Role: Chemicals Policy - Senior Economist

Location: UK Flexible, Madrid ( Spain), Italy, Greece

Role ID: 2023-2042

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.

The Role

The Environmental Policy team at Ricardo works with governmental and private sector organisations on the development, implementation and evaluation of environmental policies, strategies and plans. The team predominately supports public sector clients such as national Governments, the European Commission and international bodies (e.g., the World Bank). We deliver high-profile studies in areas that include industrial pollution control, air and water quality, chemicals management, climate adaptation, sustainable finance and the circular economy. Economic analysis is a critical component of the services we provide.

In response to our recent successes, we are expanding our Environmental Policy team: We have a vacancy for a Senior Economist to work on a range of exciting and innovative projects, primarily in relation to chemicals policy.

Key Accountabilities

Working in multi-disciplinary teams, you will help to win, manage and deliver high-profile projects that play an integral role in driving regulatory approaches that seek to address the most pressing environmental issues in Europe and worldwide, in particular pertaining to the chemicals and related industrial sectors.

You will use your technical skills to analyse the impacts of policy options on the economy, the environment and society and provide insights that support policy decisions.

Be involved in policy impact assessments (ex ante and ex post), requiring skills in cost-benefit analysis, socio-economic analysis, feasibility assessments and evaluation.

Have a good understanding of public policy development processes and good practice and methods for assessing the social, environmental and economic impacts of policies.

Required competencies and experience

• Qualified to a Master’s degree level in economics.
• Relevant experience within consultancy, government, research or industry.
• Highly numerate, with a track record in carrying out quantitative analysis.
• Demonstrable experience in some of the following.
  • Economic theory and policy cycle (ex ante impact assessment of policies and regulations; policy development and implementation, ex post evaluation of policies and programmes)
  • Tools and methods: economic and/or financial modelling, data collection, validation and analysis, qualitative socio-economic analysis, multi-criteria analysis, Input-Output analysis.
• Ability to explain complex economic concepts to a non-economist audience.
• Capacity to lead tasks, set the technical direction and delegate to deliver work effectively and efficiently.
• Capacity and interest to work in chemicals policy projects; successfully juggling multiple and competing priorities.
• An understanding of environmental issues, and national/EU/international policy, gained during studies or work experience.
• Fluency in English and excellent report writing skills.

Desirable competencies and experience

• Previous experience in leading or working on proposals and projects for international organisations and/or European Commission and/or national governments.
• Project management experience.
• Understanding of and track record in writing winning proposals.
• Understanding of and experience working in the chemicals sector.
• Flexibly to contribute across a range of thematic areas, such industrial emissions, air quality, natural capital, green finance etc, and Proficiency in using statistical or mathematical software.
• Fluency in other European languages.

Skills and behaviours

The successful candidate will be able to:

• Demonstrate a passion for the drive to create a more sustainable world, and a clear motivation to work for Ricardo and align with its values.
• Enjoy solving complex analytical problems that feature economic analysis.
• Demonstrate exceptional critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.
• Have excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Come to work with flexibility, resilience and enthusiasm.
• Be accurate and attentive to detail.
• Be an effective and proactive team worker.

Working here

Ricardo is an exciting and rewarding place to work and you have the opportunity to make a difference. You will work with teams of talented, dedicated, and supportive individuals. Alongside having a fantastic opportunity to develop your career with us through our broad range of projects, mentoring opportunities and a personalised approach to your learning and development. We are always keen to hear from people who have driven, ambition and a flair for innovative thinking.

Wellbeing and work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that's working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our People are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programmes and policies that support individuals including flexible working, carers policy, mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive Employee Assistance programme.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and ensure a culture of inclusivity, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

Next Steps

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

Ricardo is a Disability confident employer - please advise the recruitment team via recruit.ee@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.