Principal Economist (Passenger Services)

Job summary

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways and monitor of performance on England’s strategic road network.

This is an exciting time to join ORR. We are delivering a significant transformation programme to create a consistently agile and enabling organisation, with the right capability and a strong, inclusive culture that reflects our talented people. This will ensure we continue to operate as an independent, expert regulator, fit for the future and equipped with the capabilities and ways of working required to support sector-wide rail reform, while contributing to the government’s broader agenda on regulatory reform and economic growth. Further detail on our future role is set out here.

ORR employs a diverse group of talented economists working alongside industry experts and policy makers. At ORR, your economic analysis can directly influence key decision making and policy development. You will work on complex economic problems that combine commercial, public policy, and regulatory matters. Your work at ORR will see you work closely with senior decision makers and build a valuable skill set, combining technical, commercial, and delivery experience.

Job description

In this role, ​​​you will lead key parts of the analysis of income and expenditure of Great British Railway’s passenger services. This work will help shape ORR’s future roles in advising funders on Great British Railway’s (GBR’s) integrated business plans and monitoring GBR’s ongoing delivery of its functions to promote its financial stability. This will be a new role for ORR and the successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop a wholly new approach for ORR in this area. In doing so, the successful applicant will need to work effectively with colleagues from across the office, including with experts in regulatory finance, engineering and train operations, as well as be able to credibly communicate ORR’s analysis to external stakeholders, including government.​​

The Principal Economist (Passenger Services) role can be based at any of our office locations: London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, York, Glasgow.

Person specification

For key responsibilities please see the attached job description.

Additional Information

At ORR, our hybrid working means that we currently work from our workplace location a minimum of 40% of our working week, although requirements to attend other offsite locations for official business, also count towards this level of attendance. Working arrangements are subject to continuous review.

Qualifications

Do you have a degree in economics or finance or a discipline with a substantial quantitative component, or have the equivalent experience?

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• A good understanding of economic principles, and a proven ability to apply them.

Benefits

A Civil Service Pension with employer contribution of 28.97%

Details of our employee benefits can be found in the attached Candidate Information Pack.

Find out what our colleagues have to say about their ORR careers Our people Office of Rail and Road (orr.gov.uk).

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.For information on the selection process, please see the attached Candidate Information Pack and Job Description.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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.

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.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 : Will Holman
• Email : Will.Holman@orr.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : peopleservices@orr.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact ORR via email: peopleservices@orr.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitme…

Attachments

Principal Economist Job Description Opens in new window (pdf, 145kB)ORR Job Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1205kB)