Economist

Division:
Economics

• Salary:
  National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £60,700 to £75,600 and London from £66,600 to £83,100 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
• This role is graded as:
  Lead Associate, Regulatory

We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth and shaping the future of UK finance services.

Economics is at the heart of the FCA’s work. Economic insight underpins our regulatory decisions and shapes how we respond to some of the most complex challenges across financial services.

We are seeking a Lead Associate to join our Economics Division on a fixed term basis. The team plays a key role in supporting policy development through in-depth economic advice, thorough assessment and constructive challenge across both wholesale and retail markets. Our work spans market failure assessment and cost–benefit evaluation, alongside overseeing and commissioning high-quality research to improve policy.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled individual to contribute to the FCA’s work on critical issues in financial markets and to help shape fair, effective and competitive markets.

Using your economic knowledge and experience, you will play a central role in delivering high-quality policy advice and analysis across a range of live policy issues.

You will deliver the economic input into policy development, working across a varied portfolio of projects. This will involve producing careful analysis to tight deadlines where needed, as well as undertaking more in-depth, longer-term research to support complex policy questions.

As a Lead Economist, you will manage multiple work streams, including the design and management of projects. A key part of this will be leading cost–benefit analysis for proposed policy interventions, ensuring outputs are robust and credible.

Alongside your delivery responsibilities, you will support and develop more junior colleagues through line management and day-to-day work oversight. You will help set direction, provide guidance and promote a culture of balanced work and continuous professional development.

You will also work closely with the team manager to plan, prioritise and allocate work effectively across the team and act as an escalation point for complex or high-profile issues.

• A solid academic foundation in Economics, with a degree at the graduate level or higher in economics or a closely related field, supplemented by relevant professional experience
• Solid knowledge of financial markets, gained through either professional experience or academic study
• Demonstrable experience of delivering cost-benefit analysis, within a high-volume or policy-driven environment

• Demonstrated experience delivering high-quality economic advice on regulatory and/or public policy issues
• Extensive experience conducting and delivering robust economic policy analysis
• Comfortable working in ambiguous environments, with the ability to identify key policy questions, structure complex problems, prioritise analytical work and generate clear, actionable insights from diverse information sources
• Well-developed stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective, trust-based relationships with both internal colleagues and external partners
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, accessible messages for non-technical audiences
• Experience leading the delivery of complex analytical projects, including planning, prioritising and coordinating team activities. Able to perform effectively in high-pressure environments while maintaining quality and pace
• Demonstrates a solid commitment to continuous learning and self-awareness, with the ability to build supportive networks and work effectively, both personally and within the team

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending…