Full time/Part time
Salary: £42,593 - £48,245, with potential for further progression to £54,317 with our pay progression scheme.
Location: Flexible hybrid working across the UK
Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.
About us
The ICO is the UK’s independent regulator for information rights, promoting data privacy for individuals and openness in public bodies. We regulate under a wide range of legislation, including responsibilities for data protection and freedom of information.
With economists located across the UK (Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Wilmslow), we offer an inclusive environment and provide flexible working conditions and a range of training and development opportunities. This includes:
- a structured economics profession including targeted learning and development opportunities, and visibility of career development pathways;
- membership of the Government Economic Service (GES);
- structured pay progression framework that provides tangible rewards for sustained progress and contribution;
- networking opportunities and a mechanism for social learning, sharing insight and good practice; and
- opportunities to do work to enhance diversity and inclusion within economics.
The ICO’s work is interesting and immensely rewarding – it is of national importance and increasingly in the public eye, covering areas such as biometrics, AI, and the all facets of the digital economy. We are at the forefront of information rights policy development, providing direct advice to the public, and enforcing the UK’s data protection and freedom of information laws. We hold a unique position as a regulator across the whole of the private, public and third sectors.
As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful. We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling and engaging career, able to acquire new skills and enjoy a supportive working environment.
Further details about being an economist at the ICO can be found on our website Economic Analysis | ICO.
About the role
Do you want to be part of the team that produces economic analysis and research to support decision making, via options appraisal, impact assessment, ex-post evaluation, and other analytics (eg geospatial mapping)?
We have an opportunity for an Economic Analyst to join our team in providing our work related to understanding, measuring and driving regulatory intervention and policy impact, including the interaction of data protection with economic growth, competition, and innovation. The team’s work includes:
- supporting policy development by aiding understanding of the impact of our policies, programmes and projects using approved models and methods following principles from the Green and Magenta Books aligned with the ICO’s impact frameworks;
- supporting the provision of advice to clarify the economic, social and public costs, benefits, and trade-offs of our policy decisions;
- engaging and collaborating across the organisation to provide expert guidance, research and analysis on economic matters. Examples include scoping the market for biometric technologies, or understanding how artificial intelligence could impact the labour market;
- providing learning resources and training across the organisation to ensure there is awareness and common understanding of appraisal, impact assessment, evaluation, and related areas of economic thinking;
- engaging and developing relevant external stakeholder networks, via interaction with UK and international regulatory counterparts and government, academia, conference attendance, etc.
Whether the issue is understanding how we enable businesses in the UK economy, the interaction of privacy and competition or the impact of measures to protect children’s privacy online, economics is vital to our understanding of data and privacy issues. As an Economic Analyst you will support the ICO’s work across the full range of our responsibilities, ensuring that our actions are underpinned with high quality economic analysis.
Reporting to a Principal Economist you will provide high quality economic analysis, collaborating with other experts in multidisciplinary teams. You will work flexibly across a range of projects, identifying the key economic issues, analysing data and other evidence to support your arguments, and communicating them effectively to a range of audiences.
About you
To succeed in this role you will need experience in economic analysis and be able to demonstrate the application of economics and analysis techniques in a range of circumstances. You will be a problem solver and an effective written and oral communicator, able to take responsibility for a range of tasks, and managing conflicting demands on your time.
Essential criteria assessed at application stage
- A degree in economics with around 2+ years’ experience in an economic analysis role.
- Knowledge of the principles of the HMT Green and Magenta Books (experience of practical application is desirable but not essential).
- Experience in carrying out economic analysis, using a range of tools (eg statistical).
- Analyses and synthesises complex information and data, drawing on knowledge and applying it to questions of interest for the department, while being aware of the limitations/risks of economic analysis and the available data.
- Able to interpret requirements and present data in a clear and compelling way, using data visualisations techniques and tools.
- Drafts analysis for different stakeholders and understands the differences in communicating to them. Actively seeks out new, insightful, and more inclusive ways to present and communicate findings.
Essential criteria assessed at interview stage
- Reviews, syntheses, and is able to critique and quality assure own analysis and of others to ensure it is of high quality.
- Continually develops and evaluates the quality of analysis to ensure that the department is producing robust economic analysis which can stand up to scrutiny.
- Develops a good understanding of how economic models can inform analysis, and of their limitations. This may include advising on appropriate data sources.
- Works effectively in multidisciplinary teams and with others, maintaining effective professional working relationships both internally and externally across organisations.
- The ability to deal with a demanding workload which may include conflicting demands on time.
- Develops oneself as a professional economist/analyst by continuing to seek out training, teaching and coaching opportunities as well as promoting economics that enables confident delivery.
- Knowledge of the principles of the HMT Green and Magenta Books (experience of practical application is desirable but not essential).
- Drafts and presents analysis for different stakeholders and understands the differences in communicating to them. Actively seeks out new, insightful, and more inclusive ways to present and communicate findings
Equality, diversity and inclusion
The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.
Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you are disabled or have an impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.uk
To apply
Please email your CV and cover letter to recruitment@ico.org.uk
Applications must be submitted by 23:59 on Thursday 12th June 2025
Interviews will take place remotely via Microsoft Teams.
Why work for the ICO?
We are proud to provide our people with a premium benefits package. We are continually improving the rewards we offer. Here are a few of the valuable rewards that you will enjoy:
- Flexible working hours, including flexi leave.
- Civil Service Pension arrangements.
- 25 days' paid holiday a year with options to buy, sell, and bank days.
- Extra "privilege" days in addition to normal public holidays.
- Compressed working hours options.
- Excellent learning and development opportunities.
- Health cash plan.
- Colleague assistance scheme.
- Access to many discounted products and services.
- Welfare and family-friendly policies.
- Staff medical scheme and eyesight testing.
Please note if you are appointed to work with the ICO you will be required to complete security clearance processes. These include identity and qualification checks and a Basic Disclosure level check of unspent criminal convictions.
