SCS2 Chief Economist and Director of Analysis

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Apply before Midday on Monday 9th December 2024

 

Details

Reference number

376950

Salary

£98,000 - £120,000
The successful candidate can expect to be paid a salary up to a total of £120,000 for exceptional external candidates (depending on relevant skills and experience).  Existing Civil Servants on level transfer will retain their current base salary.  Candidates applying on promotion will have their substantive base salary increased by 10% or start on the minimum of the SCS PB2 scale of £98,000 per annum, whichever is greater.  In addition, if based in London, you will be eligible for a £5,000 London Allowance.  Location allowances are non-consolidated and non-pensionable. For further information about the position and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service and how to apply, please visit: www.veredus.co.uk quoting reference 17313
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

SCS Pay Band 2

Contract type

Fixed term
Secondment

Length of employment

3 years

Business area

Economics, Climate & Global Issues

Type of role

Analytical
Economist
Policy
Senior leadership
Other

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

East Kilbride or London (Please note that there are plans to move our East Kilbride office to a central Glasgow location in the future.)

Job summary

As Chief Economist and Director of Analysis in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office you will be the lead economic adviser to the Foreign Secretary on all of the UK’s foreign and international development policy.

You will provide strategic and high quality economic and analytical advice to Ministers, senior officials and Heads of Mission. You will use evidence and analysis to shape the allocation and impact of Official Development Assistance (ODA). In addition to the role in the UK, the Chief Economist undertakes economic diplomacy with key partners around the world, works closely with counterparts in other international organisations and foreign governments and works to build an international community that draws on the best evidence and analysis in its decision making. You will lead the Analysis Directorate, which includes over 100 talented and engaged staff, including analytical professions such as Economics, Evaluation, Statistics, Open-Source Intelligence, Data and Analysis, and Behavioural Science, building an innovative, insightful and influential analytical heartland in FCDO HQ.

To learn more about this role, please see the full role description and application pack at www.veredus.co.uk quoting reference 17313. 

 

Job description

Please see attached candidate pack for further information.

Person specification

Please see attached candidate pack for further information.

Qualifications

A minimum of a master’s degree in Economics and advanced knowledge of, or contribution to, current economic literature in the fields of international macroeconomics and development economics. A proven thought leader in their field of economics, with an ability to see the bigger picture, use their technical expertise to influence and inspire others.

Behaviours

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

  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

  • Knowledge and application of economics
Alongside your salary of £98,000, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £28,390 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Please see the candidate pack at the bottom of this advert for further details or contact www.veredus.co.uk quoting reference 17313

Selection process details

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

Civil Service external recruitment processes at Director level are regulated by the Civil Service Commission, and we follow clear guidelines to ensure that our recruitment is fair and open. You can find further information here: Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. We also design our recruitment processes to reflect our values-based approach to HR (using staff engagement panels, for example) and to ensure that shortlisted candidates have the opportunity to meet key stakeholders for the role, before they join us.


Veredus is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.veredus.co.uk quoting reference 17313. Applications should be received by midday, Monday 9 December 2024.

You must be a British Citizen at the time of application.  This job requires Developed Vetting security clearance as a condition of employment.

The recruitment and appointment process will begin with the submission of a Covering Letter accompanied by a CV. The Covering Letter (2 A4 pages maximum) will be expected to set out how the candidate meets the criteria set out in the Job Description.

Candidates’ CVs and Covering Letters will be assessed against their ability to deliver against the requirements set out in the Job Description.

An eligibility sift will be conducted and successful candidates will progress to an initial interview with Veredus, followed by a short-listing process.

The panel will be chaired by Lea Paterson, from the Civil Service Commission. Other panel members are likely to include (but may not be limited to) the FCDO Director General for Economics, Climate & Global Issues

How to apply

Veredus is acting as an employment agency advisor to the FCDO on this appointment.

Candidates should apply for this role through our website: www.veredus.co.uk quoting reference 17313. Click on the ‘apply’ button and follow the instructions to upload a CV and cover letter and complete the online diversity questionnaire*. The closing date for applications is 12noon Monday 9 December.

*The diversity questionnaire online form will not be shared with anyone involved in assessing your application. Please complete as part of the application process.

Please note that references and open-source due diligence checks (including into social media accounts) may be undertaken for all short-listed candidates. If shortlisted you will be asked to complete a candidate information form, which will include details of your current remuneration package, plus the names and contact details of two referees who we can contact at the shortlist stage (before the final interview) including for how long they have known you and in what capacity. We will not contact them without your consent.

If shortlisted, you will be invited to undertake a series of assessments as part of this recruitment prior to a final interview panel. This may include:

  • A Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE)

Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. All stages of the Assessment process may be held virtually.

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend an in person panel interview in London in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

The interview will be a blended assessment consisting of a series of questions against the Civil Service Success Profiles

The Behaviours you will be assessed against are:

  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating & Influencing
  • Leadership

For more information about Success Profiles, please click here.

Candidates may be required to give a presentation on a particular topic at the interview and this will be sent to you in advance.

Please note that the FCDO will not reimburse any travel costs or expenses incurred as part of the selection process.

Current FCDO staff members are advised that this is an external campaign and, as such, you will be required to go through the same process as all other candidates.



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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 : www.veredus.co.uk quoting reference 17313
  • Email : Antony.Harvey@veredus.co.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : Antony.Harvey@veredus.co.uk

Further information

The FCDO’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should, in the first instance, contact External.Recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCDO, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners at info@csc.gov.uk

Share this page