Economist jobs in london

Royal Economic Society (RES) is the professional membership body and learned society for the study and application of economics. The RES has been at the forefront of advancing economic knowledge globally since 1890 and has been foundational in building capability and excellence in the profession. With over 3,000 individual members worldwide and a dozen organizational members, we are one of the oldest economic associations in the world.  Increasingly we are focused on improving the public understanding of economics through engagement with schools and the wider public. Improving diversity, inclusion and professional conduct within the discipline is a key strategic priority of the Society. 

Job Overview

The Senior Communications Manager is responsible for developing and delivering the Society’s communications strategy to enhance its visibility, influence, and engagement with key audiences. The role ensures that the Society’s voice is clear, consistent, inclusive, and aligned with its strategic aims across all channels—web, social media, email, press, and publications. The role combines planning and budgeting with hands-on communications activity.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Communications

• Develop and implement an annual communications plan to support the Society’s strategic objectives, including member communication and marketing of the Society’s activities events and programmes.
• Work with the CEO, senior staff and officers to shape key messages and deliver campaigns that enhance the Society’s visibility and reputation.

Digital and Print Content

• Manage the Society’s website, ensuring it is current, accessible, user-friendly, and engaging.
• Oversee the production and distribution of newsletters, bulletins, blogs, and reports.
• Write, edit, and commission content for various audiences, including members, academics, policymakers, students, and the general public.

Social Media and Brand Management

• Manage the Society’s presence on social media (e.g. X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube), creating engaging and timely content.
• Develop multimedia content (videos, infographics, animations) as needed.

Media and Public Relations

• Monitor performance against income and other targets and report regularly to the Chief Executive and Board.
• Prepare briefings, proposals and reports for Board and committee meetings.

Internal Support

• Provide communications advice and support to staff colleagues and committees across the organisation.
• Collaborate with staff colleagues to ensure clear and effective promotion of RES activities and outputs.
• Develop communication toolkits, templates, and training to support wider staff and volunteer contributions.

Other

• Carry out any other tasks and responsibilities commensurate with the role and as reasonably requested.

Person Specification

Essential Skills

1. Significant experience in a communications role, ideally within a professional body, academic institution, or non-profit organisation.
2. Excellent written and editorial skills, with the ability to produce compelling, accurate, and audience-appropriate content across different formats and channels.
3. Strong skills in managing digital platforms, including websites (e.g. WordPress), email marketing tools (e.g. Mailchimp), and social media (e.g. LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube).
4. Proven ability to develop and implement communication plans, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
5. Experience in applying and maintaining brand identity across a wide range of communications outputs.
6. Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, including experience working with internal teams, senior leaders, and external stakeholders.
7. Ability to monitor performance metrics (e.g. website, social media) and adapt communications accordingly.

Desired Skills

1. Knowledge of economics or higher education landscape.
2. Understanding of learned societies, professional associations, or membership organisations.
3. Experience working with journalists or managing media relations.
4. Awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion issues and how to reflect them in communications content and practice.

Application Process

Please send your CV along with a personal statement outlining how you meet each person specification point. Applications that have not linked the personal statement to the person specification points will not be considered.

Applications should be emailed to us by 9am Monday 8 September 2025. Late applications will not be considered. Interviews will take place week commencing 15 September 2025.

Do you believe that it is possible to change the rules of the economy so that it works better for people and planet? Are you driven by a commitment to make the UK more equitable, sustainable and democratic? Are you an expert in social policy? If so, we have the job for you.

For 40 years NEF has turned bold ideas, robust research and community power into real-world change to build a new economy that works for people and planet. At this critical moment in global and domestic politics, we are looking for someone to head up our social policy team, leading visionary flagship programmes on public service reform, housing and social security. NEF has always been a pioneer of cutting-edge research, big ideas and effective campaigning. We work at the interface between economic, social and environmental policy and we are looking for a Head of Social Policy that can help us push this frontier. 

Working with a talented team of researchers and economists, directors and other heads, you will develop a strategy to steer NEF’s social policy work, lead the development of and fundraising for programmes of research, policy and influencing and help ensure new and existing work delivers clear, high quality and rigorous outputs and outcomes.

You will need a strong track record of leading research, policy development, a keen sense of how change happens and strong relationships with partners across politics, civil society, trade unions and business. And you will need a passion for economic, social and environmental justice and a belief that we can make change happen.

Role: Head of Social Policy

Hours of work: Full Time

NEF operates a Shorter Working Week, with a full-time equivalent of 32 hours per week. As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant, which can be discussed at interview stage.

Salary range: £56,477 to £68,268, depending on qualifications and experience

Location: London (in-office min two days per week)

Contract type: permanent

Responsible to: Deputy Chief Executive

The Head of Social Policy leads the development of our thinking across public service reform, social security and housing.  This role develops - and is responsible for the effective delivery of a NEF-wide social policy strategy and of projects that are delivering on this strategy.  The Head of Social Policy acts as a key spokesperson for NEF and promotes our work at a local, regional and national level.

As NEF has a particular strategic focus on transforming the way policy is made so that it better reflects the lived experience of the people, communities and movements that most need change, we look to heads across our different themes to help develop and test new approaches to policy and advocacy.

The Head of Social Policy generates project ideas, oversees the development of quantitative and qualitative research, leads funding bids and manages day-to-day funder relationships.  This role leads a team which both develops our thinking on social policy and provides expertise to other teams at NEF.

 Deadline for applications: midnight on 14th September 2025

Interviews: 23rd and 25th September 2025

Start date: ASAP

To apply, please send your CV and Covering letter (no longer than 2 pages) outlining how you meet the person specification in Word format.

Please also complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring from.

You must be eligible to work in the UK, we are unable to sponsor visas.

NEF is committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in research and policy making and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from black, asian and minority ethnic people; people with disabilities; people who identify as being LGTBQIA; people who have a mental health condition; and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past. We are also aware that many highly capable prospective candidates nonetheless rule themselves out of work in research and policy because they underestimate their own ability to do the role. With this in mind, we strongly encourage applications from anyone who is prepared to learn and grow on the job and would like to stress that past experience of working in think tanks is not required.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.  We make use of positive action to select between candidates of equal merit as a way to address under-representation in our workforce.

NEF believes in diversity

Registered charity number 1055254

Royal Economic Society (RES) is the professional membership body and learned society for the study and application of economics. The RES has been at the forefront of advancing economic knowledge globally since 1890 and has been foundational in building capability and excellence in the profession. With over 3,000 individual members worldwide and a dozen organizational members, we are one of the oldest economic associations in the world.  Increasingly we are focused on improving the public understanding of economics through engagement with schools and the wider public. Improving diversity, inclusion and professional conduct within the discipline is a key strategic priority of the Society. 

The Partnerships Manager will play a central role in helping the RES achieve its strategic goals by developing, building and sustaining partnerships to deliver external funding. The individual will manage existing relationships, identify opportunities, lead bid writing, develop compelling funding proposals, and build relationships with funders, partners, and philanthropic donors.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising and bid development

• Identify and secure new sponsorship and partnerships opportunities to support existing RES activities
• Seek funding for new activities in line with the Society’s goals.
• Maintain and develop relationships with current and prospective partners including funding bodies, trusts and foundations, sponsors, major donors, corporates, universities and others.
• Write high-quality, persuasive funding bids and proposals, working with RES staff, trustees, and partner organisations.
• Develop cases for support, theory of change frameworks and budgets to underpin funding applications.
• Respond to calls for funding with tailored and timely applications that align with funder interests and the Society’s strategic priorities.
• Work closely with colleagues on the delivery of the funded activities, where appropriate overseeing these directly.
• Work closely with colleagues to identify priority initiatives that require external funding to proceed and maintain a clear pipeline of funding needs across the organisation.
• Develop and maintain RES group and institutional memberships.

Business Development and External Engagement

• Monitor trends in research funding, philanthropy, and corporate partnerships relevant to economics and learned societies.
• Horizon-scan and build a pipeline of future fundraising opportunities.
• Represent RES externally at funder meetings, networking events, and partnership development discussions.

Internal Collaboration and Capacity Building

• Work closely with colleagues shaping and costing funding proposals and ensure bid quality and compliance
• Provide guidance, training, and support to colleagues on funding opportunities, bid development, and funder expectations.
• Work with finance colleagues to ensure accurate invoicing, renewals, and financial forecasting.

Reporting

• Monitor performance against income and other targets and report regularly to the Chief Executive and Board.
• Prepare briefings, proposals and reports for Board and committee meetings.

Other

• Carry out any other tasks and responsibilities commensurate with the role and as reasonably requested.

Person Specification

Essential Skills

1. Proven experience of successful fundraising, bid writing or business development, preferably in a learned society, research organisation, professional body or in higher education.
2. Understanding of impact and outcomes-based funding models (e.g. theory of change), and how to align funding opportunities with organisational priorities.
3. Ability to support the development of budgets for funding bids and to track/report against income target.
4. Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write persuasive funding bids, cases for support, and briefing materials.
6. Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a small team environment.
7. Highly organised, able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines whilst maintaining quality.

Desired Skills

1. Familiarity with the research, higher education, or economics funding landscape.
2. Experience of working with a variety of funders, including trusts and foundations, research councils, corporates, or major donors.
3. Experience working with CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce or equivalent).
4. Understanding of how charitable governance interacts with fundraising, including experience supporting committees or preparing reports for Boards.

Application Process

Please send your CV along with a personal statement outlining how you meet each person specification point. Applications that have not linked the personal statement to the person specification points will not be considered.

Applications should be emailed to us by 9am Monday 8 September 2025. Late applications will not be considered. Interviews will take place week commencing 15 September 2025.