Economist Job Description and Role Profile

This Economist job description provides a clear overview of the role and the type of candidates who should apply. It is aimed at professional economists, analysts and researchers with experience in data-led economic analysis, policy evaluation or forecasting who are seeking a structured role profile for recruitment or career planning.

Economist Job Profile

The Economist role is centred on applying economic theory and quantitative methods to analyse data, interpret trends and produce evidence-based recommendations. The post is suitable for candidates with a strong grounding in economics, experience of applied research and the ability to communicate technical findings to non-technical stakeholders.

The purpose of the role is to deliver rigorous economic analysis to inform decision making, policy development or business strategy. The economist will translate complex information into clear, actionable insights and support projects from scoping through to reporting.

Economist Job Description

An Economist undertakes research and analysis to support policy makers, business leaders or project teams. Typical duties include designing analytical approaches, collecting and validating data, developing models and interpreting results to assess economic impacts, costs and benefits. Work often requires balancing methodological rigour with practical timelines and stakeholder needs.

The role operates in environments where evidence and forecasting underpin strategic choices. Economists are expected to produce written reports, presentations and briefings that explain assumptions, limitations and implications of analyses. Collaboration with internal teams and external partners is common to ensure findings are robust and relevant.

Outputs should meet professional standards for reproducibility and transparency. The economist will be required to adapt methods to different policy or market contexts and to keep abreast of developments in economic research and statistical techniques.

Economist: Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and conduct quantitative and qualitative economic analyses to address defined research questions.
• Collect, clean and validate data from a range of sources and document data provenance and limitations.
• Develop and apply economic models to estimate impacts, costs, elasticities and other key metrics.
• Produce clear, well-structured reports and technical notes that present findings and methodology.
• Prepare briefings and presentations for internal and external stakeholders with actionable recommendations.
• Conduct sensitivity and scenario analysis to test the robustness of results and assumptions.
• Evaluate policy options or business strategies using cost benefit and distributional analysis where appropriate.
• Monitor economic indicators and market trends to inform forecasts and risk assessments.
• Work with colleagues across disciplines to integrate economic evidence into wider projects.
• Ensure analytical work complies with professional standards and internal quality controls.
• Design survey instruments or use secondary sources to support primary research when required.
• Mentor junior analysts and contribute to peer review of analytical outputs.
• Communicate complex economic concepts clearly to non-specialist audiences.
• Maintain accurate documentation and reproducible code or working notes for analytical tasks.

Economist: Requirements and Qualifications

• Graduate degree in economics, applied economics, econometrics or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience in applied economic analysis, research or policy evaluation.
• Strong quantitative skills with familiarity in statistical and econometric methods.
• Proven ability to interpret data and present results clearly in written and verbal form.
• Experience developing and documenting economic models and assumptions.
• Excellent analytical thinking and problem solving with attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deliver high quality outputs to deadlines.
• Good interpersonal skills and experience working collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Capacity to translate technical analysis into practical recommendations for decision makers.
• Experience producing reports, policy briefs or technical documentation for stakeholders.
• Awareness of data ethics, confidentiality and appropriate handling of sensitive information.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and keeping up to date with economic research.