Principal, Economics

Closing Date:02/11/2026

Group:

Economics and Analytics Group Management Level:Principal Job Type:Permanent

Job Description:

Please note that this role will close at 00:01 on Monday 2 November, and therefore we advise getting your application in by no later than midnight on Sunday 1 November.

About Ofcom As the UK’s communications regulator, we’re delivering vital work that helps keep the UK connected and shapes the future of how we’ll stay connected with each other.

Our work covers everything from phones and broadband, through to TV, radio, the postal service, and wireless devices. We’re also taking on the challenge of making the online world a safer place. And we need people of all backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences to help us achieve our goal of making communications work for everyone.

About the Team Ofcom’s Economics and Analytics Group is a dynamic team of around 130 applied microeconomists, econometricians, behavioural economists, data analysts and finance experts. We help shape policy based on insights from economic theory and empirical research and strive to be thought leaders in how we apply economics and quantitative analysis to benefit UK consumers and citizens in communication matters.

We also actively contribute to economic debates in the communications sector through publishing discussion papers.

We work across all sectors regulated by Ofcom, often going beyond traditional telecoms and broadcasting regulation. Recent examples of our work include:

Evaluating the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to help users assess content online through an adaptive randomised control trial (see paper here).Evaluating the impact of Twitch’s content classification labelling using machine learning techniques and a regression discontinuity design (see paper here).Measuring the diversity of news content online using natural language processing (see paper here).Quantitative analysis supporting Ofcom regulation of the fixed telecoms markets that underpin broadband, mobile and business connections (see policy statement here).Supporting

the Competition and Markets Authority in its investigation of the Vodafone/Three mobile merger.

Purpose of the Role We are looking for a high calibre candidate with proven experience in applying economics and quantitative expertise to inform policy making and the ability to lead projects and work streams across the following areas:

Applied econometrics: econometric analysis underpinning research and policy projects, including identifying data requirements and applying appropriate methods for policy evaluation (e.g., difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity design, etc.), randomised control trials or structural estimation.

Data science: analysis applying data science techniques to regulatory and competition economics (e.g., content classification, natural language processing, regression trees, etc.) in combination with econometrics.  Competition and regulatory economics: assessing markets and consumer issues and shaping developments in Ofcom’s regulated sectors.

Policy Evaluation: designing policies and evaluating their expected impact and outcomes.

At Ofcom, we value your well-being and provide an environment that fosters both personal and professional growth. For example, through participation in training on advanced methods or economics conferences.

You will get the opportunity to:

Collaborate with teams of economists, data analysts, policy professionals, market researchers, technologists and lawyers on diverse and stimulating projects across a broad range of sectors.

Apply economic expertise and quantitative techniques to address challenging questions, often leveraging cutting-edge analysis and data.

Make a real impact on society while achieving a…