Senior Economist (Competition)

Job summary

At the forefront of the fight to ensure Britain’s energy markets remain competitive, fair and fit for a Net Zero future, Ofgem is shaping the economic frameworks that protect consumers and drive innovation. We’re looking for a Senior Economist to join us and apply advanced competition economics to high-profile market assessments, enforcement activity and strategic regulatory design.

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. We’re at the forefront of change across the energy sector, driving toward Net Zero whilst protecting energy consumers, especially vulnerable people.

We’re offering a permanent opportunity within our Strategy, Economics, Research and Net Zero Directorate, joining a respected and growing economics community at the heart of regulatory decision-making. You’ll work on complex, high-impact projects that shape market frameworks and influence how competition operates across the energy sector. As part of our Analysis Profession, you will also have the opportunity to contribute across directorates, supporting cross-organisation priorities and broadening your impact.

This is a role where your expertise will directly inform major policy and enforcement decisions, embedding rigorous economic thinking into our strategic direction. You’ll help shape market studies and competition cases, contribute to analytical best practice and strengthen our reputation as a leader in regulatory economics. Working collaboratively with policy, legal and other technical experts, you’ll ensure that economic analysis sits at the centre of robust, evidence-based regulation.

We’re looking for someone with a strong academic background in economics and practical experience applying economic analysis to real-world markets. You’ll bring the ability to design and deliver high-quality analysis, critically assess evidence and communicate complex insights clearly to varied audiences. You will also be confident building effective relationships and shaping debate across internal and external stakeholders.

In return, you’ll join an inclusive organisation that values analytical excellence and thoughtful challenge. You’ll benefit from hybrid working, a generous benefits package, and the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant work. As part of a strong professional community, you’ll collaborate with leading economists while helping to set the standard for regulatory best practice.

We have a critical purpose to embed robust competition economics at the heart of energy market regulation, ensuring markets work effectively for consumers while supporting the transition to Net Zero. In this role, you will help safeguard fair competition, strengthen market design and ensure economic evidence underpins the decisions that shape Britain’s energy future.

Read on and find out more.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake robust quantitative and qualitative analysis informing sound advice on key policy decisions.
• Assess the reliability of evidence, including that gathered by more junior team members and give objective advice.
• Provide clear and concise drafting for external and internal audiences, including contributions to briefings, internal decision documents, and consultations. Ensure robust project management and quality assurance processes are in place to deliver high-quality and timely analysis.
• Ensure effective project planning and timely delivery of outputs.
• Constructive working relationships established with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively across team boundaries.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Application of technical expertise in competition economics to carry out market studies, competition enforcement cases and provide robust recommendations.
• Provision of expertise to individuals and projects to ensure that competition economics considerations are applied appropriately and effectively, providing guidance and support staff to consider new and innovative methods.
• Responsible for planning and managing the delivery of the economic analysis on projects or workstreams. Provide a detailed specification of the economic analysis to be undertaken and agree timetables for delivery. Monitor progress and review the work plan as the case develops; and ensure that the economic analysis is delivered on time.
• Embed economic analysis in Ofgem’s policy and decision-making processes, working effectively with other analytical and policy functions.
• Ensure that the economic analysis is delivered to a high standard. Critically assess and interpret the evidence available and the weight that can be attached to it; identify economic risks and propose mitigations for them. Present the analysis clearly and accurately both orally and in writing.
• Work in close partnership with the other technical experts to ensure a coherent work programme that supports delivery of stronger analytical best practice, standards and building of expertise.
• Represent Ofgem at external events, conferences etc to showcase Ofgem’s work in this area and help shape the debate on regulatory economics to help increase our reputation as a leader in the field.
• Contributing to other strategic and reactive work undertaken by the team as it arises.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Qualifications: Post-graduate degree or undergraduate degree in economics. (Lead Criteria)
• Experience: Practical work experience in the economic analysis of markets, preferably with some direct exposure to competition assessment. (Lead Criteria)
• Analytical skills: Experience of the design, development, management and timely delivery of economic analysis.
• Evidence synthesis and communication:Ability to distil complex subject matter into relevant messages for different audiences – both orally and in writing, combined with excellent drafting skills.
• Stakeholder engagement: Skilled at developing strategic relationships and working collaboratively across a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels to shape the debate.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• You will be asked to conduct a presentation at interview stage. Further details will be provided in your invitation to interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,895, OFGEM contributes £13,875 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential criteria listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employment so that we can clearly demonstrate that our decisions are not influenced by private interests.

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.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 : Lewis Buckley
• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Senior Economist, Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 237kB)Senior Economist, Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 727kB)Terms and Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 366kB)