Senior Economist – Universal Basic Services

CharityJob; Greater London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

NEF is seeking a Senior Economist to lead ambitious, policy-relevant work on Universal Basic Services, public services and economic security in London. This is a chance to develop bold, evidence-based policy ideas that improve access to life’s essentials and influence public debate.

The successful candidate will oversee work across housing, care, transport, digital inclusion and public value, using data and AI to deliver impactful outputs with limited supervision. Permanent role.

Qualifications

• Senior economist with demonstrated ability to produce policy-relevant research.
• Experience translating research into practical policy ideas and outputs.

Responsibilities

• Lead work across public services, social infrastructure, housing, care and other policy areas.
• Develop bold, well-evidenced recommendations and publicly share outputs.

Job description

NEF is looking for a Senior Economist to lead ambitious, policy-relevant work on Universal Basic Services, public services and economic security. This is an exciting opportunity for a rigorous, creative and politically engaged economist who is motivated to develop bold, practical and well-evidenced policy ideas that can improve people’s access to life’s essentials and help shift public debate.

The successful candidate will lead work across a wide range of areas, including public services, social infrastructure, care, childcare, transport, housing, digital inclusion, local services, public value, delivery models, fiscal design, distributional impacts, and the role of universal provision in building a fairer economy.

We are particularly interested in self-starters: people who can identify important economic questions, immerse themselves quickly in the evidence, and use data tools and AI intelligently to develop substantial projects from early idea through to impactful, public-facing outputs with limited supervision.

Role: Senior Economist – UBS
Hours of work: Full Time (32 hours per week under NEF's Shorter Working Week)
Salary: £54,470 - £60,480
Location: London (in-office minimum two days per week)
Contract type: Permanent

You must be eligible to work in the UK, as we are unable to sponsor visas.

Inclusivity at NEF:

NEF wants to be an inclusive workplace with a diverse body of staff. We don't want to conform to the traditional think-tank model where people from certain backgrounds are hugely under-represented. We know we have some way to go in this and are therefore genuinely keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people; women; neurodivergent people; disabled people; people who identify as LGBT+; people with experience of mental health problems; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past.

Accessibility and Equal Opportunity:

We value all candidates and are committed to equal opportunity. As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the application process, or would like information in an alternative format, please let us know.

We actively promote positive action to advance fairness and tackle underrepresentation within our workforce.