Economist (Infrastructure and Quality Assurance) 

Successful candidates may be based in any of our office locations – Cardiff, Glasgow, or London, we are especially welcoming applications from people based in the Cardiff and Glasgow. Hybrid working – on average, currently one day per week in the office, or approximately 20% of the month.

Job summary

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. Our primary responsibility is to protect energy consumers, particularly the most vulnerable, while working with government, industry and consumer groups to deliver a clean, affordable and secure net zero energy system at the lowest cost to consumers and to support economic growth.

We have an exciting opportunity for two Economists to join the Quality Assurance team within the Office of Research and Economics, part of the Strategy, Economics, Research and Net Zero directorate. The team plays a critical role in ensuring that the analytical work underpinning Ofgem’s most significant regulatory decisions is robust, proportionate and aligned with best practice.

In this role, you will work across a varied and high‑profile portfolio of projects, contributing to analytical assurance for decisions covering network price controls, system management, retail regulation and wholesale market policy. Your work will help ensure that Ofgem’s impact assessments and economic analysis are consistent, credible and capable of supporting decisions that deliver value for consumers while advancing progress towards net zero.

You will apply strong foundations in applied microeconomics, industrial organisation or regulatory economics to challenge analytical assumptions, interpret complex evidence and advise policy teams on the strengths and limitations of different analytical approaches. You will also use your knowledge of statistics and econometrics to interpret external research and support colleagues in determining the evidence required for robust impact assessments.

Working collaboratively across Ofgem, you will contribute to the development of regulatory models, cost assessment tools and analytical frameworks used to assess the impacts of market interventions. You will help ensure effective application of Ofgem’s Impact Assessment Guidance and alignment with HM Treasury’s Green Book and the wider principles of better regulation. You will also support the development of innovative methods and tools, including the use of AI, to enhance analysis and monitoring.

The role requires strong communication skills and confidence in engaging with senior leaders, external organisations and analytical peers across government, including DESNZ and HM Treasury. You will be proactive, able to work independently where required, and demonstrate excellent attention to detail while managing multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

This position offers variety, intellectual challenge and the opportunity to influence decisions central to the future of the UK energy system. You will strengthen the analytical foundations behind Ofgem’s most important regulatory choices, ensuring they are grounded in sound evidence and clear economic reasoning.

Job description

Key Responsibilities 

Reporting to one of Ofgem’s Principal or Senior Economists, responsibilities will include:

• Contribute to analytical functions related to energy market policies, including work on retail, networks and the generation side of the supply chain.
• Develop and produce regulatory models such as cost assessment models for price controls, cap & floor models, price caps etc.
• Good data analysis skills and ability to work with large excel models. This includes quality assurance of models produced by analytical colleagues, ensuring analytical robustness while acting as a critical friend.
• Support Ofgem colleagues in the production of robust impact assessments, promoting the use of Ofgem’s Impact Assessment guidance and ensuring Ofgem’s policies are in line with Treasury’s Green Book and wider guidance for better regulation.
• Develop relationships across our organisation and the wider industry sector, including with DESNZ. This includes the ability to interpret and present clear, concise, and actionable information and insight to senior colleagues and decision makers.
• Manage interactions with industry consultants and academics as necessary to progress regulatory and economic issues.
• Undertaking high quality research and proactively identifying applicable evidence and analytical methods that contributes to the development of the evidence base to support policy creation
• Help develop innovative approaches, including the use of AI, to enhance data analysis and monitoring

Key Stakeholder Relationships 

• Chief Economist, Head of Economic Analysis, Principal and Senior Economists in the Office of Research and Economics.
• Policy teams from across the Infrastructure Group, particularly those involved in analytical work underpinning key Ofgem decisions.
• Where appropriate to the work packages, external senior stakeholders including academics, other regulators, government departments etc.

Person specification

Please ensure you demonstrate clearly within your supporting statement (not more than 1250 words) how you meet each of the criteria below. 

In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on the identified Lead Criteria outlined below

ESSENTIAL:

• Degree in Economics/related subject or comparable capability built through relevant professional experience in economic analysis (LEAD CRITERIA).
• Strong analytical skills – both quantitative and qualitative and proven experience in the application of these skills to the key responsibilities of this post. (LEAD CRITERIA).
• Ability to effectively communicate and synthesise analysis, ideas and data for a variety of audiences, both verbally and in writing (LEAD CRITERIA).
• Ability to flexibly and effectively deliver high-quality work in a timely way across a range of different analytical projects.
• Demonstration of meeting challenging deadlines and managing multiple priorities, with ability to take initiative, think creatively and work independently.
• Analytical skills using relevant software packages (one or more of R, STATA, Python, or Excel). Ideally experience of applying these tools in a professional context.

DESIRABLE:

• Experience of working on comparable economic issues with an understanding of the principles of economic regulation (e.g. working in the energy sector, consultancy, price controls, regulated companies, regulators or government departments).
• Sector knowledge: experience of price controls and knowledge of energy networks and/or electricity distribution.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,123, OFGEM contributes £9,885 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 9th February 2026