Consultant / Associate Director - Economics and Evaluation London / hybrid

Job Spec: Ipsos Public Affairs is recruiting a Senior Consultant and an Associate Director to lead and deliver high-profile applied economic research and evaluation for public sector clients across transport and infrastructure, trade, innovation and enterprise policy. Our evaluations help clients understand how policies and programmes are delivered, what difference they make, for whom and in what circumstances. We use robust evaluation approaches to produce evidence that supports policy development and delivery. We have offices located in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. We welcome applications from candidates that can be based from one of these offices and able to travel for internal and external client meetings. What is in it for you? This is a fantastic opportunity for you to join and work with a strong team of expert evaluators. We have a compelling learning and development program as well as a chance to learn from some of the industry's very best. 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 spanning transport and infrastructure, trade, innovation and enterprise policy.
• Manage portfolios of complex projects with multidisciplinary teams It is common for team members to manage 3-4 projects simultaneously, whilst providing technical and/or analytical projects into several others.
• Produce clear, robust evidence that helps clients understand impact, delivery, and value for money.
• At Associate Director level, help grow our portfolio through client development, proposals and sales and direct projects of varying size and complexity.
The Role Key Responsibilities:
• This role sits in the Evaluation business unit
• Designing and delivering evaluations, economic studies and appraisals from inception to reporting.
• Developing theories of change, evaluation frameworks, and mixed-method approaches.
• Undertaking or overseeing economic analysis, including value-for-money assessment and cost-benefit analysis.
• Integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence to form credible conclusions and practical recommendations.
• Managing clients, teams, budgets, risks, quality and competing deadlines.
• Drafting reports and presentations and communicate findings to senior stakeholders.
• Contributing to, and at AD level leading, proposals and business development.
• Coaching colleagues and collaborating with specialists across Ipsos and partner organisations., The Public Affairs Service Line is the world leader in Social and Opinion Research. We work with clients on political and public opinion polling, citizen and stakeholder management, social policy improvement, sustainable development strategy and identifying societal trends and perceptions across several sectors. We assess how government and public affairs policies as well as societal trends and views impact our client's brand/products/markets.
  
  Applied economic research, appraisal or evaluation experience for public sector clients or within the public sector.
• Solid experience of evaluation and economic analysis, with the ability to select proportionate methods.
• Experience managing projects, teams, budgets, risks and competing priorities.
• Ability to turn complex evidence into clear reports, presentations and recommendations.
• Strong client and stakeholder management skills.
• For Associate Director applicants: demonstrable experience of business development, proposal leadership and sales.
Desirable Criteria:
• Knowledge of transport, infrastructure, industrial, trade, innovation, enterprise or related economic policy.
• Degree-level economics training or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience applying HM Treasury Green Book principles, cost-benefit analysis and value-for-money approaches.
• Econometric or quantitative impact evaluation skills and experience using tools such as Stata, R or Python.
• Experience delivering larger or complex consultancy projects.
• Effective and responsible use of AI tools to improve research, analysis, quality and delivery.
• Existing public sector client relationships or relevant networks.
  
  Ipsos is one of the world's largest research companies and currently the only one primarily managed by researchers, ranking as a #1 full-service research organization for four consecutive years. With over 75 different data-driven solutions, and presence in 90 markets, Ipsos brings together research, implementation, methodological, and subject-matter experts from around the world, combining thematic and technical experts to deliver top-quality research and insights. Simply speaking, we help the biggest companies solve some of their biggest problems, serving more than 5000 clients across the globe by providing research, data, and insights on their target markets. And we are proud of our continuous efforts in making Ipsos the best place to work!
  
  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.