Scale E Agent in North West Agency, 23-month opportunity in Manchester

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Bank of England

Scale E Agent in North West Agency, 23-month opportunity

Scale E Agent in North West Agency, 23-month opportunity in Manchester

Manchester Full-Time No working from home possible

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Description

Location: Manchester

The Bank of England Agency Network

The Bank’s Agents are the representatives of the Bank of England in the twelve Agencies across the English regions and Devolved Nations.

The Agencies are the ‘eyes, ears and voice’ of the Bank in their respective parts of the United Kingdom. Agents play a crucial role in informing the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) and the Financial Policy Committee’s (FPC) assessment of the economic and financial environment through gathering, analysing, and reporting economic intelligence from regular meetings with their network of contacts.

Agents talk to senior contacts from a wide range of organisations – from small businesses to large global companies – across all sectors of the economy, to gain an insight into how businesses are operating and their future plans. This provides a unique perspective into how the real economy is evolving and the factors driving those developments.

The Agents also communicate policymakers’ core messages to business contacts and other local audiences across the UK. This includes regular presentations on the Monetary Policy Report and Financial Stability Report to support a widespread understanding and trust of the monetary and financial policy framework.

Agents also coordinate interactions and host meetings between policymakers and their local contacts, so that they can hear the views of businesses and communities first-hand.

Job Description

Carries out external engagement within The North West of England and, on occasion, across the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber with the principal aim of gathering intelligence and carrying out representational functions for the key policy functions of the Bank of England.

Works as part of a team on a technical Area of Expertise (AoE), led by a Technical Agent, to construct an economic narrative and/or strategy, contributing to policy analysis, discussion and decision making. The Area of Expertise for this role, which may change over time, will be employment, pay and capacity utilisation.

Agents, as part of their AoE team, analyse and summarise qualitative intelligence to bring an ongoing, timely narrative to the policy discussion. Agents as part of a rota can lead the analysis and present to the MPC during a policy round with the support of the lead Technical Agent and AoE team.

Agents work on specific projects assigned to Working Groups and may lead on specific projects and matrix manage other members of the Working Group. Agents will work closely with the Senior Data Scientist and the Data team to trial and implement new tools and analytical approaches.

Scale E Agents can expect to undertake rotating secondments to other parts of the Bank or work on structured joint analytical projects, to broaden their knowledge, expertise and networks in the Bank.

Reports to: The scale D Managing Agent for the North of England (currently Alex Golledge)

Location: Needs to live in, or very close to, the North West region.

Role Requirements

Minimum Criteria

Experience in summarising qualitative information into reports for use by decision makers
Experience in communicating effectively with senior business people
An understanding of and interest in economics and/or economic policy

Essential criteria:

Demonstrate an understanding of the Bank’s approach to monetary policy and its policy framework more generally.
A good communicator, comfortable interacting with senior external contacts.
Ability to learn quickly, work independently and deliver good quality outputs to agreed timetables.
Able to work collaboratively with colleagues within and/or outside the Bank.

Desirable criteria:

Experience of conducting interviews to gather qualitative data.
Experience of delivering presentations to diverse audiences and explaining complex messages clearly and concisely.
A full driving licence.
A degree in economics or equivalent work experience

Travel is an essential part of the role. A car allowance and mileage payment are paid to the role holder to facilitate this. This role requires a combination of in-person meetings and virtual meetings with Agency contacts in the North West and, occasionally, elsewhere in the North of England. It also requires regular in-person meetings with the Agency team in Manchester and with the other teams in the North of England in Leeds. There are also occasional meetings with UK-wide colleagues in London and Leeds.

Our Approach to Inclusion

The Bank values diversity, equity and inclusion. We play a key role in maintaining monetary and financial stability, and to do that effectively, we believe we need a workforce that reflects the society we serve.

At the Bank of England, we want all colleagues to feel valued and respected, so we're working hard to build an inclusive culture which supports people from all backgrounds and communities to be at their best at work. We celebrate all forms of diversity, including (but not limited to) age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. We believe that it’s by drawing on different perspectives and experiences that we’ll continue to make the best decisions for the public.

We welcome applications from individuals who work flexibly, including job shares and part time working patterns. We've also partnered with external organisations to support us in making adjustments for candidates and employees in the recruitment process where they're needed.

From 1st October 2026, we expect all our colleagues to spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in the office per month. This is to capitalise on the benefits of working together in person across teams, while maintaining the flexibility offered by home working. Subject to that minimum requirement, individuals and managers should work together to find what works best for them and their team.

Finally, we're proud to be a member of the Disability Confident Scheme. If you wish to apply under this scheme, you should check the box in the ‘Candidate Personal Information’ under the ‘Disability Confident Scheme’ section of the application.

Salary and Benefits Information

We encourage flexible working, part time working and job share arrangements. Part time salary and benefits will be on a pro-rated basis as appropriate.

The salary range for this role is, Manchester: £72,720 - £81,810.

In addition, we also offer a comprehensive benefits package as detailed below:

Currently a non-contributory, career average pension giving you a guaranteed retirement benefit of 1/80th of your annual salary for every year worked. There is the option to increase your pension (to 1/65th) or decrease (to 1/105th) in exchange for salary through our flexible benefits programme each year. The Bank has the discretion to vary standard accrual rates and dial up and dial down rates at any time and to withdraw dial up and dial down options at any time.
A discretionary performance award based on a current award pool.
An 8% benefits allowance with the option to take as salary or purchase a wide range of flexible benefits.
26 days’ annual leave with option to buy up to 12 additional days through flexible benefits.
Private medical insurance and income protection.

National Security Vetting Process

Employment in this role will be subject to the National Security Vetting clearance process (and typically can take between 6 to 12 weeks post offer) and the passing of additional Bank security checks in accordance with the Bank policy. Further information regarding the vetting and security clearance requirements for the role will be provided to the successful applicant, and information about how the Bank processes personal data for these purposes, is set out in the Bank's Privacy Notice.

The Bank of England welcomes applications from all candidates, but as a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approved sponsor, we have a responsibility to comply with the Immigration Rules and guidance. As such, our ability to employ individuals who require sponsorship for immigration purposes is limited. The Bank cannot guarantee that you and / or the role you are applying for will be eligible for sponsorship and that any application made to UKVI will be successful. Eligibility will therefore be considered on a case by case basis.

The Application Process

Important: Please ensure that you complete the ‘work history’ section and answer ALL the application questions fully. All candidate applications are anonymised to ensure that our hiring managers will not be able to see your personal information, including your CV, when reviewing your application details at the screening stage. It’s therefore really important that you fill out the work history and application form questions, as your answers will form a critical part of the initial selection process.

The assessment process will comprise of two interview stages. (Amend and add brief details if relevant, such as interview/assessment dates or process for your specific role)

This role closes on: 11 September 2026.

Please apply online, ensuring that you complete your work history and answer ALL the application questions fully and in detail as your application will not be considered if all mandatory questions are not fully completed.