Chief Economist

Job description

About the job

Job summary

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) plays a pivotal role in shaping one of the UK's most important labour market policies: the National Minimum Wage, which includes the National Living Wage. Our recommendations directly affect millions of workers and thousands of businesses across the country and sit at the heart of the Government's Make Work Pay agenda.

The LPC is a unique social partnership, with a board of nine Ministerially appointed Commissioners representing employers, workers and academia. Commissioners' role is to recommend minimum wage rates to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade each October.

We are seeking a Chief Economist to lead the analytical work that underpins these recommendations. Reporting to the Secretary, the Chief Economist is a critical role in the small secretariat of civil servants who support the Commissioners. This is a rare opportunity to combine labour market expertise, strategic leadership and high-profile policy influence within a unique social partnership.

Job description

As Chief Economist, you will be the LPC's senior analyst and lead the evidence and research that underpins the Commission's recommendations to Ministers. Working closely with Commissioners, senior officials and external experts, you will shape debates on low pay, labour market performance and minimum wage policy.

Leading a talented analytical team, you will ensure the LPC remains at the forefront of labour market research and evidence-based policy making. You will be responsible for:

• Evidence base: the recommendations of the LPC to Government are firmly based in evidence. You will ensure that the LPC's evidence base remains robust, reliable and timely so that we can provide high quality advice.
• Communication: Having a robust evidence base is one thing, communicating it effectively is another. You will meet the challenge of communicating evidence that can be complex, contradictory and incomplete.
• Research programme: You will set the strategic direction of the LPC's research programme, overseeing both commissioning and delivery.
• Analytical team leadership: You will lead and develop a high-performing analytical team (currently comprising three G7 economists and one SEO statistician), supporting innovation, professional development and collaboration.
• Economic and statistical analysis: As well as overseeing and quality assuring the work of your team, you will undertake your own high quality and original analysis. This will include econometric analysis of the minimum wage's impacts on a host of factors including pay, employment, hours worked and prices.
• Networks: you will maintain and build a network of experts and academics to ensure the LPC has access to the latest thinking and research on minimum wages and broader changes in the labour market. This will include minimum wage policy makers and experts in other countries.

Working pattern and location

This is a full-time role, based in the Low Pay Commission's office in Canary Wharf in London.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;

• "Big picture" knowledge of labour market economics -You must have a strong understanding of labour market economics and the factors affecting low-paid workers and employers. You will be able to apply economic theory and evidence to real-world policy questions and understand the wider economic, social and political context in which minimum wage decisions are made.
• Effective decision maker and analyst - you must have strong technical and analytical skills and be able to grasp and make sense of complex and contradictory evidence, use sound judgement and provide clear advice. You must have a good understanding of econometric techniques and approaches.
• Communicating and influencing - You must be able to explain complex issues clearly and with high impact and credibility and create coherent narratives. Importantly, you must be able to adapt your approach to different audiences, levels of expertise and knowledge.
• Leadership - You must be able to effectively lead a high performing group of analysts. This includes strategic oversight of their work as well as motivating them, stretching them to develop their own skills and encouraging collaboration.

Desirable Criteria:

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates;

• Knowledge and experience of datasets pertaining to the UK labour market such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) or the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
• Experience of designing and commissioning policy related research and evaluation projects from academics or other external contractors.
• Experience of software for statistical analysis, including R, SPSS or Stata.

To discuss the role, please contact [email protected]

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Economics

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £72,970, Department for Business and Trade contributes £21,139 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Selection process and how to apply

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and we will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. The Behaviours map onto the essential criteria set out above.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply you will need to submit the following by the end of Monday 7th September (11:55pm)

• A CV setting out your career history, including key responsibilities and achievements that relate to the essential criteria. The CV should not exceed more than 2 A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 750 words explaining how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The sift is expected to be complete by Friday 18th September, with interviews between then and the Friday 2nd October. Though these timings may change.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the CV only, assessing the experience aspect of the success profiles. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the CV will either progressed to a full sift where the Personal Statement is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where they will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical skills. As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview.

Civil service profession requirements

This vacancy is open to non-civil servants and civil servants alike (including on promotion to Grade 7s). As such you do not need to be a member of the Government Economic Service (GES) to apply for this role. Nevertheless, all candidates must meet the GES requirements.

During the selection process, your technical skills will be assessed against the GES grade requirement. Details can be found in the GES Technical Framework (search for 'G6' in the document). Assessment will happen at both the sift of your written application and at the interview. Any applicant, civil servant or otherwise, who is not a GES member must demonstrate that they meet the GES requirements as successful appointment will include membership of the GES. This will include an additional technical written test as part of the interview process.

To hold GES membership, you must:

• Have a first or upper second-class honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.
• Have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics.

For applicants applying after more than a couple of years after university, who are not an existing member of the Government Economic Service relevant experience consists of experience working on economic analysis or research including for example in a research agency, market research agency or specialist research team. To enter the GES through this route you must make explicit the breadth and depth of your economic experience and skills covering the three components of the GES technical framework.

To discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be required for the selection process please use the contact details below.

Please note, following a recent change to the Machinery of Government, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will be renamed to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) as of 20th July 2026. BIST will connect the UK's world-class science and technology base directly to the businesses, places and workers that will drive good growth across the country. Such changes will not affect the selection process for this campaign; however, we wanted to take this opportunity to advise you of the recent changes to our department.

You can find further information here regarding recent governmental changes Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet - GOV.UK.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the 'Assistance required' section on the 'Additional requirements' page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note - the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : David Massey
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.