Senior Economist

Job summary

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. We are at the forefront of change across the energy sector, playing a vital role in ensuring that households and businesses across Great Britain have reliable and environmentally sustainable energy. As the energy system becomes more complex and the transition to Net Zero accelerates, high-quality analytics and evidence-driven decision-making are more important than ever.

The infrastructure economics team is part of our central economics function (the ORE), providing flexible analytical and economics support to projects across Ofgem’s Infrastructure Group.

This role offers the opportunity to be involved in some of Ofgem’s highest priority projects, using your skills to support high-quality decision-making and problem solving in important areas for energy consumers, economic growth, and the UK’s pathway to net zero.

This would be an attractive role for those looking to broaden their experience across different areas of energy economics and to leverage their existing experience into new areas of work. You will:

• Lead or support delivery of high-quality analytical workstreams across a range of work areas in Ofgem’s Infrastructure Group including price controls, major infrastructure projects, and energy systems management and design.
• Identify and provide analytical solutions to questions of policy design or impact analysis to inform effective decision-making on critical areas relevant to consumers’ interests, economic growth, and the UK’s net zero targets.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with colleagues across the ORE and wider Ofgem teams, working with multidisciplinary teams and presenting to senior leaders.

Job description

Reporting to one of Ofgem’s Principal Economists, the candidate’s responsibilities will include:

• Undertake, support and collaborate with policy teams in applying economic thinking and producing robust and high-quality analysis to enable good decision-making and policy design.
• Working with team and policy leads, design new analytical frameworks to support Ofgem’s new roles in infrastructure regulation, including the regulation of new technologies, and changes resulting from the development of Clean Power 2030.
• Delivery of analytical work packages at pace, including impact assessments and analysis supporting policy design, including supporting Ofgem’s delivery of network price controls.
• Leading the development of internal and external-facing documents presenting or communicating analysis, including to senior leaders, tailored to the audience.
• Development of effective stakeholder relationships internally and externally (eg DESNZ, NESO), to ensure effective work on the above responsibilities.

Person specification

• Degree in Economics or a related subject, or comparable capability built through relevant professional experience in economic analysis (lead criterion).
• Experience in applying economic analysis to problem solving and decision-making, such as in supporting policymaking (lead criterion).
• Excellent interpersonal and team working skills including building strong relationships both internal and external to the team.
• The ability to effectively synthesise and communicate analysis and data for senior decision-makers and external audiences, both verbally and in writing.

Qualifications

Degree in Economics or a related subject, or comparable capability built through relevant professional experience in economic analysis.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,452, OFGEM contributes £14,326 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel) and upload a copy of your CV anonymising all personal details such as name/age/contact details. Please do not remove names of previous employers.

You will then be asked to answer 1 technical question and to provide a personal statement, evidencing how you meet the essential criteria and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within these answers, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile. In the event of receiving a large number of applications, an initial sift may take place on just the lead criteria indicated in the essential criteria.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employme