Summary

In this role you will be responsible for setting and delivering an ambitious analytical programme to inform decision making across all Home Office business areas with high quality economic advice. As Chief Economist you will have overall responsibility for economic advice to Ministers, including signing off Impact Assessments, and head of profession responsibility for the Economist Profession in the department.

Job description

You will be a key senior member of Home Office Analysis and Insight (HOAI), which is made up of around 700 staff – mainly drawn from the analytical professions but also a smaller number of both technical and non-technical professions. You will support the Director of Analysis and Insight and Chief Scientific Adviser in transforming the way we use analysis to improve decision-making. You will build capability and be a dynamic leader for the whole analytical community.

You will lead the Central Economics Unit – a team of around 40 economists, mainly based in Central London and Croydon, whose work comprises:

- Strategic economics – including overseeing the development and analytical assurance of the department’s Spending Review bid (or business cases for ad-hoc funding) and coordination of departmental reports on economic costs (e.g. of crime or irregular migration). For the coming period this function is also leading on ‘value mapping’ to support a major new approach to monitoring performance and outcomes for the Home Office

- Focused economic support to particular high profile business areas, such as the New Plan for Immigration, Windrush, and links between crime and the economy.

- HO investments and portfolio – including leading the economic cases for major programmes (we have a major transformation portfolio with a whole life cost over £10bn) and ongoing economic advice for our investment committee on the quality of business cases.

- Economist capacity/capability – the unit runs graduate entry, managed moves and annual promotion exercises, and leads on talent management for the economist group.

Responsibilities

- To lead and manage our Central Economics unit, including advice to investment committee and major programmes, and high impact strategic projects that improve the evidence base (e.g. value of crime prevention)

- To ensure high quality economic advice across HOAI, including signing off impact assessments and key inputs to SR or in-year funding discussions with HMT

- To identify strategic evidence gaps and drive work across HOAI to address these

- To build HO economics capability, including leading on strategic resourcing and development of the economist group.

Essential Criteria

- Strong leadership skills – including the ability to lead high performing teams, and to promote the effective use of analysis and evidence to senior stakeholders;

- Strong economic technical expertise – Including providing final sign off on use of methodology and interpretation of findings, advising Ministers and Senior Officials on appropriate use of analysis and what is possible to answer key questions, as well as guiding team members in their own technical development;

- Strong communication skills – including articulating complex technical information to influence Ministers and other senior decision makers, and to draw insights out of analysis;

- Experience of setting direction for analytical work programmes which directly support strategic organisational objectives, working across boundaries so that the right people are involved to deliver;

- The ability to deliver programmes at pace in complex, changing environments, whilst ensuring effective quality control and project management; and

- The ability to build influential networks and professional working relationships with colleagues, customers, and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

- Membership of (or eligibility for) the Government Economics Service profession

Memberships

Membership of (or eligibility for) the Government Economics Service profession

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

See our vetting charter.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

As part of the online application process, you will be asked to complete the following:

- A CV - setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, including details where budgets and numbers of people managed, relevant achievements in recent posts, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years;

- A Statement of Suitability – (limited to 1250 words) providing evidence in response to essential criteria:It is essential that in your written application you give evidence, using examples, of proven experience. These responses will be developed and discussed with candidates invited for interview.

If you are shortlisted, you will be provided with full details of the next stages of the selection and assessment process. This will include an individual psychological assessment.

The final selection panel interview will be held in London at the Home Office or via video conference depending on the situation with Covid-19. You will be advised of the format in advance.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.