About the job

Job summary

Ofgem is committed to ensuring a reliable and sustainable energy supply for all UK households and businesses. We are at the forefront of driving the transition to a Net Zero, carbon-neutral energy system, aligning with our collective goal of environmental sustainability. Regardless of your position, joining Ofgem means contributing to innovative energy solutions that benefit both customers and the environment.

We are enhancing the technical expertise of our economics function across Ofgem. This expansion presents a valuable opportunity to become part of Ofgem's respected economics community, engaging in high-profile projects. As a participant, you'll utilise your economics knowledge to shape market frameworks, perform market assessments, and analyse policy impacts through advanced econometric and statistical tools.

Your role within the Analysis profession at Ofgem will support your career aspirations, allowing for flexible working across the organisation and involvement in cross-Ofgem projects that benefit from your unique skills and expertise.

You will conduct robust analyses, both quantitative and qualitative, to guide policy decisions and provide reliable, objective advice. Responsibilities include drafting clear materials for various audiences, managing projects rigorously to ensure timely, high-quality results, and fostering constructive relationships with stakeholders. Working collaboratively, you'll ensure a unified effort towards our goals.

Your work will integrate economic considerations into Ofgem’s policy-making processes. You will offer your expertise to guide and influence projects, encouraging innovative approaches and ensuring that economic analyses are of the highest standard. This includes critically assessing evidence, identifying economic risks, and proposing mitigation strategies.

This role at Ofgem is more than a job; it's an opportunity to significantly influence the UK's energy future, enhancing environmental sustainability and consumer welfare. If you're eager to apply your expertise and make a real difference, we're keen to welcome you to our team.

Job description

Purpose

Ofgem works on behalf of energy consumers to ensure that every household and business in the UK can rely on a safe, affordable 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 everyone wants to achieve.  Whatever your role, you’ll be playing your part in creating new energy solutions that are great for customers, and great for the environment.

Ofgem has a culture of inclusion that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our colleagues. It fuels our innovation and helps ensure we can best represent the consumers and the communities we serve. Everyone is welcome - as an inclusive workplace, our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

You will be joining Ofgem’s strong economics community working collaboratively with others to lead as well as contribute to high profile projects using your economics expertise, developing market frameworks and undertaking market assessments/evaluation.

Within these roles you will be part of the Analysis profession within Ofgem to support in your career aspirations. After the initial deployment, you will have the opportunity to work flexibly across Ofgem as a member of your Profession, working on cross-Ofgem projects, and/or in teams that require your skills and expertise.

The Role

The System Planning and Connections portfolio within the System Planning, Engineering and Technology Directorate of Ofgem (SPEnT) is in need of a Senior Economist to support the planning of the electricity and gas networks, and the wider energy system, to deliver the UK’s ambitions to decarbonise energy supply and reach net zero. SPEnT is focused on enabling the development of the energy system to deliver affordable, clean and secure energy supplies.  It is a newly formed directorate comprised of technical expertise alongside policy thinking for energy system development and is a part of Ofgem’s Infrastructure group.

A senior economist is required to work with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to lead the development of the electricity and gas Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) methodology. This work will require in-depth knowledge of economic assessment approaches required to make infrastructure investment decisions amidst future uncertainty.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake robust quantitative and qualitative analysis informing sound advice on key policy decisions.
• Assess the reliability of evidence, including that gathered by more junior team members and give objective advice.
• Provide clear and concise drafting for external and internal audiences, including contributions to briefings, internal decision documents, and consultations. Ensure robust project management and quality assurance processes are in place to deliver high-quality and timely behavioural science and research outputs.
• Ensure effective project planning and timely delivery of outputs.
• Constructive working relationships established with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively across team boundaries.

Key Responsibilities (Role Specific)

• Work with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to lead the development of the electricity and gas Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) methodology.
• Apply an in-depth knowledge of economic assessment approaches required to make infrastructure investment decisions amidst future uncertainty, including knowledge and application of government appraisal and modelling guidance, such as the Green Book and the Aqua Book.
• Develop Cost Benefit Analysis approach, using appraisal best practice and principles of decision making under uncertainty and robust decision making, including the use of Scenario Planning.
• Apply considerations of wholesale electricity and gas market arrangements and network charging to develop the CSNP methodology.
• Assist in developing the analytical approach to plan the future energy system, considering whole system costs to make robust decisions on where future generation, demand and interconnectors should be sited.
• Contribute to other strategic and reactive work undertaken by the team and by Ofgem’s Analysis profession more broadly, as it arises, as part of flexible resourcing at Ofgem.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• (Lead criteria) A strong understanding of Cost Benefit Analysis, decision making under uncertainty including use of scenario planning, and economic appraisal more generally will be essential.
• (Lead criteria) A Degree or Master’s in economics or other relevant analytical field or equivalent professional experience.
• Advanced analytical skills using Excel modelling (or other relevant software) with experience of applying these tools in a professional context.
• Ability to distil complex subject matter into relevant messages for different audiences – both orally and in writing, combined with excellent drafting skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Sector knowledge: Experience or a working knowledge of GB gas and electricity markets.
• Analytical skills: Advanced analytical skills using relevant software packages (R, STATA, PYTHON, SQL) and/or advanced Excel skills.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,614, OFGEM contributes £12,315 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. 

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expect all candidates to abide by these principles. Ofgem take any incidences of cheating very seriously. Please ensure all examples provided are of your own experience. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant applications will be withdrawn from the process. 

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.