SEO Economist roles in Newcastle upon Tyne

Are you passionate about using analysis to improve people’s lives and the environment? Can you work independently to lead analytical projects, communicate complex quantitative findings clearly to stakeholders, and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment? Do you have the strong quantitative and organisational skills needed to deliver high-quality analysis and develop expertise in the water sector, even without prior water experience? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

We are looking for four highly motivated and enthusiastic economists for a range of fast‑paced and critical roles across Defra. This is a particularly exciting time to join the Defra group and play your part in delivering a once in a generation reform of sectors vital to the nation’s economic growth and prosperity. You will play an active role in shaping and delivering the Defra group’s priorities, working creatively and collaboratively with others to deliver excellent outcomes. Working with us will provide significant opportunities to develop your own skills and future career.

If successful, you will join one of the following teams:

• Floods and Water Directorate: lead the government’s work on the water system - water quality, water resources, floods protection and emergency response.
• Environmental Quality, Infrastructure and Planning Directorate: support economics input across the Planning, Infrastructure and Permitting Division.
• EU and International Trade Directorate: deliver analysis to support HMG and Defra objectives related to the EU reset and wider trade.

Your personal qualities will be as important as your professional experience; and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. You must be passionate about using analysis to deliver better outcomes for our communities whilst also ensuring value for money. Knowledge of the sector isn’t required but a strong foundation in microeconomics (and macroeconomic for the EU and International Trade Directorate) will be essential.

The Defra group is dedicated to promoting equality and valuing diversity. We are committed to ensuring that every talented and hard‑working person has the opportunity to rise to the top, whatever their background and whoever they are.

Floods and Water: Defra’s responsibility for water quality and availability has never been more important. This role is a fantastic opportunity to support high‑profile economic work to make sure England’s water system delivers for people and the environment, working hand‑in‑hand with policy in a fast‑paced environment where analysis has a significant impact. The water environment faces multiple pressures from human activities, including intensive land use, pollution from agriculture, processing of wastewater, and water usage. Significant change is needed if we are to meet the government’s ambitions. We are looking for experienced analysts to help deliver improvements to the regulatory model for water. These changes will help support measures to transform and integrate our water system, address sources of pollution and boost our water supplies through more investment, tighter regulation, and more effective enforcement.

Examples of work include:

• Appraisal of policy options in line with the Green Book.
• Analysis to shape future legislation and policy reforms with a focus on drinking water regulations, consumers bills and the water environment.
• Supporting modelling of consumer related issues including water bills.
• Analysis of measures to accelerate the roll‑out of smart meters.
• Economic analysis to help improve the security and resilience of water supply through better mapping of assets, and safeguarding drinking water quality.
• Reviewing evidence on the impact of initiatives to reduce the risk and cost of flooding and applying this to investment and policy decisions.
• Supporting the development of a new appraisal and assurance framework for assessing investments in the water sector on a consistent basis.

Environmental Quality, Infrastructure and Planning: We are looking for an experienced economist to support economics input across the Planning, Infrastructure and Permitting Division. This is a high‑impact role at the heart of the government’s growth agenda.

Lead Environmental Regulator (LER): A business case covering future piloting and the scale‑up phase of the LER pilot programme for Defra and ALBs.

Planning & Infrastructure: A business case for the digital programme and other reforms as required.

Environmental Permitting Regulation: Provide analytical input for multiple reforms currently being scoped to improve the environmental permitting system, some of which will potentially require legislative change. Options analysis and appraisal of future reforms to environmental planning regulation. Collaborate with the economic advisers in the division, who will task manage you across the range of policy areas, and with other analytical colleagues in the division. Plan ahead to secure the resource required to deliver high quality analysis for priority work.

EU and International Trade: We are looking for experienced economists to deliver analysis to support HMG and Defra EU reset and wider trade objectives. These are high profile, fast paced roles, central to the delivery of departmental and wider government priorities.

Manage analytical projects to deepen the evidence base underpinning decisions related to EU and broader trade negotiations and decision making. Produce robust, high-quality analysis and evidence that are well structured and properly quality assured. Develop innovative approaches to analysis, looking for opportunities to do things differently and more efficiently. Collaborate across Defra and Whitehall on the development of analysis, maintaining effective relationships. Work flexibly across the team, to support the development on high priority analysis in a very fast paced policy environment.

There will be a drop‑in session held via MS Teams at 11:00 on Thursday 19th March where you will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you have relating to the roles.