About the job

Job summary

Are you a professional economist with a real passion for providing expert analytical advice, keen to head up a team in a dynamic environment?

Can you communicate efficiently, conveying and translating economic concepts to a variety of audiences?

Would you love the opportunity to influence high profile policies and change?

If so, we are looking for a Lead Economist to join us at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and we'd love to hear from you!   

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) implements the government’s maritime safety policy in the United Kingdom and works to prevent the loss of life and occurrence of pollution on the coast and at sea.    

Safer lives. Safer Ships. Cleaner Seas.    

Our vision is to be a world-leading organisation, accelerating the transition to sustainable shipping with non-negotiable safety standards. We put our people, our customers and our planet at the heart of everything we do.   

We welcome applications from all communities, and we don’t discriminate against any identity. We’re interested to hear from you, regardless of your background.

Job description

We have a unique opportunity for an economic professional to join us at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), taking the key role of Lead Economist (Economic Adviser).

The MCA is responsible for regulating the maritime industry and providing emergency assistance to workers and the public to prevent loss of life and mitigate environmental disasters. Located within the UK Maritime Services Directorate (UKMS), the Lead Economist will support the Agency's aims of improving safety and standards within the industry, whilst promoting economic growth.

As the most senior economist in the MCA, the role holder will be overseeing a team to provide robust and influential economic advice to develop and deliver policy effectively within the maritime sector, and to provide leadership across the agency on a wide range of analytical matters.

You will have the opportunity to shape this role and undertake analysis to influence policies aimed at ensuring a safe, sustainable, and internationally competitive maritime sector.

The successful applicant will be the go-to expert within their field, engaging and collaborating with a variety of stakeholders providing representation for the MCA at analytical boards and embedding analytical assurance and economic evaluation throughout the agency. This role carries a lot of autonomy and involvement in decision making within the agency and provides direct engagement with external bodies within the regulatory arena.

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Take lead responsibility for the analytical input on UKMS and Agency wide projects.
• To take lead responsibility for team’s analytical input to Impact Assessments.
• To lead development of an evidence base to deliver robust and economic appraisal.
• Attend DfT's Maritime Analytical Programme Board on behalf of the MCA to input into the wider maritime analytical strategy to represent MCA strategy.

For further information about the role and responsibilities, please see the attached role profile. 

Person specification

About You

We are looking for an Economist professional with a passion and enthusiasm for economics and the ability to thrive working flexibly in a fast-paced project environment where priorities can change rapidly as needs dictate.

• You will be a quick thinker and able to hold your own during challenging conversations, establishing yourself as a trusted adviser with the credibility to influence and provide guidance and robust recommendations agency wide.
• You will thrive on the level of autonomy that this role provides and will be committed, innovative and driven, leading your team from the front.
• You will confidently engage to build positive working relationships with analytical colleagues and internal and external industry partners, promoting positive change, identifying best practice, and instilling a culture of using analysis, assurance and evidence-based decision making across the organisation.

This post is open to Government Economic Service members, and applicants who aspire to join the profession, hence the academic requirements of the role are that you will need have a first or upper second-class honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.

You will be supported in acquiring membership once in post.

Additional Information:

This role will be based in the Southampton office.  MCA supports flexible working and operates a hybrid working model between home and office for this role, giving you greater flexibility over where and when you work.   

 The expectation is that you will spend a minimum 60% of your working time based at your principal workplace or out on official business. Details of the arrangement will be discussed further with your line manager.  

The Role will require significant liaison and team working with Aviation, Maritime and Boarders Analysis (AMBA) in DfT with regular visits (frequency to be agreed) to DfT locations in London.

On occasion there may be a requirement to work outside normal conditioned hours and there is potential for travel on short term official duty around the United Kingdom with associated overnight stays.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Click here to get a copy of the MCA Staff Benefits Brochure.

Find out what it's like to work at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

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.

How to Apply    

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Within your CV and personal statement please demonstrate your knowledge and experience of:

• Applying economics as a professional economist including scoping, designing and delivering economic analysis to influence policy decisions or meet an organisation’s requirements.
• Leading a change that required applying a relevant evidence base and effectively communicating that to non-economists.

Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 750 words.   

It is essential when submitting your personal statement that you provide as much detail as possible, and utilise the full word count given, against the essential criteria outlined above as this will be used in conjunction with your CV to assess candidate suitability to move to the next round in the recruitment process.    

Sift and Interview Dates:  

The sift is due to take place on 26th & 27th March 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held w/c 8th April 2024.

This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.   

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.   

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:   

• An interview.
• A presentation.

As part of your interview you will be assessed against the Government Economic Service Framework.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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.