Assistant Economist – Macroeconomic Assessment

Are you looking to join an encouraging and inclusive team, working collaboratively to provide expert economic analysis to support policy development? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

About the Team

The Macroeconomic Assessment (MA) Team is at the core of HM Treasury’s function as an economics Ministry.

We are looking for two Assistant Economists to join us in MA’s Model Unit, and Households, Investment and Trade Analysis (HITA) team.

The Model Unit produces and coordinates impactful economic analysis that influences policy development across HM Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecasts. We manage the relationship with the OBR economy team, leads on briefing of the economy forecast within the department, and manages the process by which the economic effects of government policy are analysed.

HITA is responsible for delivering and communicating high quality economic analysis on the consumer sector, housing market, business investment and trade. This includes advising on the macroeconomic impacts of policy measures, working closely with the OBR. 

About the role

These roles offer an exciting opportunity to build your macroeconomic understanding, brief senior stakeholders and experience HM Treasury from the heart of a fiscal event, as well as the opportunity to lead economic analysis on critical and high-profile policy areas.

Key accountabilities

1)     Delivering robust and timely analytical projects for ministers and senior officials on either: 

a)     The UK housing market, including owning the team’s overall view on housing market conditions and communicating this within HMT; or 

b)     The OBR’s economy forecast (key messages, risks and uncertainties), how emerging economic news may affect the forecast, developing alternative economic scenarios to shape HMT views on the macroeconomy.

2)     Effectively communicating complex analysis

3)     Building positive working relationships across HMT and external stakeholders to communicate analysis and build consensus order to influence the policy-making process.

4)     Independently develop and deliver analytical and research projects on wider macroeconomic topics that would benefit the branch.

5)     Contributing to the team’s inclusive and inquisitive culture; we value curiosity to learn about other areas of the branch’s work and the willingness to identify connections between subject areas. Within the team there may be an opportunity for both task and line management.

About you

Our ideal candidate will hold a degree (either undergraduate or postgraduate) in economics. Along with this, you’ll be able to apply economic theory and modelling techniques to deliver high quality economic analysis. Further, you’ll be able to establish positive working relationships with a diverse range of people while working well independently too. Lastly, you’ll have the ability to distil key messages and themes from technical work and communicate clearly to non-experts.

We encourage applications from candidates wo may have less experience in some of the required criteria but are curious and willing to develop their understanding. Training and support can be provided on-the-job.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

About us

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us a stronger organisation, better at developing policy that is reflective of the communities we serve. We embrace different views and experiences and value the fresh perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances.

Some of the Benefits our people love! 

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 days after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing you to take up to an additional 2 days off each month.
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, compressed hours). 
• Generous parental leave and adoption leave packages. 
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances.
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes.
• Access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal allowing you access to a range of discount codes for online shopping.
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity
• Access to a range of allowances if eligibility applies. These include profession related allowances.  

For more information about the role and how to apply, please follow the apply link. 

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form, or speak to the HM Treasury Recruitment team.