We are recruiting for a (Senior) Economic Advisor in Nesta’s Policy Team.  

About Nesta

We are Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet. 

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation. 

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. Find out more at nesta.org.uk. 

Whatever it takes

Everyone works at Nesta because we are driven by a deep commitment to our missions. A guiding principle of our culture is that we do whatever it takes to achieve them, bringing our best to all our work. You can read more about our culture on our website.

How will an economist contribute to Nesta’s success? 

A (senior) economic advisor will help us make progress on our missions by providing expert economic modelling, advice and guidance to strengthen both mission policy proposals (with a focus on energy and net zero) and cross-cutting work e.g. on taxation, public spending and economic growth. 

Policy change is a major route to impact at scale for Nesta. We combine our expertise in applied innovation (i.e. the practical work we do to design, test, scale) with policy expertise and political insights to develop and land policy changes in service of our missions. 

The role 

In this role, you will be part of the central policy Team (c.9 people) at Nesta - strengthening Nesta’s relationships with policy-makers and bringing fresh, innovative and pragmatic solutions to some of the biggest challenges the country faces. Your focus will be honing the economic underpinnings of our work, maximising the credibility and deliverability of ideas across Nesta’s missions, with a particular focus on Government’s growth and clean energy priorities. You’ll work closely with Nesta’s Chief Economist, Tim Leunig. 

You’ll also work with our multidisciplinary "A Sustainable Future" mission team and can expect to collaborate with colleagues who also have expertise in research, data science, design, behavioural science and communications across the Nesta Group (which includes the Behavioural Insights Team). 

You can expect to be conducting economic analysis, modelling and evaluation, synthesizing evidence and insights for policymaker audiences, identifying and engaging with key stakeholders, and developing and landing policy proposals.

You will need to be a technically adept applied economist, a resilient self-starter, curious about a wide range of policy domains, adaptable to change, and excited by the potential impact of mission-driven approaches in government. 

You will:

• Conduct economic analysis, modelling and evaluation on Government priorities  to support the development and iteration of Nesta’s policy proposals to some of the country’s biggest challenges 

• Analyse cross-cutting economic data and trends to identify opportunities and blockers for Nesta’s work and contribute to cross-organizational policy development

• Manage and support data and research projects - work with large datasets, design economic components of primary research, and quality assure analytical work to ensure methodological rigor

• Cultivate strong and sustained relationships with external experts and policymakers, particularly in HMT and departmental spend teams so we can be responsive to policy priorities and maximise the chances of landing our work

• Draft / contribute to written outputs, events, digital products and data vis, translating complex analysis into actionable insights about choices, trade offs and impact for policymaker audiences

• Promote a more experimental ‘test and learn’ approach to policy development, enabling us to draw on methods such as rapid prototyping and testing and design approaches (note: you do not need to have deep expertise in these methods)

• Work proactively and collaboratively with colleagues across the Nesta Group to develop the best possible policy and delivery ideas, playing an active role in developing and sharing your applied economics skills e.g. through Nesta’s data and policy communities of practice

Examples of work you may produce and contribute to

• Providing expert economic analysis and modelling to shape evidence-based policy recommendations on UK Government’s energy and economic growth priorities

• Conducting primary research and data analysis on the economics of energy transition, and developing impactful written outputs and data visualisations

• Designing and delivering workshops and presentations on analysis, insights and policy implications both for Government and internal stakeholders 

The person: 

We are looking for someone with policy and political savvy who can develop, iterate and land evidence-based policy ideas. You may have worked in national or local government or in other parts of the policy making process, but your ability and enthusiasm are more important than your experience.

Key skills include:

• Economic expertise and technical skills: with a strong econometric foundation, you’re able to conduct economic analysis and modelling using large data sets. You’re familiar with quasi-experimental approaches for evaluation. Specifically, you are a fluent user of either R or Python with a willingness to learn the other as necessary, and have experience using of git/GitHub for collaboration

• Policy application and communication: You have the ability to translate economic findings into policy-relevant insights, and to make complex or technical issues and ideas easy to understand. You write clearly and concisely, adapting your communication to suit different audiences, and are able to produce externally-facing outputs such as data visualisations

• Strong interpersonal skills: You have a strong appetite to engage stakeholders on the problems to be solved. You are a team player, and can build collaborative relationships internally. You can offer challenge and build consensus. 

• Independent: You have an ability to work independently, and proactively identify priorities or develop new ideas, while being part of a wider team. You take initiative, including in relation to your own professional development 

• Outcome focused problem-solver: You’re invested in the end outcome of a bit of work, whatever it is, and are up for working in multi-disciplinary teams on the ‘how’. You have a disposition to consider how something could work better, and you proactively give feedback or solve problems to improve ways of doing things at work. 

• Organised project manager: You are highly organised, able to scope and manage your work to ensure objectives are met, juggling priorities and surfacing for input and steers as needed.

• Domestic policy wonk: You have an excellent understanding and interest in domestic policy, specifically on the workings of UK public spending priorities and cross-government economic policy coordination

What we offer

Salary: Salary: £49k - £65k (Advisor level) or £56k - £70k (Senior Advisor level), plus an array of benefits, including health care plans, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more. 

Please note we are recruiting for two different roles depending on experience.

Location: This role is based in Blackfriars, London, hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of two days in the office

Term:  Permanent 

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements including full-time, part time and jobshare. We encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do. 

Reports to: Head of Policy 

Flexibility: This role is available to be a job-share 

Making an application 

To apply for this role, please submit your application before 08.00am on 7 July 2025.

Interviews will take place w/c 14 July 2025. Please note that the exact scheduling of interviews will depend on the total number of applications we receive.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results. 

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop. 

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful. 

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.  

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.