Belay is a Research Officer in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit. Belay has a diverse background that includes development research, banking, and academia. Previously, Belay spent three years as a Research Officer with IFPRI's Ethiopia Strategy Support Program (ESSP), where he played a pivotal role in several research projects.

Prior to joining IFPRI, Belay worked as a Research Analyst with Laterite, a research and analytics firm, where he honed his skills in survey coding, data quality monitoring, data cleaning, and data analysis.

Belay also worked with Ethiopia's leading state-owned bank, the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, where he served as a Research and Development Officer for five years. Before that, he taught economics courses to undergraduate students at Arba Minch University. He graduated from Mekelle University with a master’s degree in Economics, specializing in Development Policy Analysis.