3662 - Senior Specialist (Economics)

Role Responsibility

The successful candidate will be an experienced and confident economist, able to lead specific topics within Natural England’s work.  Specifically, this will include:

• Working with others across Natural England, and outside the organisation, to identify the economic analysis and research required to support delivery of Natural England’s objectives.
• Appropriately framing environmental economic challenges in order to influence decision-makers.
• Producing, and commissioning, high-quality analysis, research and decision-support tools
• Providing quality assurance and advice on analysis, research and decision-support tools produced by others
• Provide coaching and training in economics to Natural England staff

There are two areas in which we are currently trying to increase our impact, and we would particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience in either green finance or marine economics.

Are you the Right Candidate?

Technical/Specialist Knowledge/Qualifications

The successful candidate must have:

Qualifications and Experience:

• current expertise in economics or environmental economics;
• a good under-graduate or post-graduate degree in economics (or environmental economics) or equivalent experience.  Applicants that do not hold the required degrees should specify experience and outputs that they have produced that demonstrate that they have an equivalent level of knowledge;
• at least two-years of post-graduate work experience in the application of economics;

Skills and Knowledge:

• strong numerical and analytical skills and experience of employing these in the application of economics;
• good verbal and written communication skills. The successful candidate must be able to work effectively as part of a team and to explain complex economics concepts in a meaningful way to non-economists; and
• an ability to build effective working relationships with a wide range of colleagues, partners and stakeholders, including non-economists and scientific/technical groups.
• A broad knowledge of closely related specialisms (e.g. Ecosystem Approach and Natural Capital) is desirable but not essential.

If you are successful, we would expect you to be working to a certain level in a range of activities described in Natural England’s skills framework for this role. Within the framework, levels of increasing skill are described using the following three categories: basic, practitioner and expert. At the interview you will be asked questions to see how close you are to this level in the following capabilities and activities:

How to Apply

Evidence against the competencies should be given in the STAR format apart from Technical skills and knowledge. STAR stands for:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

Examples must be given in no more than 250 words for each competency. There is no requirement to use the STAR format for the 'Technical Skills and Knowledge' competency. Please ensure you read the Candidate Information Pack before you begin completing the application form.

Additional Information

A driving licence is desirable for the role but not essential. 

National travel will be required, which will involve some overnight stays and anti-social hours.

Flexible working patterns will generally be accommodated unless stated otherwise.

Disabled candidates who qualify for the guaranteed interview scheme will automatically be put forward to the interview stage provided that they satisfy the minimum criteria for the role.

We are the Government’s statutory advisor for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. This describes an ambitious vision, bringing new opportunities to protect and enhance, and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.

At Natural England, we love what we do. We’re here to make sure people and nature can thrive. A healthy natural environment is fundamental to our wellbeing, prosperity and happiness – that’s why we collaborate with scientists, lawyers, project managers and experts to implement environmental policy and shape decisions.

We work with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and customers on a huge range of projects, from influencing construction, advising farmers and landowners how they can manage their land in a sustainable way for the benefit of the environment, gathering and analysing environmental data, and carrying out vital statutory duties. Across the country, we’re helping nature to support people and our planet.

We are focusing our efforts on six key programmes:-

Greener Farming and Fisheries – supporting those who manage land and sea to operate in harmony with the environment

Sustainable Development – creating great places for people to live and work

Connecting People with Nature - promoting health and wellbeing through the great outdoors

Resilient Landscapes and Seas – protecting and restoring wildlife and natural beauty for future generations

Specialist Science and Evidence - an evidence-led organisation that is driven by science

Managing the Organisation – gathering business data to enable decision making

Natural England staff are inclusive, motivated and ambitious to achieve results for our environment, for everyone. We welcome and encourage applications from all communities and we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role.

Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing.

From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Where appropriate there will be offers of training under our apprenticeship schemes.

See more about the work of Natural England at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england

These are national team role which can be done from any NE office.  You can view a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations.

Job Introduction

We’re looking for two environmental economists to join our team at Natural England.  We provide practical advice, grounded in science, on how best to manage the environment.  We therefore bridge the worlds of science, on-the ground delivery and decision-support. In economics, our aim is to ensure the full value of the natural environment is included in decisions.

This is an economics role which applies economics to real world decision-making, improving the environmental economics evidence base and the way it is applied and used.  This role will involve applying your technical knowledge, experience and critical thinking to complex and novel questions. 

Economists in Natural England work in a small team, .  Much of our work is focussed on Natural Capital – building the environment into decision-making by treating it as an asset which provides benefits.  Natural Capital currently has a high profile both within Government and across the private sector.  We have a reputation for providing high quality analytical advice and recently won the John Hoy award for the best piece of economic analysis in government.

We work across the organisation across a wide variety of areas and sub-specialisms.  These include health and wellbeing, economic development, spatial planning, marine, green finance and protected areas.  The broad nature of the role means there is significant scope for personal development and developing areas of personal interest.  We also have a strong informal and formal training offer. 

The location is fully flexible across England, and we are open to home-working, being office-based or a mixture of the two.  We can accommodate flexible working patterns.