Economic Adviser, Financial Services Strategy

Job summary

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.

We are a high-performing department and proud to have outstanding staff from a wide range of backgrounds. We are also a friendly, inclusive and sociable workplace that prides itself on fostering great team spirit. Our two largest offices are 1 Horse Guards Road in London, opposite St James’ Park, and the Darlington Economic Campus, which also contains eight other departments. We work seamlessly across all our sites, including Norwich, Birmingham and Leeds, as one Treasury.

We are both a 1,000-year-old institution and dynamic, forward-looking economics and finance ministry, with a strong direction set by our organisational strategy, the Future Treasury Vision. The 21st century offers huge opportunities and poses new challenges for the UK. Working at the Treasury is your chance to help the country chart the right course.

Job description

This is an exciting and unique analytical opportunity to lead and shape economic analysis across Financial Services Group, overseeing the evidence base for one of the UK’s most strategically important sectors.

As the economist leading the Group’s analytical function, you will have significant scope to shape the analytical agenda, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform policy, strategy and Ministerial decision-making. The role offers exceptional variety, ranging from long-term strategic analysis and evaluation through to responding to fast-paced Ministerial priorities, working closely with policy colleagues and economists across government, regulators, and external stakeholders.

In this role you will be responsible for:

1. Leading the Group's analytical function, developing and delivering the analytical workplan related to one of the UK's most strategically important sectors. You will have significant scope to identify emerging analytical priorities, bring new evidence and approaches into policy development, and shape the Group's strategic direction.
2. Developing the evidence base underpinning the delivery of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, through a range of analytical approaches including economic frameworks, policy appraisal, data analysis, sector and market intelligence, and monitoring and evaluation. This will prioritise key areas of focus for the Chancellor and build on recent metrics publications, and policy analysis which the previous postholder led including for the Financial Services and Markets Bill Impact Assessment.
3. Leading high-profile analytical projects on Ministerial priorities and presenting your analysis to Ministers, Special Advisers and senior officials. Early priorities are likely to include AI and regional growth with scope to shape analysis across the Group's wider portfolio.
4. Responding to Ministerial commissions and supporting senior officials and Ministers across the Group's wide-ranging portfolio. This includes shaping analytical input to the Chancellor's annual Mansion House speech and package, fiscal events and wider government growth priorities.
5. Building and delivering through a strong analytical network across HMT, across government including with DBT on the Industrial Strategy, and externally with regulators and academia. This includes representing the Group in internal and external forums, bringing economic thinking and evidence into policy development, and helping strengthen the impact of analysis in this area.

The role does not currently have direct line management responsibilities, although there may be opportunities to oversee and task manage temporary analytical staff in support of priority analytical projects.

The FS Strategy and Analysis Unit is a friendly, inclusive unit that values curiosity and bringing a wide range of perspectives to bear to inform our work. We encourage applications from a wide-range of individuals with an enthusiasm and interest in applying analysis to shape policy and strategy on financial services issues. Previous financial services policy or sector experience is not required to succeed in the role.

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date, please contact Ciara Lenoach (Ciara.Lenoach@hmtreasury.gov.uk)

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Person specification

Application Stage

Required Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in Economics, or equivalent work experience. You must possess or be expected to have a first or upper second-class honours degree with at least 50% of the modules in economics or have a master’s in economics.

In your application form, you’ll be asked to confirm that you hold this qualification. You will need to provide evidence of this qualification if you are invited to interview.

Application Form

Applications should consist of a CV including your employment history, and a 250-word statement demonstrating evidence of each of the below shortlisting criteria. Your CV and employment history won’t be scored. It’s used to give context to your application and support discussions at interview.

The panel will review applications and invite those that best demonstrate evidence of the shortlisting criteria below for interview. Please keep this in mind when writing your application.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

1. Technical Skills: Strong analytical skills and ability to deliver an analytical project from start to finish, applying sound economic theory, selecting the right methodology, and communicating results with impact.
2. Communicating and influencing: An ability to communicate clearly in written and verbal communications, bring technical analysis to life for non-specialists and policymakers, and build effective relationships to influence stakeholders with different priorities.
3. Seeing the big picture: An ability to respond to a changing policy and stakeholder environment and apply strong judgment to shape plans and situate analysis within a wider strategic context to maximise impact.
4. Making effective decisions: An ability to apply strong judgement and use imperfect data and evidence to effectively inform analytical plans and policy development, and to support senior or Ministerial decisions.

The lead criterion is: Technical skills

If we receive a high volume of applications, we’ll first sift using the lead criterion only. Those meeting the minimum score will then be assessed against all remaining criteria.

Interview Stage

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Technical Skills: Strong analytical skills and ability to deliver an analytical project from start to finish, applying sound economic theory, selecting the right methodology, and communicating results with impact.
• Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions

Qualifications

An undergraduate degree in Economics, or equivalent work experience. You must possess or be expected to have a first or upper second-class honours degree with at least 50% of the modules in economics or have a master’s in economics.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Strong analytical skills and ability to deliver an analytical project from start to finish, applying sound economic theory, selecting the right methodology, and communicating results with impact.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,690, HM Treasury contributes £17,292 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King’s birthday.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months’ occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working (where business needs allow).
• Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal for a wide range of discount codes.

You can review HM Treasury’s full offer here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

The reference to Experience above is system generated. For this role, experience is not assessed at any stage. We will ask for some CV details in your application form, but this is for reference only and will not be scored.

Candidate Guidance

Please review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 27th September 2026 before 23:55
• Shortlisting: w/c 28th September 2026
• Interviews: w/c 5th October 2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.

Reserve Lists

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.

If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the database will be refused employment.

National Security Vetting

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Counter-Terrorist Check.

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. You will be asked to provide residency information within your application form, and eligibility for national security vetting will be checked once the advert closing date has passed. In certain circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Ciara Lenoach.
• Email : Ciara.Lenoach@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact HMT by email at: hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Role Profile 477195 Economic Adviser, Financial Services Strategy Opens in new window (pdf, 158kB)