Principal Economist (Competition and Research)

Principal Economist (Competition and Research)

Full time/ Part time opportunities available

The ICO is the UK’s independent regulator for information rights, promoting data privacy for individuals and openness in public bodies. We regulate under a wide range of legislation, including responsibilities for data protection and freedom of information.

With economists located across the UK (Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Wilmslow), we offer an inclusive environment and provide flexible working conditions and a range of training and development opportunities. This includes:

• a structured economics profession including targeted learning and development opportunities, and visibility of career development pathways;
• membership of the Government Economic Service (GES);
• networking opportunities and a mechanism for social learning, sharing insight and good practice; and
• opportunities to do work to enhance diversity and inclusion within economics

The ICO’s work is interesting and immensely rewarding – it is of national importance and increasingly in the public eye. We are at the forefront of information rights policy development, providing direct advice to the public, and enforcing the UK’s data protection and freedom of information laws. We hold a unique position as a regulator across the whole of the private, public and third sectors. 

As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and inclusive. We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling and engaging career, able to acquire new skills and enjoy a supportive working environment.

Further details about being an economist at the ICO can be found on our website: Economic Analysis , ICO

About the role

Do you want to be part of the team that produces economic analysis and research to support decision making and regulatory policy development?

We have an opportunity for a Principal Economist to join our team to take a leading role in our work related to understanding and measuring economic growth, competition and innovation and their interaction with data protection, in the markets we regulate. The team’s work includes:

• using economic principles and theories to identify and measure existing and emerging markets, including exploring barriers to entry and barriers to growth;
• developing and carrying out research and providing inputs to estimate the economic, social and public costs, benefits, and trade-offs of our policy decisions;
• applying behavioural economics thinking to explore consumer decisions and preferences about use of their personal data;
• developing economic models to inform and support legislative changes;
• providing Quality Assurance for analysis, following the Aqua Book;
• providing learning resources and training across the organisation, to ensure there is common understanding of the interactions between economic growth, competition and innovation and data protection, and increase awareness of the role of analytical Quality Assurance;
• engaging and developing relevant external stakeholder networks, via engagement with regulatory counterparts, government and academia.  

Whether the issue is understanding the value of data, the interaction of privacy and competition or the impact of measures to protect children online, economics is vital to our understanding of data and privacy issues. As a Principal Economist you will support the ICO’s work across the full range of our responsibilities, ensuring that our actions are underpinned with high quality economic analysis.

• Reporting to the Head of Economic Analysis you will provide robust and impartial economic outputs, collaborating with other experts in multidisciplinary teams.
• You will work flexibly across a range of projects, identifying the key economic issues, producing high quality economic analysis and research and anticipating and considering alternative points of view and counter-arguments.
• You will communicate your findings to a range of internal and external audiences (including non-technical stakeholders) using a variety of approaches.
• You will be responsible for supporting more junior members of the team through line management and work management, helping to motivate, set direction, and support high-quality performance and professional development.
• This is a fast-paced job with very tight deadlines and varying demands. You will need to be comfortable working under uncertainty and adapting quickly to new demands.

To succeed in this role you will need experience as a professional economist and be able to demonstrate the application of economics in unfamiliar circumstances. You will be a problem solver and an effective written and oral communicator, able to take responsibility for workstreams, leading delivery and managing conflicting demands on your time.

The skills and experience you’ll have

• Strong academic background in economics. A degree in economics, with significant professional experience.
• Experience in planning and conducting research.
• Experience in carrying out economic analysis, using a range of statistical tools.
• Knowledge and experience of applying the principles of the HMT Aqua Book.
• Experience of providing high-quality economic advice on regulation and/or public policy matters.
• Demonstrable evidence of a strong personal impact, persuading with well-reasoned arguments and challenging where appropriate. Ability to identify the most important policy issues or use cases, framing and structuring problems conceptually, prioritising analysis to address these, drawing on a range of relevant information sources, and distilling results to generate insight.
• Experience of drafting and organising reports and briefings for publication and/or senior leadership.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with an ability to develop innovative solutions to user needs. Ability to engage and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, developing strong working relationships.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey often technical information in a way that non-technical audiences can understand using a variety of approaches.
• Experience in leading delivery of analytical projects and line management. Thrive in a fast-moving environment, maintaining pace and quality of analysis and support.
• Commitment to development and learning.

Why work for the ICO?

• Pay progression scheme.
• Hybrid and flexible working options available including part time and compressed working. 
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 26.6%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment@ico.org.uk
• Email : recruitment@ico.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ico.org.uk