Senior Economic Analyst

Cobalt Consulting NZ Limited; Wellington; On-site; NZD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Senior Economic Analyst to provide expert economic analysis and insights that shape regulatory approaches. This role involves evaluating compliance costs, articulating economic impacts, and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders. You will leverage your strong data modelling skills to assess financial and societal risks, ensuring that regulatory decisions balance economic, environmental, and social outcomes. Join a mission-driven organization committed to ensuring safe drinking water and protecting the environment for future generations. If you are passionate about making a meaningful difference, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in economic or financial analysis.
• Strong understanding of risk management and data modelling.

Responsibilities

• Analyse infrastructure investment data for regulatory frameworks.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to assess compliance costs.

Skills

Economic Analysis

Financial Analysis

Data Modelling

Risk Management

Communication Skills

Stakeholder Management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Economics or Finance

Master's Degree in a related field

Tools

Excel

SQL

Power BI

Python

Job description

About the Organisation
Taumata Arowai is the dedicated water services authority for Aotearoa New Zealand, established to ensure that all communities have access to safe, reliable drinking water every day. They also play a critical oversight role in protecting the environment by monitoring public wastewater and stormwater networks.

At the heart of their mission is a commitment to public service. They are driven by the desire to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders, both now and in the future. Their work is guided by the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, supporting the Crown in its relationship with Māori and ensuring Māori interests are upheld in everything they do.

As a key regulatory body, Taumata Arowai focuses on delivering compliance monitoring, technical advice, and enforcing standards across water services, all while protecting the health and well-being of our communities. The team is committed to fostering positive relationships with drinking water suppliers, local and central government, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the water infrastructure in New Zealand is sustainable and meets future demands.

About the Role
As a Senior Economic Analyst, you will play a crucial role in shaping the regulatory approach by providing expert economic analysis and insights. This position is key to assessing and articulating the broader economic and societal risks associated with regulatory decisions while maintaining an awareness of cost consequences.

You will be responsible for understanding and evaluating the authority’s tolerance to risk balanced against detailed analysis of compliance costs and ensuring this understanding informs decision making, and the development of rules and regulations. A key aspect of this role is being able to tell the story behind regulatory decisions—explaining complex economic implications in a clear and compelling manner to a diverse range of stakeholders. In addition, you will oversee cost analysis, being responsible for understanding costs to suppliers to help determine proportionate action.

The role requires the ability to manage relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including local and central government, drinking water suppliers, and internal teams. You’ll need strong data modelling skills to assess various financial, operational, and societal risks and contribute to the development of a regulatory framework that balances economic, environmental, and social outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Analyse infrastructure investment data, identifying trends and providing economic insights to support regulatory frameworks.
2. Assess tolerance to risk and integrate this understanding into regulatory decisions.
3. Collaborate with technical advisors to monitor and evaluate the cost of compliance across sectors.
4. Develop data models to assess the financial and societal risks associated with regulations, ensuring a comprehensive view of economic impacts.
5. Articulate complex economic concepts clearly, tailoring communications for a range of stakeholders, including central and local government and drinking water suppliers.
6. Contribute to policy development, ensuring economic risks and benefits are understood and appropriately balanced.

Key Skills and Experience:

1. 5+ years of experience in economic analysis or financial analysis, ideally within infrastructure or regulatory environments.
2. Proven ability to model data sets and assess economic impacts with accountability for cost consequences.
3. Strong understanding of risk management, with the ability to align economic assessments to organisational risk tolerances.
4. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information to diverse audiences.
5. Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships internally and externally.
6. Knowledge of data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, SQL, Power BI, Python) is highly desirable.

If the importance of this role and motivations behind the hire really interest you, please Apply Now or to discuss in further detail, please contact Rachel McNickle on [e-mail] or 027 274 6821.