Economic Advisor - High Streets and Communities

People across the UK have very different opportunities and outcomes, depending on where they live. The Government’s local growth, communities and devolution agendas aim to tackle these geographical disparities. The Policy and Funding Analysis team sits within the Local Growth, Communities and Devolution directorate, which is made up of analysts, policy and delivery officials based across the UK. The team delivers policy analysis to support a wide range of strategic policy issues - such as devolving power to local areas, supporting vulnerable communities and increasing economic activity on our high streets. This role requires a policy-orientated analyst with strong management and interpersonal skills, to deliver a wide range of proactive and reactive policy analysis. The role plays a critical part in understanding the economic impacts of devolution, local growth and communities policy, and shaping how policies and funds are designed. It also involves management of at least one junior analyst., As the most senior analyst overseeing high streets policy, you will be: + Shaping the story on the economics of the UK's high streets + Identifying and leading analytical projects to improve the evidence base on high streets + Responding to cross-government and senior commissions and briefings on high streets Across the communities and local growth space, you will also be responsible for: + Leading economic appraisal, and overseeing junior analysts delivering high profile business cases and impact assessments and debating the approach taken with the department’s Chief Economist and other stakeholders + Working directly with councils to understand the economic impacts of local growth and devolution interventions + Designing funding allocations methodologies (working closely with policy colleagues) for future local growth and devolution funding, The entry qualifications are listed below. Please list FULL details of your degree in your application form. Government Economic Service (GES): To possess or expected to have a first or upper second class honours degree with at least 50% of the modules in economics, or have a masters in economics. Modules must have covered both micro and macroeconomics to qualify. If you graduated more than five years ago then you must have examples of how you have maintained your economic knowledge on the competency section of the application form Economic competences Economics: Application of knowledge Economics: Analysis of data Economics: Effective communication Candidates who are not GES badged – If you pass the sift stage but are not yet badged, the vacancy holder will check your qualifications to ensure you are eligible for badging. If the vacancy holder confirms you are eligible, you will undergo the badging process which includes a written exercise and an interview where you will be asked technical questions based on the Economic competences and expected to give a presentation. Separate to the badging you will also be asked behaviour based questions as part of the interview. If the vacancy holder confirms you are not eligible, your application will be withdrawn from the process and you will not continue through to interview stage., As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage. Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise). Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions, for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible. Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors. When writing your application, remember: + The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially. + Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers. + If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!) At sift, we will be assessing Technical ( Lead Sift) - Please outline your experience and skills in delivering impactful economic analysis and economic appraisal that make you suitable for this role Behaviour 1 - Leadership Behaviour 2 - Delivering at Pace Behaviour 3 -Communicating and Influencing There is a 250 word limit per question. In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements: Behaviour –Leadership, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing Technical - Yes Candidates invited to interview will be expected to complete an oral briefing exercise as part of the interview process. The oral-briefing exercise is designed to simulate aspects of the job to be performed and provide a second basis for assessing the behaviours and competencies required in the job. The oral briefing is usually part of the professional requirements as government analytical professions require an oral briefing as part of the entry or promotion process. The briefing will take one of the following forms: 1. A prepared on the day presentation to the interview panel which will be followed by questions from the panel. You will be provided with all the information to use for your presentation on the day of your interview. You will be given up to 45 minutes to read this information and prepare your presentation., + In addition, subject to membership of the appropriate professional body, a non-consolidated analysts allowance of £3,500 pa will be paid. Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions. BENEFITS: Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: Any move to MHCLG 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 For further information about the benefits available to MHCLG employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: + London + Wolverhampton + Darlington

• There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.
• Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.
For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES: Sifting is envisaged to take place starting 22/10/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. Reserve List In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@communities.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance): Important note Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the MHCLG Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you. Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by MHCLG. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database. Candidate Pack Information Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the MHCLG candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules Internal Fraud Database The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to MHCLG as a participating government organisations. MHCLG then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented. For more information please see - Internal Fraud Register Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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.Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

+ An ability to take a strategic overview of work priorities and proactively develop and deliver analysis which supports policy needs. + Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience inworking closely with multiple policy customers. + An ability to communicate complex analysis or theory to a wide range of audiences, including senior officials or ministers. + A track record in delivering and designing analytical projects, and ability to design projects that influence policy thinking. + Good knowledge of economics and economic appraisal is desirable.

You will need to address the technical competences for your profession in the application and at interview. Professional technical competences are listed below: External candidates or civil servants without a current profession affiliation may be considered for accreditation to one of the professions as part of the recruitment process. If you are not currently a member of the GES analytical profession you will be put through the membership process for your chosen profession as part of this application. You must pass the membership process for your application to be successful. If you do not pass the relevant profession entry test your application will not be taken further. See the Guide for Analytical Candidates document for more details of the membership process for the relevant profession. You will need to address the technical competences for your profession in the application and at interview. Please refer to the Guide for Analytical Candidates which provides: 1 - The technical competences for each analytical profession – GES, GORS, GSR and GSS. 2 - details of the entry requirements to each analytical profession 3 – details of the entry process for each analytical profession Entry Qualifications Advertising note: Use only the relevant set for the post being advertised

Alongside your salary of £51,934, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £15,045 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. + 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 employer contribution of 28.97%, Candidates invited to interview will be given full instructions on the presentation being used. The presentation will be followed by a 45 minute competency based interview. Candidates who are not members of a government analytical profession may also need to pass an entry test for their profession as part of the selection process. In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements: Behaviours: Leadership, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing Technical: - Yes We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign. Grade 7 salary + The salary for this role is £57,091 (London) or £51,934 (National).