Reference: JAN20262864
Location: Home-Based, Flexible in the UK
Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £39,205.00 - £41,856.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave
We are seeking a Senior Economist to join the RSPB's Nature Positive Economy team at a critical juncture for nature and societal wellbeing. The role will help lead and develop our economic policy and advocacy and provide economic support across the organisation.
What's the role about?
This is a unique opportunity to help the RSPB and the wider environment movement shape the economic policies we need to tackle the nature and climate emergencies.
The Senior Economist will join our Nature Positive Economy team, comprised of economists and policy staff focused on tackling the economic drivers of biodiversity loss, and ecological advisers working directly with business to address their impacts on biodiversity. You will work with colleagues from across the UK and together you will reimagine economic policies to build a Nature Positive world. You will challenge governments and businesses to adopt new ways of working that have nature recovery at their heart.
You will help make the case for more public and private investment in nature and shape effective, high integrity environmental markets. The Senior Economist will also help make the business case for action on nature and bring innovative thinking to how at the local level we can enhance the economic evidence-base for investments in nature; bolstering ecological, place-based economies that benefit local communities.
To deliver in this exciting role, you will need a strong understanding of and experience in environmental economics. Your background could be in the public, private or third sectors.
You will also need to work well in teams as well as on your own. In turn, you will join a friendly and dynamic RSPB community, committed to creating a better future for nature.
Key Aspects include:
- Help grow RSPB’s influence as a thought-leader in environmental economics by developing new innovative economic policies
- Build high quality external relationships and advocate RSPB economic policies effectively to external audiences
- Build on RSPB’s environmental economic evidence base to increase investment that benefits nature
- Provide technical and strategic economic expertise for economic briefings and policy reports and other materials
- Monitor developments in the external world to identify future economic advocacy opportunities and to provide expert advice to colleagues
- Identify and ensure the delivery of relevant economic research and advocacy projects
- Help develop the economics capacity of the organisation
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- A first degree in economics or equivalent in a relevant subject
- A good understanding of the field of environmental economics
- A sound knowledge of environmental policy and advocacy in at least one of the countries of the UK
- Strong analytical skills, including the ability to absorb technical information and synthesise this into accessible briefings for policy makers and communicators
- Strong written and verbal communications skills
- Demonstrable ability to deliver on strategy and relevant experience
- Excellent work planning, time management and prioritisation skills and the ability to deliver quality work to deadlines
- Experience of working in a relevant field
- Experience of working with external stakeholders and working in an environment with multiple internal stakeholders
- Demonstrable ability to plan, prioritise and deliver work to deadlines
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
- An understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing a practical conservation organisation in our current operating environment
- A post-graduate qualification in economics, with specialisation in environmental economics or an relevant subject
- Experience working in a conservation NGO
- Record of academic publication
- Experience of the global conservation sector and/or of working outside of the UK and Europe
- Experience in campaigning to change government, investor or corporate behaviour or policy
Additional Information:
- This is a full-time permanent position working 37.5 hours per week.
Closing date: 23:59, Wednesday 25th February 2026 . We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 9th March 2026.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.
In order to apply you will be required to upload a CV and complete a short application form. In the cover letter section of this form please explain how you meet the criteria set above.
Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.
No agencies please.
