Senior Economist

Salary: £46,743 per annum
Band: UKRI Band E
Contract Type: Open-ended or fixed‑term external secondment opportunity (two years)
Hours: Full‑time / Part‑time (minimum 0.8 FTE), flexible working available
Location: Swindon – Hybrid working available
Closing Date: 11th January 2026

We are recruiting an economist to support strategic economic appraisal work within the Strategic Analysis team of the Investment Planning & Strategy directorate. The role sits within a multidisciplinary analytical team focused on economic appraisal, data science and investment strategy across the UK research and innovation system.

• Lead commercial business‑case analysis, focusing on ex‑ante value‑for‑money with quantitative components developed in Excel.
• Mentor and guide junior analysts on economic appraisal projects.
• Support evaluation, policy and science teams by reviewing economic components of their projects, including tender documents and early drafts.
• Assist in fiscal event analysis and spending reviews.
• Collaborate with internal and external analysts to develop robust methodologies for evaluating UKRI investments.
• Develop guidance and training for both analytical and non‑analytical audiences.
• Support the Lead Analyst on ex‑ante and ex‑post economic appraisal projects, typically involving modelling in Excel or R.
• Conduct literature and evidence reviews, summarising key findings for stakeholders.

• Degree in Economics (at least 50% of modules in Economics) or equivalent experience.
• Applied econometrics knowledge and experience.
• High proficiency in Excel.
• Strong relationship‑building skills across technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Effective communication and influencing skills for non‑technical audiences.

• Public sector Green Book compliant value‑for‑money analysis.
• Familiarity with the Magenta Book and experience in monitoring & evaluation, including logic models.
• Familiarity with the Aqua Book and quality assurance best practices.
• Coding skills in R, Python and SQL.
• Experience applying economics to science, research and innovation (desirable but not required).

Submit a CV and a statement of experience (≤1,000 words) covering:
1) analytical skills and experience with evidence from past roles;
2) behaviours of working together and communicating & influencing. Use the STAR framework where possible. In cases of a high volume of applications, selection will be based on analytical competencies.

• Defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days annual leave + 10.5 public & privilege days (full‑time equivalent).
• Employee discounts on retail and leisure.
• Employee assistance programme offering confidential support.
• Flexible working options.

For further information on benefits, see Benefits of working at UKRI.

For more information, please contact Patrick Rigby, Head of Strategic Analysis (email omitted). If you require sponsorship to work in the UK, fees for the application may be reimbursed after employment.