About the job

Job summary

The Home Office has one of the most challenging and critical jobs in Whitehall: to keep Britain safe, secure our Borders and protect the vulnerable. We operate at the heart of the Government's agenda, leading on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy, counter-extremism and counter-terrorism and state threats, and work to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in the UK. The challenges the Department faces are significant and can change rapidly in the global environment in which we operate, making this one of the most exciting and stimulating Government Departments in which to work.

At the Home Office, we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

This role is in the Managed Migration Economist team within the Managed Migration Analysis and Insight (MMAI) Unit in the Home Office Analysis and Insight Division (HOAI), part of the STAR Directorate. 

The Managed Migration Economists team comprises a team of around 10 economists responsible for appraisal of migration policy and developing the evidence base for assessing the economic impact of migration as well as liaising with HMT and the OBR on their fiscal projections. Recent published impact assessments include analysis of the new salary thresholds for skilled workers, and increasing visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

The role sits in the cross-cutting visa fees and charging team which covers the vast majority of the UK’s immigration system. As such, the analysis produced by the team feeds into policy spanning most immigration routes, going beyond the immediate scope of visa prices and charges (such as the Immigration Health Surcharge).

The economist team is flexible to the changing needs of migration policy, and the work includes policy appraisal, model development, analysis of primary data and contribution to research.

Job description

The role focuses on updating, utilising and further developing an existing business-critical model of visa fees and charges across the immigration system, and ensuring robustness of results, including behavioural impacts on migrants’ willingness to apply for visas at different price points. The post holder will be responsible for communicating analysis and results to colleagues across professions and across Whitehall, and lead on drafting Impact Assessments.

The position would best suit a candidate with good modelling experience, strong attention to detail, and an ability to conceptualise analytical challenges in a clear and coherent manner. Thorough support in upskilling to use the model will be provided on-the-job but experience in Excel and/or another software (R or STATA) is essential.

The post holder will also be responsible for supporting migration policy teams, assisting in appraising changes to policy, developing the evidence base and wider modelling capacity. They will work with the other professions in MMAI contributing to monitoring and evaluating migration policy and working with operational researchers on visa demand projections.

This is an excellent, dynamic and challenging opportunity for an economist to develop their analytical and research skills and, crucially, to use these to help influence key policy developments. The role will offer experience of working with senior analytical, policy and operational colleagues, alongside other government departments (OGDs) and a host of external stakeholders on an area of consistently high Ministerial and public interest.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 

Due to the nature of the role, this post is available on a full-time or compressed hours basis only.

Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA)

Successful candidates may be eligible for an annual RRA of £2,000. This allowance is subject to review and Head of Profession approval, and could be reduced or withdrawn at any time.

If you wish to contact the vacancy holder to discuss the roles or responsibilities of this post in more detail, please send your query to nicole.gicheva@homeoffice.gov.uk. If your query relates to the selection process of this campaign, general recruitment, HR or the onboarding process, please email the HORC Campaign Team (email address listed below under the vacancy holder details).

Person specification

Core tasks and responsibilities of this post include:

• Leading analysis using a business-critical model of the immigration system, and utilising results to underpin policy appraisal.
• Providing economic advice and supporting policy development on visa fees and charges, such as the Immigration Health Surcharge.  
• Working closely with operational colleagues to extract and utilise visa data from internal systems to address evidence gaps.
• Engaging with policy colleagues to evidence decisions and working with colleagues across departments and professions to facilitate Home Office objectives.
• Upskilling other Assistant Economists in using the model, as well as identifying other areas of work where the results can be impactful.
• Communicating analysis in various formats, from briefing packs and Ministerial submissions to rapid economic assessments for internal and cross-Whitehall use and, on occasion, attending briefings with Ministers.
• Contributing to an expansion of the evidence base of migration policy appraisal. Recently, the team developed novel methodology to assess the environmental impact of changes in migration flows, and to estimate the wider economic impact of visit (tourism) visas.

Essential Skills

• Membership of the Government Economic Service (GES) or eligibility to become a member. To apply for GES membership, you must:

              o    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.

              o    have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics.

• Excellent communicating and influencing skills, including the ability to communicate technical methodological concepts, economic theory, and the results of analysis, to non-specialists;
• Experience of delivering impactful work at pace, balancing a varied workload and working flexibly as needed;
• Strong ability to work comfortably with uncertainty and make decisions based on limited information or evidence;
• Strong and proven drafting skills;

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge of Migration and/or Labour Market Economics 
• Experience of working as part of an analytical team
• Given the assumed time to upskill in using the model, desire to stay in post for 12 to 24 months with scope to flex the role around individual development needs.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

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

• A CV detailing job history, qualifications and skills.
• A personal statement of up to 1000 words which outlines your motivation for applying for this role and evidences how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job advertisement.
• A STAR-structured example of up to 250 words evidencing how you meet the lead behaviour (Delivering at Pace) and lead technical skill (GES – Analysis of Data).

Please click on the link for the GES framework GES Technical Framework 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The behaviour and technical skill examples should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.

The sift will be based on the personal statement, behaviours and technical skill. The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked.

In the event of receiving a high volume of applications, an initial sift will be held on the technical skill - GES Analysis of Data and the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift where the behaviour will be scored.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will assess the full range of behaviours and technical skills listed in the job advert. You will also be asked to give a presentation, the topic of which will be provided prior to interview. 

Sift and Interview dates
 
Sift is expected to take place from 24th April 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 13th May 2024.

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

PLEASE NOTE: We will try to meet the dates set out in the advertisement. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. Due to time constraints, we may not be able to offer alternative interview dates. It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

A reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

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

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.