Economic Adviser to the Secretary of State for Education

We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates  

At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfE, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.

Equality and Diversity – Department for Education

The Department for Education is responsible for education, children’s services, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England, and equalities. We work to achieve a highly educated society in which opportunity is equal for all, no matter what their background or family circumstances. We are a government department that works with 18 agencies and public bodies. Further information about the department can be found at www.education.gov.uk. 

DfE Private Office includes:

• 4 x Ministers’ Offices
• Secretary of State’s Office
• Parliamentary Team
• Permanent Secretary’s Office

The Secretary of State and Ministers are also supported by a small number of Advisers, including one Economic Adviser, who sit within the Secretary of State’s Private Office, bringing additional expertise and experience. Beyond the private office you will have professional support from the DfE Chief Economist and Chief Analyst who will support your wider inclusion in the department’s analytical community.

In this role you will be responsible for advice/ideas and thought leadership on key areas of policy mainly from a developing markets viewpoint. 

You will work with Ministers, senior leaders, and Private Office to establish where you can add the most value to the work of the Department. This will include helping set strategic direction for key areas of policy, bringing economics expertise, and supporting the development of the economic case for spending decisions. Through both working with embedded analysts in the department but providing a different perspective and understanding the likely areas where the ministerial team would want to be reassured that we have tested all sides of the issue.

• Provide economic advice and analysis to support the development and delivery of the Government’s flagship policies, with a particular focus initially on childcare delivery and higher education funding and reform.
• Take a market perspective to identify and develop approaches and policies that address challenges and improve outcomes for children.
• Build strong and trusted relationships with senior officials with colleagues across Private Office as well as policy, analysis, and delivery teams – helping ensure coherence and driving delivery of key priorities, maximise opportunities and impact.
• Help to shape advice to Ministers drawing on data and evidence and using your own economic expertise and insight to ensure policy and delivery risks are appropriately considered and reflect the broader context.
• Produce and refine analysis that supports the Secretary of State and Ministers to explain Government strategy and programmes clearly and persuasive engaging with embedded analysts to ensure a joined-up approach.
• Use your expertise and experience to build capability and capacity with the Private Office team working alongside another embedded analyst.

The candidate will be closely involved in directly advising the Secretary of State, working across Government and with external stakeholders. This is a high-profile, demanding and rewarding post – and a rare and exciting opportunity to work at the very heart of Government. It will be best suited to an experienced professional with a motivation to apply these skills in a public policy environment.

We are looking for individuals who put our values of honesty, integrity, impartiality, and objectivity at the heart of what they do. It is important therefore to have, or are willing to build, an understanding of what is means to be part of the civil service, the Civil Service Code and 7 Principles of Public Life.

We will assess you against the following Behaviours and Technical skills during the application process:

Behaviours:

Leadership

You will have strong leadership capability, including the ability to inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work solving complex delivery problems. You will role model and actively promote an inclusive team culture that values difference. You will set clear objectives and expectations for yourself and others and be able to maintain high standards of performance in a fast-paced environment where short-term deadlines need to be met whilst driving forward work on ongoing responsibilities. You will be keen to reflect on the performance of you and your team, learn from experience and play a part in helping Private Office to improve its ways of working and increase its impact.

Seeing the Big Picture

You will be comfortable taking a strategic view across the Department’s delivery priorities and getting to grips with the detail of new areas quickly. You will be able to understand the detail of complex evidence, whilst keeping firmly focused on the Department’s overall aims and priorities. You will be able to anticipate developments and their implications for delivery, bringing together views and perspectives from across the department and wider government.

Communicating and Influencing

You will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to structure a persuasive argument and draft clearly and succinctly at pace. You will be able to represent the Department’s strategy across government and negotiate effectively to secure our interests whilst maintaining good working relationships. You will be effective in managing and influencing senior stakeholders to enable you to make the case for change where change is needed.

If we receive more than ten applications, we will initially sift based on the ‘Leadership’ behaviour.

Technical Skills:

Anticipates the need for economic analysis and works with teams to ensure delivery.

• Understands high-level business objectives and strategy, as well as horizon scanning to anticipate demands for economic analysis.
• Oversees and challenges as appropriate the application of economic tools, techniques, and methods to a range of policy areas, making use of deep department-specific economic knowledge. This will include building an understanding of the opportunities and limitations of data sources, measurement techniques and analytical debate relating to specific policy areas and ensuring issues of economic inequality and distribution are considered as required.

Provides advice and challenge.

• Critically reviews and suggests improvements to techniques used by the team to establish/identify robust counterfactuals to effectively measure policy impact and causation as detailed in the Magenta Book.
• Works with teams to ensure assumptions are clearly and transparently presented with results.
• Works with teams to identify key risks and offer advice and challenge on sensitivities to test them.
• Can steer and challenge where appropriate the analysis, results and evidence produced to advise decision makers as well as the wider team.

Relevant economic knowledge and approaches

• Keeps up to date with the latest relevant academic literature, developments in data science, techniques (e.g., behavioural insights) and contributes to wider debates within the organisation and economic profession.
• Operates with credibility in an inclusive way, is accountable for the work of the team(s) (where applicable) and champions the economics profession.
• Proactively building networks with academia and wider research communities.

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Anticipates the need for economic analysis and works with teams to ensure delivery.
• Provides advice and challenge.
• Relevant economic knowledge and approaches

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. 

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Job contact :

• Name : Hollie Godsmark
• Email : Hollie.Godsmark@education.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : AdvertsRecruitment.DFE@education.gov.uk