Senior Assistant Economist

Job summary

Can you build trusting working relationships with stakeholders across the Department to deliver high quality analysis?

Do you enjoy turning complex and incomplete evidence into clear, evidence-based advice for decision makers?

Are you able to manage a busy portfolio of work?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

DfT is a high-profile department at the heart of UK government. We work with agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest to make journeys better.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DfTc

Job description

Join the International Vehicle Standards team and help shape the future of UK vehicle regulation. This role provides economic analysis to support new emissions, safety, cyber security and self-driving vehicle policies as part of a major legislative programme to modernise vehicle standards. Working within a supportive team of economists, policy professionals and engineers, you will develop the evidence base for high-profile regulations, international negotiations and wider road vehicle technology policy. It is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in legislation and ministerially significant policy development.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Leading on the economic appraisal and modelling of specific new vehicle regulations
• Developing a deep specialist understanding of the UK’s road vehicle standards regime to support the strategic case for its modernisation
• Supporting and overseeing external contractors to deliver analysis and modelling of proposed UK policy
• Leading ad hoc analysis on topics of strategic importance to IVS and DfT

Flexible resourcing

Colleagues are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile which is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Experience of building a strong evidence base to inform decision making
• Experience of developing, using and scrutinising analytical models for the purposes of assessing the impacts of policy proposals
• Experience of clearly and effectively communicating key messages and findings from complicated and incomplete evidence
• Experience in the field of environmental or transport analysis is desirable but not essential

Additional Information

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Regular travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Sponsorship is not offered for this role. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

Qualifications

Applicants must either be part of the GES or hold a first or second class honours degree in economics, or postgraduate degree in economics, or a joint degree with at least 50% of course modules in economics.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• You will be tested on the following GES Competencies during the selection process: Government Economic Service Framework - Level 2 Application of Knowledge
• You will be tested on the following GES Competencies during the selection process: Government Economic Service Framework - Level 2 Analysis of Data

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful,