About the job

Job summary

Ofgem is committed to ensuring a reliable, affordable, 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 Office of Research and Economics, with a focus on competition economics and policy evaluation. 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. Depending on your specialisation, your role will involve either applying your expertise in competition economics for market studies and recommendations, or focusing on evaluation projects using econometric/statistical analysis to assess policy impacts.

Your work will integrate competition economics or evaluation 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.

As part of this campaign we are holding an open event on 21st February at 12.30pm which is a perfect chance to hear from the team on the roles and what life at Ofgem means to them. Sign up for free here: https://buytickets.at/ofgem/1150911 

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

The Office of Research and Economics at Ofgem is looking to expand our technical capability in the areas of competition economics and policy evaluation. 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.

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 Outputs and Deliverables

• Either
• Application of advanced technical expertise in competition economics to carry out market studies and provide robust recommendations

Or

• Application of advanced technical expertise in undertaking evaluation projects. In particular undertaking econometric/statistical analysis using a variety of tools to quantify policy impacts
• Embed competition economics/evaluation considerations in Ofgem’s policy and decision-making processes, working effectively with other analytical and policy functions
• Provision of expertise to individuals and projects to ensure that competition economics/evaluation considerations are applied strategically, appropriately and effectively, providing guidance on constructive challenges and support staff to consider new and innovative methods.
• Ensure that the economic analysis is delivered to a high standard. Critically assess and interpret the evidence available and the weight that can be attached to it; identify economic risks and propose mitigations for them.
• Work in close partnership with the other technical experts to ensure a coherent work programme that supports delivery of stronger analytical best practice, standards and building of expertise.
• Represent Ofgem at external events, conferences etc to showcase Ofgem’s work in this area and help shape the debate on regulatory economics to help increase our reputation as a leader in the field
• Contributing to other strategic and reactive work undertaken by the team as it arises.

Person specification

• Experience: Track record of undertaking complex competition, evaluation or similar projects including developing appropriate assessment and analytical models (LEAD)
• Qualifications: A Degree or Masters in economics or other relevant analytical field or equivalent professional experience (LEAD)
• Analytical skills: Advanced analytical skills using relevant software packages (R, STATA, Python) and/or advanced Excel modelling skills. Experience of applying these tools in a professional context

• Evidence synthesis and communication: Ability to distil complex subject matter into relevant messages for different audiences – both orally and in writing, combined with excellent drafting skills.
• Stakeholder engagement. Skilled at developing strategic relationships and working collaboratively across a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels to shape the debate.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,650, OFGEM contributes £11,785 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 answer 3 Technical Questions evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within these answers 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.