Programme Director: Economics & Economic Regulation

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Salary: £95,000 up to £115,000 per annum (dependent upon experience)

Contract type: 1 x Permanent and 1 x 12 months Fixed Term Contract - Maternity Cover.

Security Level: BPSS

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in our field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The Role

The economic regulation and competition policy team is a vital part of the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) Consumers and Markets Group (CMG). The focus of the team is to protect consumers by ensuring that airports and air traffic service (ATS) providers do not exploit their market position. Understanding the impact of policy options and our actions is essential in ensuring we protect the interests of consumers while allowing a fair investment opportunity for investors.

The team has responsibility for the economic regulation of Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) and the monopoly air traffic services provider for the UK, NATS (En Route) Plc (NERL). This includes the development, oversight and enforcement of price control arrangements and other licence obligations. The team is also responsible for discharging the CAA's concurrent competition responsibilities relating to the provision of airport operation and air traffic services.

We are looking for a highly experienced senior level economist to play a critical delivery role as Programme Director in the CAA's economic regulation of airports and ATS. Working closely with the Chief Economist and alongside other Programme Directors, this role will oversee the design and delivery of key programmes of work for the next price control reviews for HAL and NERL.

Reporting to the Chief Economist, the Programme Director will oversee the work of Heads and senior regulatory experts in the delivery and implementation of our work programmes to discharge our statutory duties through our economic regulation activities and supporting the wider organisation in policy development.

Our decisions have the potential to be contentious and may be subject to appeals and/or legal challenge. As a highly experienced economist and Programme Director, you will be responsible for ensuring our high-quality deliverables are informed by compelling analysis, robust and produced to a high standard.

This role offers the opportunity for professional development, through working within a highly experienced team and directly influencing and engaging with senior leaders. 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.

Core Accountabilities

As a Programme Director for economics and economic regulation, you will be responsible for:

• The leadership of and driving forward the price control programmes for airports and ATS. These programmes involve multi-billion pound decisions and come under intense scrutiny from external stakeholders and are subject to stakeholders having full appeal rights.
• Developing the price control strategy and ensuring the delivery of economic and financial analysis supports our work on price controls and other aspects of the regulatory frameworks for airports and ATS and is sufficiently robust given the materiality of the decisions, the intense scrutiny from stakeholders and their full appeal rights.
• 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 and decision 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.
• Overseeing the work of a range of heads, economists, and policy advisors, and providing advice to the Chief Economist, the CAA Executive Committee and the CAA Board.
• Developing the overall approach to engagement at a senior level with key stakeholders on the range of price control issues, including Board level interactions with external stakeholders and in the CAA.
• Developing the strategy for using external technical advisors and consultants and ensuring the that their work is fit for purpose, dovetails with programme requirements and meets appropriate quality standards.
• Working closely with the Chief Economist and other Programme Directors to ensure work is fully coordinated across the wider ERCP work programmes.
• Development and empowering of team members, through opportunities to develop skills and training, as a senior leader in the team.
• Championing and demonstrating CAA values and D&I policy.

About You

Skills, knowledge, and experience that are essential for the job:

• An outstanding track record of expertise and delivery in regulatory economics and related matters, including overseeing and undertaking complex technical analysis. This should include in one or more areas of price control design, cost assessment, incentives, regulatory finance and price control modelling.
• Significant experience working at a senior level as an economist in a regulatory environment, for example within a government department, regulator or regulated company (or other relevant experience).
• Strong leadership skills and experience of developing and delivering work programmes that have a significant economic impact and are sufficiently robust to withstand intense stakeholder and media scrutiny and appeals to the Competition and Markets Authority.
• Authoritative and skilled communicator with the ability to explain complex information to a wide range of audiences including non-economists and the ability to withstand challenge under scrutiny, including at Board level.
• Excellent drafting skills and able to deliver concise and clear written material for publication.
• Experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams and delivering work through team members.

Desirable skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Experience of regulatory finance and accounting issues.
• Knowledge of aviation and transport.

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

To be vetted you must have the right to work in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken.

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

For more information on BPSS clearance please visit - BPSS clearance

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

Inclusive Recruitment

We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone.

As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.

Working With Us

We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance.

We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!

Our Values

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone - For more information please Click Here

Closing Date: noon 22nd January 2025

Interview Date: W/c 3rd February 2025

We reserve the right to close these vacancies early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested,

please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.