Location: United Kingdom (80 Strand, London)
Reporting to: Chief Economist
Contract: Fixed-term, 1 year
Type: Full-time
Salary: £33,000 - £38,000
Pension: 5% Employer Contribution
Schedule: 4 days per week in office, 1 day remote
Probationary period: 3 months
Key Responsibilities
- Navigate national statistical sources (ONS, government live tables, administrative datasets) to identify and extract the most appropriate data for specific policy questions. Digitise data from unstructured formats such as PDFs where necessary.
- Produce clear, publication-quality charts and concise written analyses - typically 500-word summaries or short-form social content - that surface the key narrative within the data.
- Build and maintain a shared internal data library, including cleaning pipelines and ETL processes that keep the team's datasets current and accessible.
- Conduct foundational statistical analysis (including regression analysis) to support ongoing projects, with a clear understanding of data limitations and appropriate caveats.
- Use AI tools proactively to accelerate coding, data extraction, and analysis, while exercising independent judgement to validate outputs.
Ideal Candidate
Core requirements:
- Strong quantitative and statistical literacy - able to spot anomalies, understand data methodologies, and know what a result does and does not show
- Programming ability in at least one language (Python preferred; Stata or R acceptable, with willingness to transition with AI assistance)
- AI-native working style: willingness to integrate AI (including AI coding tools) into daily analytical tasks
- Meticulous about sourcing - citations, methodology, and data quality
- Genuine interest in UK public policy and economics
Desirable:
- Background in economics or a related discipline is strongly preferred
- Experience handling and cleaning data from diverse sources, including administrative records, national statistics, and third-party data providers
- Strong written communication skills, including the ability to draft accessible, public-facing content
- Familiarity with data visualisation tools
- Familiarity with version control (Git/GitHub) and reproducible workflows
Our Technical Environment
To provide context on how we work, the following is our current software environment. Deep expertise is not expected at this level, but willingness to learn and adapt quickly is essential.
- For analysis: Our pipeline is built primarily in Python, using pandas and matplotlib. Experience here is the most direct route into our workflows.
- For version control: We use GitHub to manage our codebase. Transparency and reproducibility are central to how we work.
- For visualisation: Datawrapper is our primary tool for charts and maps. The successful candidate will be expected to become proficient.
- For productivity: We actively use large language models to accelerate research, summarise findings, and write code. An AI-native mindset is a core requirement for this role.
About Us:
The Centre for British Progress is a registered charity and non-partisan think tank dedicated to advancing public understanding of key policy issues. We combine rigorous research with accessible communication to shape debate and inform decision-making.
What We Offer:
- The opportunity to contribute to high-profile research and policy debates.
- Exposure to senior economists, researchers, and product specialists.
- A role designed for growth, with scope to build skills and experience.
- Flexible working arrangements within a mission-driven organisation.
We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.
How to apply:
Submit the application form. We are considering applications on a rolling basis and we strive to review and provide a response to each application within two weeks of submission.