Regulatory Economics - Associate Director / Senior Manager

At Grant Thornton we do things differently - looking to the future, driving ambitious growth and pioneering positive change in our industry. Providing audit, tax and advisory services, we empower clients through strategic insight, curiosity, and genuine partnership. And we empower our people with real opportunity, an inclusive culture and work life balance.

With over 5,000 people in the UK, and a presence in 150 global markets, we’re on an ambitious journey, from great to exceptional, and we need the best people to help us achieve our potential. Associate Director / Senior Manager – Regulatory Economics, London.

WE’RE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ECONOMIC REGULATION — AND WE’D LOVE YOU TO BE PART OF IT. Every day our teams help people in businesses and communities to do what is right and achieve their goals. Grant Thornton’s Economic Consulting division comprises 30 economists who provide specialist regulatory, competition and economic impact and valuation services on an advisory and independent expert basis to economic regulators, government, corporates and their legal advisors. Frequently working alongside other teams at Grant Thornton, we advise on high profile issues in all major sectors of the economy.

We are looking for an experienced Regulatory Economist to join us to help meet the growing demand for our services from both economic regulators and private companies. You’d have experience in the energy sector, or in another regulated sector coupled with an interest in the energy sector and a willingness to learn on the job.

Examples of our recent projects include:

• Acting as Ofgem’s delivery partner for the RIIO-3 price control reviews, supporting on a variety of topics such as cost benchmarking, ongoing efficiency, and incentive design.
• Assessing the impact that electricity prices and subsidies have on the uptake of electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar PV.
• Advising a client on the possible scenarios around demand for gas networks.
• Support to a global telecommunications operator to reshape the regulatory framework.
• Supporting Ofwat on matters including incentives, customer experience and the business retail market.
• Assessing the benefits of strategic cooperation in developing clean energy projects in the North Sea.
• Supporting the Civil Aviation Authority as its delivery partner on price controls and Heathrow expansion.

A look into the role:

• Be responsible for leading projects for our clients across a range of regulatory economic matters, such as price control reviews.
• Produce quality economic analysis, insights and arguments.
• Interpret and challenge quantitative and qualitative evidence, including economic and financial models.
• Communicate economic concepts effectively to a range of clients and colleagues with different levels of technical knowledge.
• Producing, in collaboration with colleagues, written deliverables such as slides, reports and working notes.
• Producing, in collaboration with colleagues, bids and thought leadership materials.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues from across the firms to develop client relationships and lead business development efforts.
• Support analysts to develop and achieve their potential.

Knowing you’re right for us:

Joining us as an Associate Director / Senior Manager – Regulatory Economics, the minimum criteria you’ll need is significant experience of working in the UK regulatory sector either in a consultancy, industry or economic regulator, including experience working with senior level clients/stakeholders. We’d typically expect candidates to have 5+ years for a Senior Manager role or 8+ years for an Associate Director role.

It would be great if you had some of the following skills, but don’t worry if you don’t tick every box, we’ll help you develop along the way:

• Experience in the energy sector (experience in any of the following sectors would also be useful: water, telecommunications, financial services or transport).
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills demonstrated, for example through published reports.
• Experience of presenting complex arguments to a range of stakeholders.
• Experience working on price controls, including one or more of: regulatory policy development, cost assessment, regulatory finance.
• Experience with business development.
• Experience developing teams and managing people.

Knowing we’re right for you:

Embracing uniqueness, the culture at Grant Thornton thrives on the contributions of all our people, we never settle for what is easy, we look beyond to deliver the right thing, for everyone. Building an inclusive culture, where we value difference and respect our colleagues helps our people to perform at the best of their ability and realise their potential. Our open and accessible culture means you’ll interact with leaders who are interested in you and everything you bring to our firm. We are committed to supporting your ongoing development through mentoring, training and stretch opportunities.

The things that set you apart, we value them. That’s why we give you the freedom to bring your whole self to work and pursue your passions inside and outside of work.

Beyond the job:

Life is more than work. The things you do, and the people you’re with outside of work matter. That’s why we’re happy to accommodate flexible working options for all our roles (our existing team works in a variety of flexible ways), and we’ll always do our best to keep your work and life in balance. Our main team hub is in London, but we are open to exploring options around work locations. As a firm, we offer excellent parental leave arrangements. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse, supportive team where everyone can thrive. If you require any adjustments, please let us know - we’re committed to making the hiring experience as inclusive as possible.

The impact you can make here will go far beyond your day job. From secondments, to fundraising for local charities, or investing in entrepreneurs in the developing world, you’ll be giving back to society. It’s that drive to do the right thing that runs through our every move, grounded in our firm’s values – purposefully driven, actively curious and candid but kind. We’re looking for people who want to contribute, spark fresh ideas and go beyond expectations. People who want to be able to proudly do what’s right, for the firm, our clients, our people and themselves.