About the role

We are looking for an Economist to join the Pro Bono Economics (PBE) team.  This is an exciting opportunity for an economist to apply their knowledge and expertise to a range of interesting projects in the third sector.

Post type: Full-time or part-time, fixed-term (24 months). Flexible arrangements will be considered, and we welcome people applying on secondment

Reports to: Director of Services

Main duties and tasks:

• Scope projects with charities to help them measure and understand their economic impact

• Give guidance to volunteer project teams on economic issues

• Provide review, challenge and quality assurance to volunteer project teams

• Extract the learning from single projects to develop PBE’s methodology and provide fresh insight on the charity sector

• Deliver insightful economic analysis to support charities and PBE’s Research and Policy team

• Support our Development and External Affairs functions with their technical communication needs

About us

Pro Bono Economics (PBE) uses economics to empower the social sector and to increase wellbeing across the UK. We combine project work for individual charities and social enterprises with policy research that can drive systemic change. 

We have worked with over 500 charities since our inception in 2009. Working with our network of both experienced consultant economists and economist volunteers from across the private, public and third sectors, we help charities and social enterprises appreciate their economic and social impact and so improve their overall effectiveness.   

More recently, we have embarked on an exciting new phase of our development, adding a dedicated in-house research and policy function to supplement our charity projects with ‘macro’ insights into the value and the potential of civil society in the 2020s. Armed with fresh content, we want to play an enhanced role in actively shaping the policy debate in the UK.

About you

We are looking for exceptional candidates with at least three years’ experience working as a professional economist in the public, private or academic sectors.  This role would suit a candidate with a passion for using evidence to drive better decisions and how this can contribute to improvements across wider society. You should have practical experience of using economic techniques such as Cost Benefit Analysis to analyse real world situations and communicating conclusions effectively to a wide range of audiences.

Ideal characteristics include:

• Experience of scoping and guiding economic projects, with a strong track record of delivery and achievement

• Thorough understanding of the principles and methods of economic appraisal and evaluation, with hands on experience in their practical application

• Excellent communications skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to convey economic analysis effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences

• Strong stakeholder management skills and problem-solving skills

• An eye for detail and a strong dedication to quality

• Proven ability to work independently and manage priorities, deadlines and projects that may involve multiple contributors

• Ability to work collaboratively in small teams

• A commitment to PBE’s focus on using economics to drive wellbeing improvements in the UK

Desirable characteristics include:

• Some experience analysing large datasets such as the Labour Force Survey, Wealth and Assets Survey or Understanding Society

PBE is also recruiting for an economist on the Research & Policy team (https://app.beapplied.com/apply/wim2ktzuuf). If you would like to be considered for both roles, please submit an application for your preferred role, and indicate that you would like to be considered for both roles during the application process.

PBE is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity

For details of our applicant’s privacy policy, please see https://www.probonoeconomics.com/policies.