Senior Economist, Tax

Institute for Fiscal Studies
London - United Kingdom
S: from £54K

The IFS is looking for a senior economist preferably with experience of the economics of tax design and/or policy. Significant experience of empirical research, including applying advanced economic and statistical techniques to large datasets is essential. Knowledge of research and policy in the broad area of tax would be useful. The candidate will have a very good undergraduate or Master's degree in economics and at least four years of experience working with quantitative analysis.

This is an exciting opportunity to work in the IFS's high profile tax policy team, with researchers focussed on conducting rigorous impactful research that is relevant to important and live policy issues.

Work will initially include using HMRC tax records to investigate the role of tax policy in promoting entrepreneurship. These will be used to address topical research questions, such as how the benefits of promoting entrepreneurship can be weighed against the inequality that can arise when capital incomes are taxed at lower rates than labour incomes. There will be considerable scope to shape future research ideas and to work on new initiatives to shape tax policy debates.

The senior economist will work in the Tax sector. We are looking for somebody who will be a key member of teams working on projects and who can, or will soon be able to, lead projects in their own right.

A central role for economists at this level is to undertake high quality and rigorous research and policy analysis in a timely and efficient manner. But they will also be:

- Originating and developing high-quality research ideas on their own initiative and seeing them through to completion. This includes:
* coming up with imaginative and practical research ideas that are both scientifically rigorous and policy relevant;
* engaging effectively with other colleagues to evaluate and help develop their ideas, including academics and people outside the individual's sector or outside the IFS;
* taking the lead in making research funding applications;
* undertaking the research in a thorough, time-efficient way, to the high standards IFS expects;
* presenting and defending their work to the relevant audiences;
* writing up and disseminating work effectively and building up a strong record of publication;
- Taking responsibility for the day-to-day running of projects;
- Providing intellectual supervision and support to more junior members of staff and taking a key role in the development of more junior staff;
- Working effectively with their sector head and others in their sector and beyond to help ensure smooth running of the sector and IFS;
- Representing IFS effectively and responsibly to external stakeholders, including the media, policymakers, businesspeople and academics.

Job summary