Economist – 18 month FTC

Centre for Net Zero (CNZ) is a not-for-profit, impact-driven energy research institute, founded by the Octopus Energy Group. Operating autonomously, our goal is to accelerate the journey to a fully sustainable, global energy system.

While technology is transforming the energy sector, both modelling and policymaking are typically based on data from the past. By contrast, CNZ can access unprecedented insight into future human behaviours by leveraging Octopus Energy’s global customer base. We design and run research and field trials around the world to generate and democratise data about the future energy system.

We are seeking an Economist/Data Scientist to join our Trials and Analysis team at the Centre for Net Zero (CNZ) for an 18-month fixed-term contract. CNZ operates a hybrid working arrangement, where most colleagues come to the office 2-3 times per week.

The Trials and Analysis team leads the design and delivery of field trials and quasi-experimental analyses, in collaboration with a range of delivery partners – including companies within the Octopus Energy Group, as well as external partners such as National Energy System Operator and OVO Energy.

The main responsibilities of this role are the design and analysis of various randomised control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental analyses related to low carbon technology adoption, automation, energy flexibility, and the intersection of these topics. In turn, our vision is that this research shapes policy for the better.

What you'll do

• Trial design: Designing field trials and drafting pre-analysis plans, often in close collaboration with delivery partners within and outside Octopus Energy Group.
• Implementation: Working closely with a project manager on our team to help the delivery partner(s) deliver the trial in a way that maintains fidelity to the pre-analysis plan.
• Data analysis: Carrying out data analyses of our field trials as well as conducting quasi-experimental analyses, structuring these analyses to turn them into high quality reporting.
• Reporting: Contributing to and leading the write-up of these analyses into academic papers and accessible, policy-facing materials.
• Partner engagement: Liaising with partners, managing and coordinating implementation across partners.

Our reporting generally takes two main forms: 1) academic journal articles, and 2) accessible, policy-facing materials.

• We will generally assign an individual data scientist to lead on specific trials and quasi-experimental analyses, working closely with the Director of the Trials and Analysis team, as well as our Chief Economist.

• To create the policy-facing materials, the Trials and Analysis team works closely with CNZ’s external affairs and communications team.

In summary, we are looking for someone who has the intellectual capacity to perform and report high-quality analyses for diverse audiences. CNZ prioritises collaboration and distributed decision-making with technical and non-technical staff across the organisation at all stages of research and reporting.

What you'll need

• Experience designing and analysing randomised controlled trials
• Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects
• Experience handling and analysing large amounts of data, ideally in R or Python
• Experience communicating coherently and handling multiple stakeholders
• Experience setting up and analysing quasi-experimental designs

It would be great if you also have…

• Experience working in energy is great, but not critical
• Experience writing accessible, policy-facing summaries of research
• Experience working directly with policymakers as well as academics
• Facility using SQL to wrangle and process data

Sounds good, what's next?

• We recommend to apply soon as you can, as applications will close on January 1st 2025.

Here’s what to expect, if you're successful:

• An initial call with our Talent team
• Task & interview: You’ll complete a task, followed by an online interview
• Final interview: Either on-site or virtual

Wondering what the salary for this role is? Just ask us! We want to match your experience with the correct salary.

Octopus Energy is a unique culture. An organisation where people learn, decide, and build quicker. We want your hard work to be rewarded with perks you actually care about!