Are you an Economics Graduate? Enjoy presenting complex economic ideas to a wide audience? Have strong analytical skills and want to use them in an interesting customer focussed environment? We have a great opportunity for a Regulatory Economist to join us here at Bristol Water.

What will you be doing?

As Regulatory Economist, you’ll manage the economic analysis which is used to support the Company’s regulatory submissions and the regulatory price-setting process.

You’ll have opportunity to review and develop econometric models used to assess the Company’s cost projections and benchmarking the Company’s relative efficiency position.

Day to day you’ll be…

• Carrying out economic analysis for all areas of regulatory and competition policy impacting Bristol Water and the delivery of its strategy
• Developing analysis and recommendations to inform key business planning decisions as part of the five-yearly price-review process (with specific regard to determining the amount of revenue Ofwat will allow the Company to recoup from its customers and hence the amount of money the Company has to operate).
• Presenting and communicating complex economic ideas in non-technical language to internal management, external stakeholders and regulators
• Working on the calculation of the tariffs to be charged to customers and retailers
• Analysing written consultations, policy statements and data from both internal and external sources
• Managing the development of, and be the technical lead for, the review of cost assessment models; including identifying cost drivers reflective of Company operations, applying econometric and engineering challenge and assessing likely impacts of different modelling scenarios on the Company.
• Managing the collation of operational and cost data from across the Company to support regulatory submissions to Ofwat; ensuring data is compliant with regulatory requirements and managing quality assurance and governance processes

What we’re looking for...

To be successful in this role you’ll need to be confident in influencing others and working collaboratively. You will enjoy working with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds and levels and be confident working with complex datasets and understanding associated issues in econometric analysis.

You’ll also need…

• A formal academic qualification in Economics (BA/ BSc or above)
• A technical understanding of econometrics and panel data modelling and how it may be applied to economic regulation
• To be confident with technical and policy understanding of the key economic concepts underpinning regulated network industries and key economic concepts underpinning assessment of benefits
• To be self-motivated and the ability to demonstrate that you can deliver on time within tight deadlines and work within corporate governance procedures
• To be a proficient user of Microsoft Office applications and other relevant packages, particularly Microsoft Excel and relevant modelling software, ideally Stata, or similar.

A background in the utilities sector or another regulated environment would be highly beneficial but not essential.

Above all, you will need to demonstrate our competencies and core values: TRUST, SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPECT, PROFESSIONALISM, PRIDE and AMBITION.

What’s in it for you?

As well as a great opportunity to make your mark and develop in a great local company, the role also offers:

• 27 days holiday + bank holidays
• Entry into the company pension scheme
• Bonus scheme
• Flexible arrangements and a supportive, friendly team and working environment

Why Bristol Water?

Bristol Water provides water to over a million customers in the Bristol area, this equates to over one thousand square miles and 264,000,000 litres of water supplied everyday!

Since 1846, we’ve been making people healthier and the economy stronger. We’ve served generations of families and will serve generations to come.

We don’t just give people water. We keep them healthy and help them grow. People are the reason we work around the clock and test our water hundreds of times every day.

We’re here to have a positive impact on people and the planet for generations. Without people, it’s just water. With water, families flourish, businesses grow, and people create.

We’re a morning cuppa, that well-deserved bubble bath (although we’d prefer a four-minute shower), and that cold Friday pint after a long week.

We’re full of colour, pride and spirit… just like our small patch of the planet.

We’re local

We’ve been here for generations, we served your great-great-great grandparents (if they lived in Bristol, anyway).

Almost everyone who works here, also lives in the area.

We were born out of the needs of Bristolians and we’re still part of that today. So, we do what we do for ourselves, our families, our friends…our people.

We’re nimble

Did you know we’re one of the smallest water companies in the UK, and we love it.

It means we’re closer to people and we can do the things that matter. Being small means we can be responsive. We punch above our weight, leading the way. We show others how it’s done and have big opportunities for our staff.

We’re in it together

We’re stronger when we work together. Our willingness and desire to collaborate is our secret to success.

We welcome applications from all individuals from all backgrounds, if you share our values, we’ll want to work with you to do good.

For the planet

We’re on a mission to save the planet from pollution and waste. We aim to make every bit of the environment we touch better.

Bristol Water. It’s what we’re made of.

Our purpose - To have a positive impact on society and the environment to build trust beyond water.

Bristol Water is committed to the welfare of our customers and expects all staff to share this commitment. All direct customer facing appointments are subject to a basic DBS check.

Ecorys is a leading research company specialising in policy research and evaluation, communications and programme management services for UK, international and European public sector organisations. Our multi-disciplinary teams help our clients to improve the quality of social and economic programmes by providing high quality research and analysis and by supporting evaluation and learning.  We are a socially responsible, employee-owned organisation that gives 1% of our profits to charity each year. Our working culture promotes personal and career development. By joining us you will be part of a large international group with offices worldwide. Ecorys operates a flexible working policy.

About the role

We are looking for a Senior Consultant / Senior Research Manager (SRM) with a background in economics or economics policy research to work principally on projects for our UK clients. Our clients include central and local government along with a range of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. Depending on your knowledge and policy interests, you would contribute to our work in the areas of enterprise and industry, innovation, education, employment and labour markets, children, young people and families, health and well-being.

Senior Consultants / Senior Research Managers (SRM) take responsibility for managing medium and large-scale research and evaluation contracts, working with Project Directors and research teams on a range of research and evaluation projects. As an SRM you will be involved in work winning as well as project implementation from inception through to final reporting and dissemination.

As an experienced economist or economic researcher, you must be confident in designing and implementing evaluations, including developing sampling approaches, contributing to and overseeing data collection undertaking data analysis, and developing a range of outputs including reports and presentations. You will have a strong understanding of economic analysis and quantitative research approaches relevant to economic evaluations and mixed-method performance and impact evaluations.

Providing effective project and client management, planning and monitoring delivery to agreed timescales, ensuring quality, and liaising with finance on budgeting and invoicing are key parts of the role.

As an SRM you will also be proactive in contributing to business development and work winning by maintaining client contacts and developing one or more specific areas of business development / market interest. You will also lead on a range of proposals.

Role Requirements

You must also be able to demonstrate a good level of knowledge in one or more of the relevant thematic areas listed in the job description and be able to demonstrate strong commercial awareness, being able to deliver research and evaluation in a commercial environment.

You must also have experience of managing people, including having the capability to build and develop team knowledge and skills.

Travel may be required (usually short missions of 1-2 days and occasionally a week to 10 days for international trips).

Please apply with your CV and covering letter outlining your motivation for the role.

Economics Consultant

About AlixPartners

AlixPartners is a leading global business advisory firm of results-oriented professionals who specialise in creating value and restoring performance at every stage of the business life cycle.  We thrive on our ability to make a difference in high-impact situations and deliver sustainable, bottom-line results.

The Investigations, Disputes & Risk practice provides independent and objective critical thinking to help companies and their stakeholders address high-stakes disputes, litigation, and investigations. Our clients include an array of organisations and their legal counsel, who turn to us for assistance with expert testimony, valuation models, and financial and economic analyses. You will work in highly skilled, purpose-built teams with experienced accounting, economics, and financial professionals, enabling you to enrich your knowledge and develop your long-term career objectives.

Our Economics Consulting Practice

We provide economics-based insights, empirical analysis and expert evidence and testimony. We have worked on high-stakes competition and regulatory cases in dozens of countries and have helped world leading firms with complex commercial issues.

Examples of our work include:

• representing Visa in High Court litigation on interchange fees and in the European Commission investigation into inter-regional interchange fees;
• representing PING in its appeal to the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal of a decision by the Competition and Markets Authority. The case involved vertical restraints, specifically an online sales ban relating to custom-fitted golf clubs;
• supporting Peugeot in the automotive bearings cartel damages litigation at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal;
• providing economics support to a range of North-West European energy majors in contract disputes; and
• advising eir, the Irish telecoms operator, on its strategy regarding a government tender for rural superfast broadband rollout.

We offer our clients a wide range of economics-based advice, drawing on the skills of colleagues outside the Economics team, who are industry authorities, forensic accountants and data analytics experts. This means you will get to work on diverse projects in collaboration with members of other teams.
We also regularly work with high-profile academic advisors to ensure that our analysis reflects the latest insights in the academic literature and employs state-of-the-art empirical techniques.

Job Summary

We are seeking highly-motivated entry-level economists interested in a full-time position in our London office.  All candidates are required to have excellent knowledge of Microeconomics, in particular Industrial Organisation, Advanced Microeconomics or Econometrics.

We will provide you with opportunities to take your economics and econometrics skills from the lecture theatre to the boardroom and courts. You will work alongside our highly-experienced economists as a valued member of the team.

As a new joiner, you will bring fresh insights on complex and meaningful cases, while learning about what really matters to our clients. From the beginning, you will be working face-to-face with clients: all members of our team are client facing - not just spreadsheet facing!  

With the support of senior colleagues, you will be able to improve your skills and deepen your understanding of economics, so that you can deliver influential work and progress on your own merit.

Background and qualifications

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:

• A post-graduate degree, either Master’s or PhD, in Economics or Econometrics; preferably with a focus on industrial organization, microeconomics, or applied econometrics.
• A mix of analytical rigour, the ability to apply economic theory to a wide range of practical problems, and strong communication skills.
• An intellectually curious, pragmatic, and results-focused approach, with the ability to operate on a range of local and international engagements.

Additional Information

• We are a European practice, so this role may involve working for short periods at other AlixPartners’ UK and European offices and providing assistance at client sites, both in the UK and abroad. Flexibility will therefore be required.

We are an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status or status as an individual with disability.