Senior Consultant/Associate Director - Economics & Evaluation

Senior Consultant / Associate Director - Economics and Evaluation

Do you have substantial experience of applied economic research, appraisal or evaluation for public sector clients or within the public sector?

Ipsos Public Affairs is recruiting for a Senior Consultant or Associate Director to join our multidisciplinary team to lead applied economics and evaluation across culture, heritage, sport, creative industries, environment, innovation, data, space and social policy.

We have offices in London, Manchester & Edinburgh and welcome applications from candidates that can be based from one of these locations and able to travel to other offices for internal and client meetings.

What is in it for you?

This is a fantastic career opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the best industry experts.

You will have the opportunity to:

- Lead applied economic research, appraisal and evaluation for government departments, agencies and other public bodies.
- Work across a varied portfolio including DCMS sectors such as culture, heritage, sport and the creative industries; natural capital and environmental policy; innovation, data and the space sector; and social policy including employment support, apprenticeships and youth engagement.
- Manage a portfolio of complex commissions and multidisciplinary teams, often directing several projects while providing senior economic input across others.
- Produce robust, decision-ready evidence on impact, additionality and value for money.
- At Associate Director level, direct projects and major workstreams, provide technical assurance, lead senior client relationships and help grow the portfolio through proposals, client development and sales.

The Role…

These are the types of things you can expect to be doing during your day to day, although as Ipsos is a dynamic organisation, this may vary as different opportunities arise:

- Design and deliver economic studies, appraisals and evaluations from inception through to reporting and dissemination.
- Develop theories of change, evaluation frameworks, counterfactuals and mixed-method designs.
- Undertake or oversee cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, GVA and productivity analysis, additionality assessment and distributional analysis.
- Assess value for money using the NAO 4Es: economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity, alongside HM Treasury Green Book principles.
- Apply specialist frameworks where relevant, including cultural and heritage capital, natural capital and the value of information or data.
- Integrate administrative, survey, qualitative and economic evidence to form credible conclusions and practical recommendations.
- Manage clients, teams, partners, budgets, risks, quality and competing deadlines.
- Draft clear reports and presentations, communicate findings to senior stakeholders, coach colleagues and contribute to proposals.

Essential Skills:

- Substantial experience of applied economic research, appraisal or evaluation for public sector clients or within the public sector.
- Strong understanding of economic evaluation and the ability to select proportionate methods for complex policy questions.
- Practical experience of cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analysis and assessing value for money, including economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity.
- Ability to assess economic outcomes such as GVA, productivity, employment, additionality and distributional effects.
- Experience managing projects, clients, multidisciplinary teams, budgets, risks and competing priorities.
- Ability to turn complex quantitative and qualitative evidence into clear reports, presentations and recommendations.
- Degree-level economics training or equivalent practical experience.
- For Associate Director applicants: experience directing complex evaluations, assuring technical quality, leading proposals and developing client opportunities.

Desirable skills:

- Knowledge of one or more relevant policy areas: culture, heritage, sport, creative industries, environment and natural capital, innovation, data, space, employment and skills, apprenticeships or youth policy.
- Experience applying HM Treasury Green Book guidance and specialist approaches such as cultural and heritage capital, natural capital accounting or valuation of information and data.
- Experience of experimental or quasi-experimental impact evaluation, econometrics and quantitative analysis using Stata, R or Python.
- Experience combining economic analysis with theory-based, process and mixed-method evaluation.
- Experience delivering larger or complex consultancy projects and working with specialist partners.
- Effective and responsible use of AI tools to improve research, analysis, quality and delivery.
- Existing public sector client relationships or relevant networks.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you as an individual. Our standard benefits include 25 days annual leave, pension contribution, income protection and life assurance. In addition, there are a range health & wellbeing, financial benefits and professional development opportunities.

We have a hybrid approach to work and ask people to be in the office or with clients for 3 days per week. We appreciate you may have commitments outside of work and will consider flexible working applications - please highlight what you are looking for when you make your application.

We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success - a more diverse workforce will enable us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients. We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme, certified as a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. We provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Your application will be reviewed by someone from our Talent Team who will be in touch either way to let you know the outcome.

Ready to have an impact? Apply now!