Economics Professional Placement

Step into a role where your economic skills can make a real difference from day one. As a professional placement student at Ofwat, you’ll use the tools you've developed throughout your degree to help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the water industry.
Our placement programme offers a varied, hands-on experience that gives you genuine insight into how an economic regulator operates, all supported by high quality training to help you build a strong foundation for your future career.
You’ll work within one of our directorates, contributing to a range of projects that will stretch your thinking and broaden your skillset. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you’ll see how regulatory economics, competition economics, industrial organisation and financial economics come to life in real-world decisions. The issues we deal with are complex, high-impact, and directly affect customers and the environment and you’ll play a meaningful part in shaping those outcomes!

Professional requirements - Essential criteria

Eligibility Qualifications
To succeed in this role you will need the following qualifications, essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge.
You should have, or be on track to achieve, at least a 2:2 degree in economics, (or a degree that includes a significant microeconomics component) from a UK university.

We also welcome applicants who have completed a Level 3, 4, or 5 apprenticeships in economics or a related subject that includes substantial industrial organisation or financial economics content, as well as applicants with a relevant postgraduate qualification.

As this is a placement programme, you must either be studying on a degree that includes a sandwich year or be a recent graduate/ apprentice with no more than three years of post-graduation work experience.

Experience, skills and knowledge

• Lead Criteria 1- A good understanding of various economic concepts, with a particular motivation for working in regulatory economic environments

• A good understanding of key microeconomic concepts, in particular why, when and how Governments intervene in markets. An ability to communicate this knowledge and its application clearly and effectively.

• An enthusiasm for using data analysis and modelling to solve problems.

• An ability to apply economic knowledge to solve problems, think critically, manage conflicting timelines, and successfully deliver diverse project outcomes.