Environmental Macro Economist

We are the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) - the UK’s leading institution for integrated coastal and deep ocean research. Through our ground‑breaking research, collaboration, and game‑changing innovation we work to gain a deeper understanding of our ocean, helping every living thing on our planet flourish. We are made up of a dynamic and vibrant community focused on solving challenging long‑term marine science problems, underpinning international and UK public policy, business and societal outcomes. The ocean has the potential to provide the solutions to so many of the social, economic and environmental challenges we face worldwide. To truly harness the value of the ocean, we put ocean research, science and discovery at the heart of our culture. Join us in shaping the future of oceanographic research and contribute your unique perspective to our organisation.

We seek a talented and enthusiastic environmental macro economist to join the vibrant Seafloor Ecosystems group at NOC. This role will play an integral role within the Sustainable Marine Economy mission, a core pillar of the NOC strategy, and contribute to the thriving socio‑oceanography team. The successful candidate will integrate with interdisciplinary teams, across NOC and beyond, to provide economic assessments of marine habitats and inform decision‑making from a local to global level. Initially, the post will support the EU funded project REDRESS, working with international partners to support the restoration of deep‑sea habitats. For this project, specifically required is macro‑economic analysis, using Input‑Output models, which will quantify the potential economic impacts of a range of deep‑sea restoration activities. From there, the work will expand to other projects requiring marine economic expertise (e.g. in the fields of Blue Carbon, marine Natural Capital Accounting, offshore energy, food security and marine restoration). The postholder will be expected to write and submit academic peer‑reviewed papers, and present at, and participate in, academic conferences and workshops. Engagement with a wide range of stakeholders will also be required, underpinning the management and safeguarding of marine resources for the benefit of society. The position is offered at postdoctoral level but has capacity for rapid career development via a greater role in the formulation of future research proposals.

The successful candidate will have research experience, and ideally a publication record, in the area of environmental economics and/or macro‑economics. Marine experience is welcome but not essential. We welcome candidates with experience and/or interest in a selection of the following areas:

• natural capital assessments and ecosystem services evaluation
• quantifying ocean wealth, and methods of incorporating nature into financial decision‑making
• using/developing models that link economies, societies, and nature such as integrated assessment models, general or partial equilibrium models
• data processing and visualization skills (e.g. Matlab, Python, R, or STATA)

The candidate must evidence advanced research writing skills (academic papers and/or reports). Experience of proposal writing is beneficial but not essential. They will also have excellent communication and presentational skills and ideally have experience of working in interdisciplinary teams. Candidates will have a degree in a scientific, economic or mathematical discipline and have completed a PhD in topics related to environmental economics and/or macro economics, or a PhD equivalent. PhD‑equivalent research experience can be demonstrated by a strong track record of independent research, including peer‑reviewed publications or equivalent high‑quality economic analyses/reports, and evidence of leading or substantially shaping research outputs.

We offer a generous set of benefits, including:

• 30 days contractual annual leave, plus 3.5 extra closure days and bank holidays
• a 10% employer contribution pension scheme (with a 15% NI saving on employee contributions made above 5%, if in the salary sacrifice scheme)
• Death in Service (3 times annual salary) provided by Aviva from day one of employment, plus access to a range of other Aviva wellbeing services
• financial support for relocation
• a salary sacrifice scheme for electric / hybrid vehicles (qualifying period applies)
• access to our Employee Assistance Programme, offering free and confidential support on mental, physical, emotional, health and financial issues
• access to a flexible benefits portal offering online discounts, cashback and eGift cards
• a Cycle2Work scheme allowing employees to acquire bikes and accessories
• a great working environment with a number of social events, including summer and Christmas celebrations
• we are proud to be a Living Wage Employer

This position will be based in Southampton or Liverpool. Our Southampton site is well connected by public transport and has ample cycle parking in addition to free onsite car‑parking with over 40 EV charging points. The Liverpool centre is part of the University campus and is only a short walk from the city centre and Lime Street station. We have a hybrid working approach where for most positions staff can work from home up to 2 days per week. If you are interested in this position, but require a more flexible working arrangement, please contact the recruitment team using the contact details below.

Please click ‘Apply for this job’ and submit an up‑to‑date CV and cover letter highlighting your relevant experience and why you are interested in the position. Applications submitted without a cover letter may not be considered. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the NOC recruitment team at careers@noc.ac.uk / 07955 851648. Before submitting your application please ensure you have reviewed the attached job description and person specification. We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position, as we strive to create a supportive and equitable environment where all voices are valued and heard. Those seeking employment at NOC are considered solely on their qualifications, skills and experience, without regard to gender, gender identity, age, race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, relationship status, family status (including pregnancy / maternity leave) or any other protected characteristic.