Programme Director: Economics & Regulation

Salary: £95,000 up to £115,000 per annum dependent upon experience

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time

Security Level: BPSS

Visa Restrictions: This position does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The Role

The economic regulation and competition policy team is a vital part of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Consumers and Markets Group. It protects consumers by ensuring that airports and air traffic service (ATS) providers do not exploit their market position and has responsibility for the economic regulation of Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) and the monopoly air traffic services provider for the UK, NATS (En Route) Plc (NERL). It is also responsible for discharging the CAA’s concurrent competition responsibilities relating to airports and ATS.
 

Its remit is expanding to provide economic input to the CAA’s wider work, including consumer protection, airport and airline competition issues, promoting resilience and sustainability across the aviation sector, delivering airspace modernisation and shaping new technology markets, such as for remotely piloted aircraft (e.g. drones). Understanding the impact of policy options and our actions is essential in ensuring we protect and promote the interests of consumers while allowing a fair investment opportunity for investors and supporting wider aviation policy.

We are looking for a highly experienced economist to play a critical delivery role as Programme Director in our wider economics role and in the regulation of airports and ATS. Working closely with the Economics Director and Chief Economist, and alongside other Programme Directors, this role will oversee the design and delivery of high-quality economic analysis and regulatory policy input to programmes across the CAA.

Reporting to the Economics Director, the Programme Director will manage delivery and implementation of our work programmes to support the CAA’s strategic priorities and statutory duties. They will oversee the work of Heads and senior regulatory experts in the team, as well as working with subject matter specialists across the CAA, and overseeing the commission and delivery of work by consultants.

As a highly experience economist and Programme Director you will be responsible for the timely delivery of robust, evidence based and assured regulatory analysis and policy to support key decisions that stand up to intense legal and stakeholder scrutiny, applying first principles to solve important economic issues where there is limited precedent and the production of high-quality documents for publication - excellent drafting and editing skills are an essential requirement of the post.

This role is a permanent position and offers the opportunity for professional development, through working within a highly experienced team and directly influencing and engaging with senior leaders. We understand that work life balance is key and would be happy to consider those seeking part time work and/or a job share as well as those seeking a full-time role. We operate (and are committed to) a hybrid working model, with the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.

Core Accountabilities

The Programme Director: Economics & Regulation will be responsible for:

• Leadership of and driving forward work programmes that inject rigorous economic thinking into the CAA’s strategic policy priorities and regulation of airports and ATS. This requires the production of robust, evidence based and assured regulatory analysis to support key potentially multi-billion-pound decisions on price controls, that can stand up to intense legal and stakeholder scrutiny.
• Developing the strategies and delivery of economic, market and financial analysis to support development of wider aviation policy priorities and the regulatory frameworks for airports and ATS, ensuring that the approaches taken are appropriately robust, given the materiality of the decisions and intense scrutiny from stakeholders. 
• Influencing the development of wider policies across the CAA and ensuring that this wider policy development is informed by strong economic analysis and assessment.
• Ensuring key deliverables are clear, on time, produced to a high quality, robust to external challenge and scrutiny, and supported by appropriate quality assurance processes. This includes reviewing and drafting consultation, decision and policy papers that cover difficult technical issues as well as issues with the potential to generate intense media and stakeholder interest. It also includes the drafting and quality assurance of CAA board papers.
• Overseeing the work of a range of Heads, economists and policy advisors, and providing advice to the Economics Director, Chief Economist, the CAA Executive Committee and Board.
• Developing the overall approach to senior engagement with key internal and external stakeholders on the range of policy issues.
• Developing the strategy for using external technical advisors and consultants and ensuring the that their work is fit for purpose, dovetails with requirements and is high-quality.
• Working closely with the Chief Economist, Economics Director and other Programme Directors to ensure work is fully coordinated across the wider ERCP work programmes.
• Development and empowering of team members, through opportunities to develop skills and training, as a senior leader in the team.
• Championing and demonstrating CAA values and D&I policy.

About You

Skills, knowledge and experience that are essential for the job:

• An outstanding track record of expertise, delivery and application of economics in a regulatory/ policy setting, including overseeing and assuring complex technical analysis. This should include one or more of: impact assessment, market studies, competition, cost assessment, incentives, and modelling.
• Significant experience working at a senior level as an economist in a regulatory or policy environment, for example within a government department, regulator, regulated company or consultancy (or other relevant experience).
• Strong leadership skills and experience of developing and delivering work programmes that have a significant economic impact and are robust to intense stakeholder and media scrutiny.
• Authoritative and skilled communicator with the ability to explain complex information to a wide range of audiences including non-economists and the ability to withstand challenge under scrutiny, including at Board level.
• Good influencing skills.
• Excellent drafting skills and able to deliver concise and clear written material for publication.
• Experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams and delivering work through team members.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Experience of price controls, regulatory finance and accounting issues.
• Knowledge of aviation and transport.

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

To be vetted you must have the right to work in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. 

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

For more information on BPSS clearance please visit - BPSS clearance

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

Relocation & Property
 

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.

We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028

Inclusive Recruitment 

We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.

Working With Us 

We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.
 

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance.

We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!

Our Values
 

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here
 

Closing Date: 20th March 2025

Interview Date: March / April 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.