Principal Economist
Companies House
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 26th May 2024
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About the job
Job summary
We are looking for an experienced economist to join our growing Economics team at Companies House. This role provides an opportunity to support and influence decision-making across the entire organisation, delivering real impact through analysis.
This is a great time to join Companies House. In October 2023, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill (now Act) achieved Royal Assent, one of the most significant moments in Companies House’s history. The powers within the Act enable Companies House to play a much greater role in disrupting economic crime and preventing abuse of the register, while supporting economic growth and ease of doing business in the UK. Companies House is in the process of implementing the full suite of reforms, and the Economics team is at the forefront of ensuring this is done in a way that provides value for money and achieves the policy intent. Changes to UK company law: a big moment for Companies House – Companies House (blog.gov.uk)
This is a fast-paced role with significant senior visibility, leading on the delivery of economic analysis to support Companies House’s most important and high-profile work. Economics is a relatively new function within Companies House (established two years ago). The postholder will have a critical leadership role in continuing to establish Economics across the organisation and advocate for the profession. The economist team sits within the wider Finance and Commercial group at Companies House, reflecting our strong focus on ensuring expenditure provides value for money.
The Principal Economists report to the Grade 6 Head of Economics. The team’s positioning provides a great opportunity to work alongside specialist cost estimators within Finance, and a range of Commercial professionals. The team have strong links with analysts from the Department for Business and Trade, and other analytical professions across Companies House (statisticians, social researchers, and data scientists in particular)
We offer an excellent benefits package that includes a generous 30 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays and 1 privilege day, and enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme with a contribution rate averaging 28%. To find out more about what a great place Companies House is to work visit Companies House
Job description
This post offers you the opportunity to:
Play a leading role in driving value for money and evidence-based decision-making across Companies House. -
Lead on shaping a portfolio of analytical outputs, and their delivery and dissemination.
Play a critical leadership role in continuing to establish Economics within Companies House, demonstrating analytical leadership and being an advocate for the profession.
Manage internal and external stakeholder relationships, to align goals, understand complex policy and implementation issues and support delivery of high-profile projects.
You will lead delivery of economic analysis to assess the value for money of Companies House projects and investments, including broader societal impacts.
You will build relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the analysis has impact and guides decision-making at all levels.
Responsibilities: Key deliverables
Lead on delivery of economic chapters and analysis for high-value business cases, for scrutiny by DBT’s Investment Committee, HMT, and internal Companies House governance boards.
Work alongside DBT analysts to estimate broader business impacts of primary and secondary legislation that Companies House will implement.
Lead on the delivery of analysis to support broader strategic, operational, and planning decisions
Work collaboratively with cross-government partners to undertake and support research to develop the evidence base on the value of Companies House’s products and services to society. Other responsibilities
Deputise for the Grade 6 Head of Economics as required, including covering attendance at internal Companies House investment board meetings and scrutinising proposals. This provides senior corporate experience not generally available at Grade 7 level.
Play a key ‘thought leadership’ role across the organisation, e.g., contributing to the benefits understanding, identification and measurement for key policies and investments, and highlighting areas for future work and investigation.
Play a critical leadership role in establishing Economics as a profession within Companies House and developing our longer-term strategy and business plan as a team.
Work collaboratively with internal customers such as Finance, Strategy & Planning, Policy development, Portfolio (benefits) and service owners. Develop relationships with internal and external stakeholders as outlined above.
Person specification
We are looking for someone who has:
Excellent drafting and data analysis/interpretation skills
Excellent internal and external stakeholder management skills, at all levels of seniority
Excellent communication skills, in particular, the ability to explain complex concepts and empirical methodologies/findings to non-economists.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
- Developing Self and Others
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- GES - Application of knowledge
- GES - Analysis of data
- GES - Effective communication
Benefits
Please note that the minimum salary does not reflect the 2023/24 pay deal and we are therefore expecting this to increase in the near future.
We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House we’re committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.
Head to Our benefits - Working for us - Recruitment (companieshouse.gov.uk) to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.
We celebrate diversity...
As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring we’re representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Where will you be working?
We offer hybrid homeworking-office contracts, based around our HQ in Cardiff or our regional offices in Edinburgh and Belfast. At Companies House, hybrid working is about achieving an effective balance between working in the office and working from other appropriate locations. Our approach to hybrid working provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life. We currently expect people to attend their base office (in Cardiff, Edinburgh, or Belfast) a minimum of one day a week.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
We will assess candidates against experience, technical skills and behaviors during the selection process.
Experience:
Experience leading complex and/or high-profile analytical/economics projects, in policy and/or delivery environments.
Experience of working with a broad range of stakeholders, both internal and external, at all levels of seniority.
Technical skills:
GES - Application of knowledge
GES - Analysis of data
GES - Effective communication
Professional Memberships
Applicants must be able to meet the requirements for the Government Economic Service (GES). This includes a degree in economics, specifically a first or upper second-class honours degree with at least 50% of the modules in economics, or a masters in economics. Modules must have covered both micro and macroeconomics to qualify.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience, as well as GES technical skills as outlined above.
Companies House uses a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you.
Interviews are to be held virtually, using Microsoft Teams.
We are expecting to sift w/c 27th May, and interview during w/c 10th June, although this may be subject to change.
Candidates will be required to supply a CV and Personal Statement. The Personal Statement should be no more than 750 words and explain candidate alignment with required experience and technical skills outlined in the advert. These will also be explored at interview. Candidates will be required to prepare a technical presentation as part of the selection process.
Details will be provided if successful at sift stage.
We’re committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as names and dates) from your employment history and personal statement.
We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.
What will the process look like?
- We will sift applications and then invite successful candidates from the sift stage to attend a virtual interview.
Read more information and guidance about Applying for Your New Job.
Companies House uses a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you. We use the Success Profile framework and may include Strength based questions in the interview.
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Sophia Hinde
- Email : shinde@companieshouse.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk
Further information
Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact infopoint@companieshouse.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission .
info@csc.gov.uk
Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ
