Junior Economist, EMEA Macro Forecasting & Policy Insights in Belfast

Oxford Economics, a leading global economic research and consultancy firm, is hiring one Assistant Economist to join our growing Belfast office. The role will sit within our Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Macro Consulting team, which has team members based in Belfast, London, Oxford, and Dubai. The role offers the opportunity to work with senior economists across the EMEA team in these four locations, but mostly in Belfast, and with other consulting teams, on high-impact and high-profile economic analysis for clients across the public and private sectors. This is an exciting opportunity for early-career economists looking to apply their economic training to real-world problems—helping governments, companies, trade bodies and other organisations make informed, evidence-based decisions.

Department: Macro Consulting

Location: Belfast, UK

Key Responsibilities:

• Working on one major or more than one smaller macroeconomic consulting projects at once, typically spanning 1–6 months each.
• Supporting the development and application of robust macroeconomic models and quantitative analysis for forecasting, scenario & policy analysis and impact analysis, using tools like Oxford Economics’ Global Economic Model, Excel, R, or Python.
• Drawing on Oxford Economics’ internal macro subscription services – data, forecasts, reports and research – to apply to consulting projects.
• Forecasting countries as part of Oxford Economics’ Global Macro Service.
• Drafting and contributing to client‑facing consulting reports and presentations with guidance from Senior or Lead Economists or Associate Directors.
• Engaging with clients and senior stakeholders—often explaining complex modelling outcomes and economic analysis in plain, accessible language.
• Helping build proposals for existing and potential new clients and responding to ad hoc client queries.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Expertise:

• A strong undergraduate degree (2:1 or above, or equivalent) in Economics or a closely related discipline such as Finance.
• A postgraduate qualification (Masters or PhD) is welcomed but not required.
• Demonstrated experience (through academic coursework, dissertation, internships, or placements) working with data and conducting quantitative analysis.
• Strong Excel skills and some familiarity with analysis and data science tools/coding (e.g., R, Python, Stata, Eviews).
• Ability to communicate complex economic concepts clearly and concisely, both in writing and verbally.
• Curious, analytical mindset with great attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving.

Desirable:

• Exposure to macroeconomic modelling or forecasting (through coursework or projects) is advantageous.
• Familiarity with and experience using macroeconomic datasets.
• Previous work in a consulting, policy, or research environment.

Benefits:

• Fast career progression
• On-the-job training and access to external training courses
• Potential of secondment to our global offices
• Regular team gatherings, team and company socials
• Volunteering days and full-company offsites
• Private healthcare
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Program
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Workplace Nursery Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Hybrid/Flexible Working

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): Oxford Economics is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.