questions around capitalism, labour, and economic structures.
Selected Projects & Capabilities
Economic Research & Analysis
Modelled world profit rates using historical national accounts data spanning 70+ years Analysed Australian retail sector labour dynamics and global working-class power structures Supported public policy research on housing and inequality
Data Systems & Integration
Designed and implemented complete Salesforce CRM, saving organisation $50k+ in development costs Led ETL migration from legacy system to Salesforce, delivering $20k cost saving Automated 500+ annual hours through Salesforce flows and Power Automate Built integrations between Salesforce, Mailchimp, Funraisin, Calendly, and other platforms
Strategic Reporting & Visualisation
Developed Power BI dashboards and reports for executive teams across multiple organisations Designed compliance reporting systems meeting government (DSS, FACS/DCJ) requirements Created survey instruments and analysed results to drive program improvements
Technical Skills
Analysis & Visualisation: Python, Power BI (certified), Tableau, SQL, R, EViews
CRM & Automation: Salesforce (certified administrator), NationBuilder, Zapier, Power Automate
Data Management: ETL design, database architecture, system integrations
Research Methods: Quantitative analysis, survey design, literature synthesis
Languages
Fluent: English, Persian
Working knowledge: Arabic, Tongan
Interested in my work or exploring a collaboration?
View Portfolio • Contact Me