The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is Europe’s leading centre for research on the microeconomics of public policy. It is a politically independent registered charity aiming to bridge the gap between academia and the wider public. IFS researchers are not only excellent economists, but are able to think creatively about economics and shape their innovative ideas into research programmes. They are keen to use empirical economic analysis to inform policymaking and to pass on their enthusiasm for economics to others, both inside and outside the Institute.
The IFS is headed by Director Paul Johnson and Research Director Imran Rasul. Research co-directors include Rachel Griffith and Fabien Postel-Vinay, and IFS has a large number of Research Fellows including Richard Blundell, Costas Meghir and James Banks, along with many others.
The IFS is looking to recruit a number of outstanding senior economists to join our team. They should have a strong interest and proven expertise in one of the areas listed below. These are permanent positions with a remit to help shape, carry out, and communicate empirical research. We promote from within, and successful candidates would have scope for promotion and to develop a long-term career at IFS.
Staff at this level will be expected to develop rigorous and policy relevant research ideas, take the lead in writing research funding applications, undertake high quality and rigorous research publishable in high-ranking academic journals in a timely and efficient manner, and present and disseminate their research to academic and non-academic audiences. Senior researchers at IFS are also expected to engage in mentorship and development of more junior researchers, often including formal line management responsibilities. They will also be expected to contribute to the wider intellectual life and running of the institute. They will work within a team of researchers whose direction of research fits with the researcher’s expertise and interests. This will likely include a mix of senior academics and IFS research staff.
Successful candidates will have an excellent academic background, a track-record of producing high quality economic research in one of the areas listed below and experience of and/or commitment to working on the UK context. First rate communication skills and a capacity and willingness to manage and develop junior colleagues are essential. Experience of achieving policy impact through research or of successfully bidding for external funding would be an additional asset.
We welcome applications from individuals who have completed their PhD or students expecting to complete a PhD in 2024.
Tax policy
In this area we focus on the study of how various aspects of tax affect the choices of individuals and firms, including in relation to individuals’ work choices, firms’ investment choices and tax avoidance. Our research is based on developing and exploiting large datasets, most recently including HMRC tax records. We use estimates of how tax affects behaviour alongside knowledge of institutions and tax design to address topical policy questions. For example, current research is considering how capital incomes should be taxed relative to labour incomes, accounting for the effect that policy choices have on entrepreneurship, avoidance and inequality. There will be considerable scope to shape future research ideas and to work on new initiatives to communicate our work and shape tax policy debates.
Education and human capital
Research in this area focuses on the development of human capital from conception to early adulthood. We analyse the factors that shape education and related outcomes like health, social care, and crime; the inequalities between different groups; and how policy can help close these gaps and support children and young people to reach their full potential. Our work often relies on reduced form methods and occasionally more structural approaches. While much of our work draws on large-scale administrative data and rich UK surveys, we also make use of proprietary data and primary data collection. Current projects include evaluating the impacts of a large-scale early years programme on health, education, social care use and youth offending; analysing the returns to different higher education institutions and how these vary; evaluating two of the government's flagship adult skills programmes; and investigating how different aspects of the pandemic shaped school-aged children's development.
Labour markets and welfare benefits
The focus in this area is on how the UK labour market, welfare system, and interventions within these domains work to shape outcomes for individuals and families. This involves using reduced form methods and occasionally structural work together with a wide range of data sources, including administrative tax records, household survey data, and bank account transaction data. For example, current research includes papers exploring how the minimum wage affects firms and their choices around pay structure and outsourcing; the incidence of in-work transfers on wages; and the impact of wait times for disability benefits on consumption and financial distress. We bring both longer-term research projects and shorter pieces of work to bear on highly topical policy issues. We are looking for candidates with a background in at least one of labour economics or welfare benefits. A successful candidate will have significant latitude to shape future research priorities, potentially including projects that connect labour and welfare with education, housing, and tax policy.
Applications should be submitted via EconJobMarket. We aim to interview shortlisted candidates at the European Job Market, which will be held virtually during the week commencing11 December 2023. Subsequent fly-outs will be arranged in January 2024 for a smaller number of candidates.
If you have any queries, please email jobs@ifs.org.uk.
Additional Information
Contract: permanent
Salary: from £68,500
Closing date: 22 November 2023
Initial interviews: European Job Market for Economists, w/c 11 December 2023
Interview/fly-out dates: from early January 2024
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Job market paper
- Video presentation of job market paper (optional)
- Additional paper (optional)
- Other material (in one file) (optional)
- Additional paper (optional)
- Letters of reference: 3