About the job

Job summary

GDS exists to help government make brilliant public services that empower people in the UK. We work at the very centre of government to drive digital transformation, focused on users. We build and maintain common platforms, products and tools for others to use and create great public services that are accessible, inclusive and easy to use. We also work with departments to identify patterns, share learning and create change to make a government more efficient.

Our teams are organised around delivering on our priorities, these are:

• Make it easier for people to find what they are looking for on GOV.UK
• Build common service platforms to make it simpler and cheaper to build quality digital services
• Promote agile, user-centred design practices both in the UK and across the world

Job description

The role of Senior Economist is based in the Strategy, Performance, Analytics, Data, and Economics (SPADE) Team, which is part of Finance and Business Services and comprises teams covering corporate data, planning, strategy, delivery, and economics. This team is a trusted partner, enabling evidence-based decision-making, assuring delivery, and providing quality services so that GDS can effectively and efficiently achieve its objectives.

Reporting to the Lead Economist, as the Senior Economist within the team, you will lead analysis which focuses on delivering on planning projects that can emerge such as business cases for Spending Review bids or departmental pivoting for crisis management (e.g. COVID-19 pandemic or EU Exit preparations).

You will be providing analytic support to the wider business, including economic analysis and modelling assessing the viability of new projects or evaluating the benefits realisation for existing programmes. This includes working on a high-value programme forming part of the Government's Major Projects Portfolio. 

The right person will join a well-motivated and dynamic multi-disciplined delivery team working to deliver on our commitments and roadmap. If you care about ensuring vulnerable people can access the services they need, protecting citizens and the public purse against fraud, making it easier and quicker for all of us to get personalised government advice and support, and improving policy and service development by harnessing the power of data - this is the role for you.

As a Senior Economist in GDS, you will:

• assess the delivery, financial, and economical ambitions of GDS teams and business cases during fiscal events, such as the Spending Review, and offer strategic advice upwards on whether they are achievable and based on sound methodologies
• establish a strong benefits realisation function within the Business Unit to evidence the delivery of tangible savings and benefits for the government and the general public from the work GDS does
• provide advice on monitoring and evaluation, such as by using HMT’s Magenta Book, ensure spending proposals have effective monitoring and evaluation plans embedded, support the development of theory of change models, and identify and encourage opportunities for pilots with good evaluation design embedded, ensuring monitoring and evaluation is central to the development of spending proposals
  
• develop your skills and act as a subject matter expert in best practice in appraisal and evaluation, supporting also Strategy and Policy colleagues in their engagement
• build and maintain relationships across GDS, to work through others and help teams develop the right links across GDS and ensure effective collaboration
• work closely with the Strategy and Delivery, and Finance teams to understand the performance and risk in-year and ensure alignment of delivery with GDS’ long-term missions and strategy
• write HMT Green Book compliant economic cases, supporting the delivery of business cases and impact assessments, demonstrating depth of knowledge across strategy and economics

Person specification

We’re interested in people with:

• knowledge of the government green book principles and experience in applying them in practice
• experience in performing high-quality analysis swiftly in a fast-moving, high-profile environment
• experience writing and producing analytical papers/reports for a senior audience
• experience in presenting their work and findings to a group of stakeholders, using a range of technologies and methods to do so
• experience in planning and prioritising effectively to meet deadlines, able to manage multiple projects/issues to deliver results at a pace

Benefits

The benefits of working at GDS

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for The King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations in central London
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.

Any move to Government Digital Service 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

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• A brief presentation at the start of the interview. Comprehensive details will be shared with the shortlisted candidates.
• a 60-minute video interview

In the event we receive a high number of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria which is: 

• knowledge of the government green book principles and experience in applying them in practice

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example, a phone interview or a technical exercise.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• seeing the bigger picture
• communicating and influencing
• managing a quality service

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.

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.