Senior Economist - Universal Basic Services

NEF is looking for a Senior Economist to lead ambitious, policy-relevant work on Universal Basic Services, public services and economic security. This is an exciting opportunity for a rigorous, creative and politically engaged economist who is motivated to develop bold, practical and well-evidenced policy ideas that can improve people s access to life s essentials and help shift public debate. The successful candidate will lead work across a wide range of areas, including public services, social infrastructure, care, childcare, transport, housing, digital inclusion, local services, public value, delivery models, fiscal design, distributional impacts, and the role of universal provision in building a fairer economy. We are particularly interested in self-starters: people who can identify important economic questions, immerse themselves quickly in the evidence, and use data tools and AI intelligently to develop substantial projects from early idea through to impactful, public-facing outputs with limited supervision. Role: Senior Economist UBS Hours of work: Full Time (32 hours per week under NEF s Shorter Working Week) Salary: £54,470 - £60,480 Location: London (in-office minimum two days per week) Contract type: Permanent How to apply Deadline for applications: midnight, 8th June 2026 Interviews: First stage interviews 22nd June with second stage in person interviews on the 29th June Start date: ASAP Please send your CV and your answer to the following questions in Word ..... full job details .....