Space Economist

Background: The UK Space Agency: 

The UK Space Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision. 

Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons. 

We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country. 

Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development.  We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes. 

We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency. 

More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency 

To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU

Our Inclusive Environment

We have an inclusive culture to make UK Space Agency a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.

The Evidence Team

The Evidence Team is a multi-disciplinary, dynamic team of 12 analysts working at the heart of UK Space Agency. We provide high-quality, robust research and analysis that is vital to informing policy and programme design. We are seeking to recruit an HEO economist to work across our main analytical work streams, including appraisal, monitoring and evaluation, cross-cutting research, and quality assurance

The Role

We are recruiting for a HEO economist to join the Evidence Team to provide crucial analytical support across a portfolio of high-profile UK Space Agency programmes. This post has the opportunity to work across several exciting areas in the UK Space Agency:

• Discovery and Sustainability – supporting the Agency’s work to expand our knowledge of the origins of the universe and to remove debris from orbit to foster sustainability.

• Earth and Low-earth observation – helping to deliver new capabilities in broadband, position, navigation and timing, and earth observation.

• Levelling up – supporting projects to increase and spread space investment and jobs across the UK. 

• Innovation – supporting the development of high-risk, high-reward technologies and applications in commercial space markets.

• Inspiration – supporting projects to inspire young people to pursue STEM education and attract talent to the UK space sector.

This role will give the candidate the opportunity to work across all aspects of the full policy-making (ROAMEF) cycle, from project scoping, research and appraisal and all the way through to monitoring and evaluating effectiveness. The specific activities will depend on business need at the time, but it will also be possible to tailor specific responsibilities to the post-holder’s interests, expertise and experience. 

Beyond the core requirements of the role, there are likely to be wider opportunities for the candidate to get involved within the wider team, Directorate and Agency. These could include working across the analytical community, projects to support the Agency achieve its objectives or volunteering to support at outreach events.

The specific activities will depend on business need at the time and it will be possible to tailor specific responsibilities to the post-holder’s interests, expertise and experience. Responsibilities will likely include: 

• Carrying out cost-benefit analysis and providing economic input to business cases to demonstrate the economic impact of new space projects and programmes; 
• Supporting the monitoring and evaluation of UK Space Agency projects, to understand the impact of UK Space Agency activities and build the evidence base;  
• Undertake internal research or developing research specifications to feed into the team’s wider research programme. Recent examples include assessing approaches to quantifying scientific knowledge benefits or assessing productivity in the space sector.
• As required, manage external contractors to deliver business cases, M&E support and external research;
• Quality assuring Agency-wide analysis to ensure our analytical outputs are of a high standard;  
• Help to promote a strong evidence culture across UK Space Agency, supporting the application of best practice analytical techniques and modelling across the Agency, contributing to ongoing developing of the team’s Evidence Centre of Excellence.

To find out more information about this role, the UK Space Agency and an opportunity to ask any questions, you can join a briefing session on 1st December 2023 at 12:00-12:45, through this Microsoft Teams link. You can also contact the vacancy holder at Chris.Ward@ukspaceagency.gov.uk to ask any questions that you may not want to ask in a group setting.

UK Space Agency Generic Responsibilities (This is a requirement of all posts)

• Ensure compliance with statutory and legal provisions as set out in the UK Space Agency’s policies and procedures. In particular in relation to: Financial Regulations, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, Health and Safety, Civil Service Code, Data Protection & the Official Secrets Act.
• Comply with the behaviours and standard requisites as relevant to your post as detailed in your job description, person specification and take responsibility for continuing self-development, participating in training and development activities as required or requested by your line manager.
• Attend meetings as required some of which may be outside normal working hours

The above-mentioned tasks and responsibilities are neither inclusive nor exhaustive. The post holder may be called upon to carry out such other appropriate duties as may be required by the Chief Executive and/or senior officer(s) within the grading level of the post and the competence of the post holder.

The specific activities will depend on business need at the time and it will be possible to tailor specific responsibilities to the post-holder’s interests, expertise and experience. Responsibilities will likely include: 

Essential criteria

• Knowledge and application of core economics and analytical skills. While not essential, experience of applying these skills (for example, in cost-benefit analysis, business case development and/or evaluation) to a policy or project delivery context would be beneficial.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, experience of producing analysis using large datasets and dealing with complex spreadsheets. 
• The ability to communicate complex technical analysis clearly and concisely to non-technical audiences, both verbally and non-verbally.
• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a range of individuals from different backgrounds to build relationships.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of applying these economic and analytical skills in a policy or project delivery context. For example, cost-benefit analysis in line with the HMT Green Book, business case development and/or evaluation in line with the HMT Magenta Book.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and the ability to manage contracts for external research and analysis.
• A proven ability to independently lead analytical projects in a fast-paced environment, applying project management techniques.

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

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

• GES – Effective Communication
• GES – Application of Knowledge

UKSA offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.

• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.

• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.

• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.

• Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts

• A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.

• This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this).  If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

• The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Job contact :

• Name : Chris Ward
• Email : Chris.Ward@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : uksarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk