Assistant Economist

Posting date:	26 September 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	Competitive
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	26 October 2025
Location:	Manchester, M2 3AW
Company:	inploi
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	75745399

Summary

Job summary

The role is based in the Cultural and Creative Industries Analysis team. The team is embedded within the Culture directorate. The directorate’s work includes: overseeing a number of public bodies (Arms Length Bodies), eg: Arts Council England and our National Museums; supporting the wider cultural sectors; delivering our own policy, projects and programmes; and working with partners around Whitehall to promote the value of our sectors.

Our mission is to ensure high-quality evidence and analysis informs all stages of the policy cycle across CCI. Our mission is supported by 4 objectives:

• Deliver influential analysis to inform policy, delivery and strategic decisions
• Building our evidence base by identifying and filling our key evidence gaps through high quality research, data and evaluation
• Work with others (policy, ALBs, academia, ESRC, AHRC etc) to deliver joined up evidence and analysis and maximise impact
• Provide the right environment, support and opportunities for team members to flourish, developing as individuals and delivering excellent outputs, and maintaining our wellbeing.

As a embedded team we work collaboratively with our policy teams and stakeholders to drive positive change, shape policy and set direction. More recently, our work has been focused on Government’s missions, including Health, Growth and Opportunity Mission.

Job description

You will support analytical work for the Museum and Cultural Property team providing support in a dynamic and varied policy environment. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a newly formed analytical team; with scope for both internal and external research, use of best practice and innovative approaches to articulating the value of the museums and cultural property team.

We are looking for a highly driven assistant economist with strong technical skills. Given the embedded nature of the role, you will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including Arms-Length Bodies, academia, consultancies, and research councils. This position is well-suited to individuals who can confidently engage with policy officials and external stakeholders.

You will also need to take the initiative in addressing the analytical needs of policy officials, work effectively in a fast-paced environment, and demonstrate an inquisitive approach to applying and developing evidence.

Person specification

Essential Requirements:

• Strong econometric and statistical skills with a proven ability to identify key analytical questions and design the most appropriate approach to address them. You should be proficient in using analytical tools such as R or Python for econometric modeling and analysis.
• Experience and strong applied knowledge of microeconomic and macroeconomic principles to real-world policy problems.
• A self-starter who can quickly absorb new information, take ownership of analytical projects and proactively define priorities and action plans.
• The ability to convey complex analytical concepts and findings clearly to a wide range of stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
• Project management and organisational skills, as you will drive forward discrete pieces of work, ensuring they are delivered on time and within resource.

Essential Qualifications:

You must be a full member or meet the requirements to become a member of one of the analytical professions Government Economic Service (GES). As part of your application you will be required to confirm which profession you are aligned to.

To join one of these professions through this recruitment, you will need as a minimum to meet one of the following qualification standards:

• Government Economic Service

• Membership requires a minimum 2.1 honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.
• Full criteria can be found in the GES membership guidance.

Desirable Skills

• An understanding of the museum and creative industries sector.
• Experience of economic appraisal methodologies.

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Thomas Colwill, and will take place on:

• 13:30 29th September 2025

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this Registration form by 29th September 2025 10:00 and you will be sent an invitation.

Please note that the session will not be recorded and will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk

Qualifications

You must be a full member or meet the requirements to become a member of one of the analytical professions Government Economic Service (GES) or Government Operational Research Service (GORS). As part of your application you will be required to confirm which profession you are aligned to.
To join one of these professions through this recruitment, you will need as a minimum to meet one of the following qualification standards:
Government Economic Service
Membership requires a minimum 2.1 honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.
Full criteria can be found in the GES membership guidance included in attached Candidate Information Pack.

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