About the job

Job summary

Play a key role in the delivery of sustainable energy across the UK. 
 
Ofgem works on behalf of energy consumers to ensure that every household and business in the UK can rely on a safe and environmentally sustainable energy supply. We are playing a vital part in accelerating the transition to Net Zero and a carbon neutral energy system – a goal that many want to achieve. You’ll be playing your part in focusing our efforts to develop cleaner forms of transport and heat. 

In this role, you’ll quickly apply the principles of modelling best practice and economics to the fast-moving, dynamic environment of Ofgem. Responsible for high quality analysis and knowledge sharing you’ll develop links with economists inside and outside the organisation. Your knowledge sharing will extend to participating in recruitment activities, creating and explaining and quality assuring economic analysis, and collating clear and concise management papers and policy documents.
 
With demonstrable qualifications or experience, you’ll be an analytical, strategic thinker with a firm understanding of economic principles and modelling best practice. You’ll have excellent, well-rounded communication skills and proven qualitative and quantitative analytical experience. Potentially combined with knowledge of the energy sector you’ll effectively build relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders, see linkages between various areas of the organisation and efficiently review economic models.

Ofgem relies on having a workforce that reflects the society we serve, so we welcome candidates from all backgrounds, and especially those from underrepresented groups. While this is a full-time role, flexible working patterns and job shares are welcome. We will also support you with excellent training and development opportunities, plus a competitive benefits package. 

Job description

The Analytical Quality (AQ) team is the guardian of analytical quality across Ofgem. The AQ sits within the Office for Research and Economics (ORE) which is itself part of the Strategy, Economics, Research and Net Zero (SERN) directorate at Ofgem. 

The team’s work primarily comes under two categories: Analytical quality assurance and modelling quality assurance. As Economist – Modelling Quality Assurance, you will be primarily responsible for the latter of these. You will play an important role in contributing to the ORE’s objectives, ensuring decisions are based on sound evidence and analysis which are recognised as robust. 

Key Responsibilities 

The Economist role will play an integral part of A&A and the ORE, helping to ensure that decisions are based on robust, well-structured and high-quality models and analyses. 

You will be expected to contribute to a programme of work to ensure that Ofgem can be confident in the modelling that underpins its decision-making. This will include: 

• Continuing to uphold recommendations from the Macpherson report, including the appropriate governance around modelling quality assurance. 
• Undertaking a rolling-programme of quality assurance of Ofgem’s business critical models. 
• Where appropriate the provision of analytical and economic advice to teams across the organisation. This could include the quality assurance of Ofgem impact assessments and other analyses and decisions. 
• Support the production of Ofgem impact assessments, e.g. producing cost-benefit analysis. 

Person specification

Key Outputs and Deliverables 

• Quality assurance of Ofgem modelling in accordance with Ofgem and DESNZ quality assurance guidance. 
• Economic model development in accordance with Aqua Book guidance. 
• Provision of economic and modelling advice to policy teams. 
• Managing key tools, including log of models and business critical models, assumptions logs, etc. 

Essential Criteria

• Knowledge and experience of modelling quality assurance (Lead criteria). 
• Excellent analytical skills, both quantitative and qualitative. 
• Ability to simplify and analyse complex concepts and communicate them effectively both in written papers and oral presentations. 
• Knowledge and experience of statistics and data analysis. 

Desirable Criteria

• Intermediate or advanced knowledge of statistical packages such as Stata/R/ MS Excel. 
• Experience or a working knowledge of the GB electricity and gas markets. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,950, OFGEM contributes £8,356 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.  

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the essential and desirable skills and capabilities. 

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.