Public First
Economist / Senior Economist (Energy)
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Economics at Public First
We are currently looking to recruit an Economist / Senior Economist, specialising in Energy Economics, to help build and scale our Economics, Modelling and Impact practice.
About Public First
Public First is a policy, research, opinion and strategy consultancy. We work with global companies, governments, start-ups, institutions and foundations around the world to tackle major public policy and strategic challenges.
Our recent projects have included:
- Helping Google quantify their economic and social impact in over 20 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and North America.
- Proposing measures to speed heat decarbonisation in the UK.
- Running the Hybrid Work Commission on the economic and policy impact of the shift towards more flexible working.
- Co-ordinating major energy sector players to push for a rethink of economic regulation.
- Modelling how to reduce emissions from a new generation of data centres.
We take an analytical approach to research, deploying economic modelling, data analysis, and opinion research to shape effective policy, create strategy and deliver communications with impact.
We work with some of the world’s leading organisations on topics including tech, climate change, Industrial Strategy and education, exploring questions such as:
- How should governments balance affordability, energy security, and decarbonisation when designing energy policy?
- What are the biggest economic barriers to reaching net zero in advanced economies, and which are most tractable through policy?
- How can companies quantify and articulate the value of ESG behaviours and their core business activity to policymakers and the communities in which they work?
The Role
We are looking for an Economist / Senior Economist, specialising in Energy Economics, to join our Economics, Modelling and Impact practice.
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This is a deliberately open brief. We are interested in candidates from a range of backgrounds and levels of experience. You may already be operating at senior level, or you may be earlier in your career but bring strong energy and economics expertise with clear room to grow.
What matters most is that you can strengthen our energy economics capability: bringing technical skill, sound judgement and an interest in applying economics to live policy and client problems.
In this role, you would:
- Lead or support the design, delivery and write-up of economic analysis and modelling projects, primarily for clients working in energy and decarbonisation.
- Work on questions spanning energy markets, networks, regulation, infrastructure and transition pathways.
- Contribute to a wider mix of work across impact measurement, policy design, opinion research and strategic advisory projects.
- Work closely with colleagues from different disciplines to translate technical analysis into clear, persuasive outputs for clients and policymakers.
- Help shape project approaches, research design and analytical frameworks.
- Contribute to business development by helping develop proposals, generate ideas and support client relationships.
- Play a part in building and deepening Public First’s wider energy economics offer.
The right candidate will have:
- Extensive experience with quantitative research (e.g. input-output modelling, contingent valuation etc).
- Extensive experience with techno-economic modelling of energy and/or energy systems.
- Strong written communication skills.
- Demonstrated interest in public policy, specifically on energy and decarbonisation.
- Experience with client engagement and project management, ideally in a consulting environment.
We are particularly interested in candidates who can combine economics with policy instinct: people who are comfortable with technical analysis, but also interested in how evidence lands with clients, policymakers and wider audiences.
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While not essential, we are highly interested in candidates with any of the following particular experience or interests:
- Green Book compliant appraisal
- Economic regulation
- Energy system modelling
- Coding in Python or R
If you do not meet every criterion but think you would be a strong fit for the role, we would still encourage you to apply.
Salary and Benefits
- Starting salaries range from £50,000 to £80,000, subject to role and experience.
- 25 days annual holiday with additional office closure days.
- A discretionary annual bonus, based on personal and business performance.
- Enhanced company pension contribution of 5% of annual salary.
- Private healthcare cover, inclusive of dental and optical (after probation).
- An enhanced family leave package.
- Bike and Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice schemes.
- An employee assistance programme with 24/7 access to online, phone or face-to-face counselling.
- We are based in Central London, close to several public transport links and for anyone who prefers to cycle in we offer bike storage and showers on site.
- We encourage a mix of home and office-based working.
We value diversity and encourage applications from all groups. Many of us, including the founders, have young children and we work hard to be family friendly. International travel and work would be possible for future projects.
How to Apply
We will be interviewing on an ongoing basis, and looking for successful candidates to start as possible. The interview process will be two rounds, including a task.
Please follow the instructions after clicking "Apply for this job", and submit the application no later than midnight on 21 August 2026.
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