Data Scientist - 18 month FTC

Centre for Net Zero (CNZ) is a not-for-profit, impact-driven energy research institute, founded by the Octopus Energy Group. Operating autonomously, our goal is to accelerate the journey to a fully sustainable, global energy system.

While technology is transforming the energy sector, both modelling and policymaking are typically based on data from the past. By contrast, CNZ can access unprecedented insight into future human behaviours by leveraging Octopus Energy’s global customer base. We design and run research and field trials around the world to generate and democratise data about the future energy system.

We are seeking an Economist/Data Scientist to join our Trials and Analysis team at the Centre for Net Zero (CNZ) for an 18-month fixed-term contract. CNZ operates a hybrid working arrangement, where most colleagues come to the office 2-3 times per week.

The Trials and Analysis team leads the design and delivery of field trials and quasi-experimental analyses, in collaboration with a range of delivery partners – including companies within the Octopus Energy Group, including Octopus Energy Limited, the largest electricity supplier in the UK, Octopus Electric Vehicles, Octopus Electroverse, and Octopus Energy Group companies supplying energy to consumers in France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Texas, and other markets; as well as external partners such as National Energy System Operator and OVO Energy.

The main responsibilities of this role are the design and analysis of various randomised control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental analyses related to low carbon technology adoption, automation, energy flexibility, and the intersection of these topics. In turn, our vision is that this research shapes policy for the better.

What you’ll do

1. Trial design: Designing field trials and drafting pre-analysis plans, often in close collaboration with delivery partners within and outside Octopus Energy Group – this requires a pragmatic approach given the commercial sensitivity of the data we work with and the interventions we evaluate.
2. Implementation: Working closely with a project manager on our team to help the delivery partner(s) deliver the trial in a way that maintains fidelity to the pre-analysis plan and enables rigorous analysis once complete.
3. Data analysis: Carrying out data analyses of our field trials as well as conducting quasi-experimental analyses, structuring these analyses to turn them into high quality reporting.
4. Reporting: Contributing to and leading the write-up of these analyses into academic papers and accessible, policy-facing materials. At CNZ, this phase of a project is especially collaborative, involving one or more rounds of feedback from other members of CNZ.
5. Partner engagement: Liaising with partners, managing and coordinating implementation across partners, and communicating updates to key partners and external stakeholders.

Our reporting generally takes two main forms: 1) academic journal articles , and 2) accessible, policy-facing materials.

We will generally assign an individual data scientist to lead on specific trials and quasi-experimental analyses. You will work closely with the Director of the Trials and Analysis team, as well as our Chief Economist, in the writing of academic journal articles based on the trial or quasi-experimental analysis. Here are examples of this output for the impact of heat pumps on energy demand and the impact of the demand flexibility service on energy demand. We also do smaller pieces of analysis for blogposts or white papers for policymakers.

To create the policy-facing materials, the Trials and Analysis team then works closely with CNZ’s external affairs and communications team to package our analyses into high-quality reporting that is useful for policymakers.

In summary, we are looking for someone who has the intellectual capacity to perform and report high-quality analyses for diverse audiences. CNZ prioritises collaboration and distributed decision-making with technical and non-technical staff across the organisation at all stages of research and reporting. In this vein, you will work closely with a range of members of CNZ – other researchers in CNZ’s Trials and Analysis team, as well as the Director of the team and our Chief Economist; project managers who liaise with partners and assist you in ensuring the fidelity of implementation to the pre-analysis plan; CNZ’s External Affairs team, to package our analyses into high-quality reporting and relevant recommendations; and CNZ’s leadership team, to ensure our research delivers as much impact as possible.

What you’ll need

1. Experience designing and analysing randomised controlled trials.
2. Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects, with an ability to prioritise and adapt to changing circumstances.
3. Experience handling and analysing large amounts of data, using clear, maintainable code, ideally in R or Python.
4. Experience communicating coherently and handling multiple stakeholders.
5. Experience delivering research collaboratively as part of a larger team.
6. Experience setting up and analysing quasi-experimental designs (such as staggered difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity designs).

It would be great if you also have…

1. Experience working in energy is great, but not critical – we’re looking for curiosity and an eagerness to learn more about the energy industry.
2. Experience writing accessible, policy-facing summaries of research.
3. Experience in empirical industrial organisation or public finance.
4. Experience working directly with policymakers as well as academics.
5. Facility using SQL to wrangle and process data.

Sounds good, what’s next?

1. We recommend to apply soon as you can, as applications will close on January 1st 2025. Once you’ve submitted your application, our Talent team will review and provide feedback – along with details about the next steps, if you’re successful. We plan to make an offer in January 2025, with a flexible start date to suit your schedule.

Here’s what to expect, if you’re successful:

1. An initial call with our Talent team to discuss your experience, motivations & the role within CNZ.
2. Task & interview: You’ll complete a task, followed by an online interview with the CNZ team to go over your findings.
3. Final interview: Either on-site or virtual, depending on your location and availability.

Wondering what the salary for this role is? Just ask us! On a call with one of our recruiters it’s something we always cover as we genuinely want to match your experience with the correct salary. The reason why we don’t advertise is because we honestly have a degree of flexibility and would never want salary to be a reason why someone doesn’t apply to Octopus – what’s more important to us is finding the right octofit!

Octopus Energy is a unique culture . An organisation where people learn, decide, and build quicker. Where people work with autonomy, alongside a wide range of amazing co-owners, on projects that break new ground. We want your hard work to be rewarded with perks you actually care about! We won best company to work for in 2022, on Glassdoor we were voted 50 best places to work in 2022 and our Group CEO, Greg has recorded a podcast about our culture and how we empower our people. We’ve also been placed in the top 10 companies for senior leadership.

Visit our UK perks hub – Octopus Employee Benefits.

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