Head of Economic Analysis

Requirements of the role

The economic regulation and competition policy (ERCP) team is a vital part of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Consumers and Markets Group (CMG). It protects consumers by ensuring that airports and air traffic service (ATS) providers do not exploit their market position, oversees the CAA’s competition responsibilities and provides economics input and support to the CAA’s wider policies and initiatives.  This includes shaping new technology markets, airspace modernisation and other competition and consumer issues. The team is responsible for the economic regulation of Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) and the monopoly ATS provider for the UK, NATS (En Route) plc(NERL). Understanding the impact of policy options and our actions is essential in ensuring we protect the interests of consumers, while enabling wider aviation policy.

We are looking for a highly experienced economist to play a key role in leading significant elements of our work in the regulation of airports and ATS, and economic analysis input to programmes across the CAA. Reporting to a Programme Director, as the Head of Economic Analysis, you will manage the work of economists and policy experts in the team to assess key policy issues, as well as overseeing the commission and delivery of work by consultants. This includes work on key price control programmes, including airport capacity expansion.

You will lead the development and delivery of integrated work plans, selecting the most effective analytical approaches and engaging with senior stakeholders throughout. You will ensure the timely production of robust, evidence-based regulatory analysis and policy that supports key decisions and withstands legal and stakeholder scrutiny. This role requires applying first principles to resolve complex economic issues often with limited precedent. Strong drafting and editing skills are essential, as you will produce high-quality documents for publication.

The initial focus of this role is likely to be on our price control and regulatory reviews for HAL (H8) and NERL (NR28), as well as the expansion of Heathrow airport. This may include work on setting incentives for the price control, cost assessment and / or service quality. We will need to be flexible to changes in specific responsibilities and work areas over time as the teams’ work programmes and priorities evolve.

This role is permanent and offers the opportunity for professional development, through working within a highly experienced team, directly influencing and engaging with senior leaders, and working across a wide variety of high profile and interesting economic and policy issues.

We understand that work-life balance is key and would be happy to consider those seeking part time work and/or a job share as well as those seeking a full-time role. We operate (and are committed to) a hybrid working model, with the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. The team currently requires attendance in the office around one and half days per week for full-time employees (pro rata for part time colleagues) on average and we will keep this under review based on team needs.

Core Accountabilities

• Overseeing and driving forward key elements of economic analysis and assessment that supports our work on price controls and other aspects of the regulatory frameworks for airports and air traffic services. This may include assessing the efficiency of costs and design of regulatory incentive mechanisms, as well as supporting wider CAA work on areas of consumer policy, aviation markets, and new innovations and technologies.
• Ensuring key deliverables are clear, on time, produced to a high quality, robust to external challenge and scrutiny, and supported by appropriate quality assurance processes. This includes reviewing and drafting consultation, decision and policy papers that cover difficult technical issues as well as issues with the potential to generate intense media and stakeholder interest. It also includes the drafting and quality assurance of CAA board papers.
• Developing the overall approach to senior engagement with key internal and external stakeholders on the range of policy issues and engaging at a senior level with key stakeholders on a wide range of issues.
• Overseeing the work of our economists and policy experts, technical advisors and consultants.
• Reviewing and challenging regulatory business plans and submissions from other stakeholders.
• Working closely with the Programme Directors to ensure work is fully coordinated across the wider ERCP work programmes.
• Providing advice to the Programme Directors, Economics Director, Chief Economist, the CAA Executive Committee and Board as required.
• Development and empowering of team members, through opportunities to develop skills and training, as a senior leader in the team.
• Championing CAA values and D&I policy.

You may also be expected to support the delivery of other aspects of our regulatory and competition economics work and may need to work with other regulators and represent the CAA at external groups, such as the UK Regulators Network (UKRN).

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