Assistant Economist – International Economics

Working at HM Treasury puts you at the heart of government, making a difference to the UK economy and ultimately to people's lives right across the UK.

Jobs at the Treasury are fast-paced, fun and can offer unparalleled perspective – not least the opportunity to advise Ministers on the decisions which directly determine the UK's prosperity. Deep in our DNA is a commitment to empowering our people: maximising individual and collective impact, with interesting work no matter your role or seniority.

Day-to-day you could be supporting Ministers to decide the right level of a specific tax or line of government spending; helping maintain the stability of financial markets; analysing the long-term trends impacting the future of the economy; or enabling this work as part of our vital corporate functions.

Secure Growth

As a proactive and curious economist, you will play a key role in developing strategy and policy across several fascinating work areas. The work will vary in style and approach: ranging from appraisal of specific policy interventions, or developing data-led insights into specific technologies, industries and sectors – through to developing conceptual frameworks that can guide the development of robust strategies for economic resilience.

The core responsibilities of the post holder will be:

• Economic resilience strategy – Lead analytical input into the development of economic resilience strategy. How can the UK build prosperity that is secure and resilient in a fast-changing world? Partner with analysts across domestic- and international-facing teams in HMT to build an evidence base to inform the Department's strategic thinking.
• Economic resilience appraisal methods – Support the development of new analytical methods and frameworks for quantitatively estimating economic resilience impacts. This will include contributing to existing frameworks (such as the Green Book) to ensure that they sufficiently factor in resilience impacts, and promoting these across HMG.
• Sectors, industries and technologies analysis – Develop analysis and sectoral expertise to support the Department's policy and strategic positions relating to the resilience and security of vulnerable goods and sectors – such as critical minerals, semiconductors, and other critical supply chains. Work collaboratively with analysts and policy advisors across HMT and other government departments to conduct analysis.
• Lead HMT external engagement on resilience analysis – Build and maintain a network of contacts from across government of officials working on similar issues. Draw on external expertise – within and without government – to ensure the robustness of HM Treasury's assessments of economic resilience.
• Ad-hoc analysis – deliver data-driven insights in response to ad-hoc demand from economic resilience or economic security policy teams.

Global Economics

The role in Global Economics is a stretching SEO post within the Emerging Markets branch covering the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Central (incl. Russia & Ukraine), South (excl. India and China) and Southeast Asia regions. It offers the opportunity to work on important international policy and macroeconomic issues, in an exciting and fast paced area with high ministerial and senior official interest.

The role will be a key contributor to several of the Unit's core responsibilities:

• Analysis of Emerging Markets – Lead on HMT's economic analysis for a geographic portfolio including the MENA, Central, South and Southeast Asia regions working closely with FCDO Posts. Analyse the economic developments in these regions and raise awareness of the implications for the UK and global economy. Produce in-depth country analysis based on current priorities and contribute to GE's regular analytical products.
• IMF programs and OECD economic surveys – Lead on producing recommendations to inform the UK's position at the IMF Board on key country programmes (including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ukraine), working closely with FCDO and IMF UKDel. Lead on HMG comments on regular IMF and OECD country reporting to inform UK interventions at IMF and OECD board meetings.
• International energy markets – Support monitoring of international oil and gas markets and informing ministers and senior officials of significant events with economic implications. Conduct analysis to support policy teams on the economic impact of decisions impacting these markets (e.g. sanctions policy). Lead on scoping and undertaking pieces of research/analysis to improve the team's understanding of international energy markets. Support HMT's crisis response efforts where they pertain to international energy markets (e.g. Middle East).
• National security – Contribute to ministerial/senior briefing on thematic and geographic responsibilities for relevant XWH meetings (NSC, NSC(O), JIC), helping formulate HMT's position in these discussions.
• Briefing for ministerial and senior engagement – particularly with international counterparts across countries within the role's geographic portfolio, or where these region/country issues are being discussed, including bilateral and multilateral meetings (G20, G7, IMF).

Person specification

• Undergraduate degree in economics (for joint degrees at least 50% of the credit value of the course modules should be in economics).
• Making Effective Decisions: Using strong analytical ability to draw on data and/or other evidence in order to generate insights and provide high quality advice and recommendations.
• Technical: Developing novel or bespoke quantitative economic analysis.
• Seeing the Big Picture: Identifying developments and risks that can have an impact on your work and developing a plan for how to proceed.
• Working Together: Ability to build good relationships with colleagues from different teams and use these connections to drive forward a coherent work plan.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,600, HM Treasury contributes £12,920 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King's birthday.