Policy Economist (Firms) - International Growth Centre

Salary: from £ 40,229 to £ 48,456 per annum with the potential to progress to £ 52,095 per annum including London allowance.

The International Growth Centre works with policymakers in developing countries to promote inclusive and sustainable growth through pathbreaking research. The IGC is a global research centre with a network of world-leading researchers and in-country teams and initiatives working across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. Based at LSE and in partnership with the University of Oxford, we are majority funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with support from other global funders. We work to improve the productivity of people and firms as the key driver of sustainable economic development.

The IGC Policy Economist (Firms) supports on the managements of the portfolio of IGC activities under the Firms, Trade and Productivity theme at the LSE Hub. The post holder supports the development of and implements the overall strategy for the IGC Firms initiative, which includes global influencing based on the stock of knowledge, organising the IGC community of practice and supporting country teams thematically, coordinating the commissioning of research for thematically focused programmes and delivering effective programme management of the portfolio of IGC projects under this theme. The post holder implements our engagement strategy for the Firms, Trade and Productivity, contributing to the writing and dissemination of high-quality policy and research outputs to promote innovative growth policy ideas.

The successful applicants will have:

• A demonstrated understanding of policy-relevant economic research;
• A Master’s degree in economics, public policy/administration, development economics, or a closely related discipline by date of application;
• The ability to construct clear and concise arguments to facilitate the translation of research into policy recommendations and excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Experience of programme management and understanding of monitoring and evaluation methods and processes in the field of development economics or a related area;
• The willingness to regularly travel to Africa, South Asia and Middle East, and engage with country teams and stakeholders in these regions;
• The ability to organise their own workload and work independently as a dynamic self-starter with minimum supervision;
• Thematic expertise on the theme of Firms, Trade and Productivity.

This is a full-time open-ended appointment until 30 September 2026. It is based at the IGC Head Office within LSE. We expect a starting date by 08/04/2024 at the latest; an earlier start date is preferred. 

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave and excellent training and development opportunities. If required, we may be able to provide visa sponsorship for the position.