Senior Economists – Energy and Transport

About the National Infrastructure Commission

The National Infrastructure Commission was established in 2016 to provide government with impartial, expert advice on major long-term infrastructure challenges. The Commission advises government on all sectors of economic infrastructure (energy, transport, water and wastewater, waste, flood risk management and digital communications), as well as on cross-cutting issues, including planning, regulation and financing/funding.
 
The Commission’s objectives are to:

• support sustainable economic growth across all regions of the UK
• improve competitiveness
• improve quality of life
• support climate resilience and the transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050
  

In fulfilling our purpose and objectives, we:

• set a long-term agenda – identifying the UK’s major economic infrastructure needs, and the pathways to address them
• develop fresh approaches and ideas – basing our independent policy recommendations on rigorous analysis
• focus on driving change – building consensus on our policy recommendations, and monitoring government progress on their delivery

The Commission is an Executive Agency of HM Treasury. It is chaired by Sir John Armitt, with eight other Commissioners currently in post. The Commission is governed by a Charter and Framework Document.

The Commission’s core tasks are:

• Producing a National Infrastructure Assessment once every five years, setting out the Commission’s assessment of long-term infrastructure needs with recommendations to government on how to meet them. We recently published the second National Infrastructure Assessment.
• Carrying out in-depth studies – commissioned by the Chancellor – into the UK’s most pressing infrastructure challenges and making recommendations to government. Recent studies have covered surface water flooding, rail infrastructure for the North and Midlands and greenhouse gas removal technologies.
• Monitoring government’s progress in delivering infrastructure policy recommended by the NIC. We published our latest annual assessment in March 2023.

The Commission is based in London and Leeds.

The National Infrastructure Commission is looking for two senior economists to lead its analysis of energy and transport strategy and associated infrastructure needs. These roles will build on the Commission’s reputation for robust and innovative analysis of strategic infrastructure issues, working closely with policy and strategy professionals within multidisciplinary project teams. Over the coming year, the roles are likely to focus on a range of highly topical issues: making electricity distribution networks fit for net zero, examining the role of connected and autonomous vehicles in growing the economy, and rail strategy.

The post holders will be required to provide impactful analysis and insights from energy and transport economics, including: leveraging existing evidence and cutting-edge academic thinking to support scoping and direction-setting of the Commission’s work; setting out plans to deliver new analysis and insights relevant to the Commission’s work; developing the highest quality analysis that integrates established and novel theories of change with robust research design and quantitative methods; taking charge of rigorous quality assurance processes for their own and others work; and collaborating with colleagues from other disciplines and backgrounds to ensure evidence is visible, relevant and impactful within the Commission’s energy and transport recommendations. The post holders could expect to make use of consultants and may directly manage contracts, they will participate in external engagement both to test and validate analysis and to promote past work by the Commission, and may get involved in report writing. As a small organisation, there is significant opportunity for economists to get exposure to senior officials, Commissioners and business leaders.

The post holders will likely manage at least one other analyst, who may be an apprentice working with the post holder or a more experienced analyst working on independent projects.

Economists at the Commission work closely with other analysts, policy and communications experts, and experts across government departments, academia and industry. As a small analytical team there is a focus on working together, sharing ideas and supporting each others’ development.

The Commission’s work is highly varied, and economists can expect to develop deep knowledge of transport and energy as well as apply their skills flexibly across a range of areas. An indicative list of priorities for these roles includes:

• Planning and delivering analysis on electricity distribution networks, rail strategy and/or on connected and autonomous vehicles, and subsequent projects in the transport and energy sectors
• Developing and leveraging relationships with analysts in government, industry and academia to advise and steer the Commission’s work
• Developing new approaches to valuing transport connectivity and overseeing work to further develop the Commission’s datasets on transport connectivity, similar to those the Commission has published on energy
• Deepening the Commission’s evidence base in support of its energy (power, heat and networks) recommendations in the second National Infrastructure Assessment
• Supporting the wider analytical team with quality assurance

We are looking for experienced economists with a keen interest in infrastructure analysis, the ability to break down complex real-world problems into practical analytical steps, and experience of delivering quality-assured quantitative insights at pace. The successful candidates will provide high-quality analysis and advice to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).

Essential behaviours, experience and technical skills:

Please note that you will need to refer to the below in your application form.

1. Having an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how the role fits with and supports the organisation’s objectives and the wider public needs, and understanding how wider changes in the political and regulatory landscape impact the NIC.

2. Communicate with others in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way. Explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand and communicate effectively in writing.

3. Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.

4. Deliver timely and quality outcomes across sometimes competing priorities through identifying the right resource to do the job, setting realistic plans, reviewing and adjusting plans and performance expectations.

5. Evidence of substantial experience working as an economist in a policy/strategy-facing role, including the ability to set analytical direction and deliver high quality, influential quantitative analysis.

Knowledge and experience of energy, transport or broader infrastructure economics will be a significant advantage in these roles but is not essential.

Qualifications

Degree in economics, or in a related subject with equivalent professional experience in economics

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

• 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant)
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes

For many roles, security clearance is also required. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements of the role before they can be appointed. The level of security clearance required for this role is Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) 

Job contact :

• Name : Chris Durham
• Email : christopher.durham@nic.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk