Research Economist

At IFS, we recruit and develop top-quality economists. We specialise in the microeconomic analysis of public policy, bridging the gap between purely academic research and issues of practical policy design or evaluation. As a new recruit, you will carry out in-depth economic research and communicate your findings to politicians, journalists, academics and others such as campaigning groups and professional organisations.

We will support you in developing your skills, through formal and on the job training and by giving you opportunities to get involved with all aspects of research and communication right from the start.

If you join us with an undergraduate degree but no further degree - as many do - you will be encouraged to study part-time for a master’s degree in economics with financial support from the Institute. Your fees will be paid (up to a cap at the UK level) by IFS, and you will receive a mixture of paid and unpaid leave to attend classes and to study.

Staff who hold a master’s degree have the option to undertake part-time study towards a PhD in Economics, with financial support provided.

We welcome applications from:

• those expecting to graduate with an extremely good degree in economics or related degree with a significant economics component (e.g. economics and mathematics, or a degree with economics as a major);
• graduates with an extremely good degree in economics (or related degree) who are expecting to complete an MSc (or equivalent) in economics; or
• exceptional economists with some experience in research, academia, public or private sectors.

Candidates who are studying for or have completed a PhD are also welcome to apply and will be considered for a Research Economist role. If you consider it relevant, please include information about your doctoral research in the on-line application form; you may include a link to a website where your papers are available.

IFS researchers have established a strong record in the analysis of public policies in the UK and elsewhere, including developing countries. Applicants should therefore have studied economics in considerable depth and should be strongly motivated by an interest in economics and its practical application.

Research Economists are paid on a scale, currently £44,500 to £67,000. A new graduate with no previous experience can expect to start on £44,500; a candidate with a master’s degree would start at around £48,000. Offers to candidates with a PhD or significant other experience are on this scale, with the point subject to experience.

Any offer of employment is subject to the eligibility to work in the UK. The role is eligible for a Skilled Worker visa, and the IFS will support the application for relevant candidates where needed.

IFS uses BeApplied, a job application platform designed to encourage applicants from all backgrounds and to decrease bias in the hiring process. The application form is in four parts:

The application form initially gathers diversity information;
BeApplied collect this at the start of the application, as they have found it is more likely to be completed by candidates at this stage. But you do not have to answer these questions or allow this information to be included in the aggregate statistics if you prefer not to.

The diversity information is not linked to candidate’s individual application details: we use it to track the aggregate characteristics of applicants and their progress through the application process, year on year. It helps us understand which groups of people apply to IFS and consider how our recruitment practices affect this.

As well as practical information, such as contact details, visa status and any reasonable adjustments needed, we also…