Senior / Principal Place Economics Consultant

Mott MacDonald
 

We’re a global engineering, management, and development consultancy. 
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities. 

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs. 

We are proud to be a one of Glassdoor’s top employers to work for in the UK, as well as being recognised as a Top Inclusive Company in the UK.

Our values: Progress, Respect, Integrity, Drive, Excellence. 

About Mott MacDonald 

Mott MacDonald is a global management, engineering and development consultancy adding value for public and private clients on agenda-setting, next-generation projects worldwide. We believe that working together as integrated teams allows us to meet the complex challenges facing our clients in developing and regenerating economically-successful and sustainable places. 

Cities Studio 

This role sits within Mott MacDonald’s Cities Studio team. Cities Studio is comprised of place economists, town planners and urban designers providing integrated and deliverable urban development solutions that enable communities, businesses, and places to thrive. 

Cities Studio undertakes projects spanning a range of complex urban contexts including:  

• Economic development strategy and policy at local, regional, and national scales 
• Town centre and urban regeneration 
• Transport hubs and transit-orientated development 
• Mixed use urban quarters and neighbourhoods 
• ‘Campus’-style developments, such as around healthcare, education, or industrial facilities.  

Place Economics 

Place Economists are an integral part of Cities Studio. They provide public and private sector clients with business cases, economic development strategies, funding and financing delivery advice, and economic impact assessment across the UK and internationally to support a range of development schemes.  

This role is being created to support the continued growth of Cities Studio, providing greater senior-level Place Economics staff capacity to respond to existing client requirements and emerging opportunities. This role should also expand technical resource capacity in the team.   

This role will report to Project Directors and Technical Directors for day-to-day work, and the role will manage small project teams of consultants. You will contribute to delivering the Place Economics strategy through supporting business development, engagement, and technical excellence in the team. 

Significant career development opportunities will be available including involvement in a diverse portfolio of project work such as development of analytical and delivery-focused skills. There will be opportunities to progress to more senior economist and team leadership roles over time, offering greater levels of responsibility. 

Overview of role

Due to increased business, we are looking to recruit Senior / Principal Place Economics Consultants. You will work on a wide range of projects in many sectors, preparing economic strategy and policy advice, business case advice, economic and socioeconomic impact assessments and undertaking evidence reviews, data analysis, stakeholder interviews, and engagement. You will develop both qualitative and quantitative research tools as well as further developing our existing models. In addition to this, you will respond to client briefs, work directly with clients, and manage projects both effectively and profitably. 

Your responsibilities will include the following technical, project management and team management responsibilities. You may not have experience across all technical activities, as we recognise you may have a specific focus within the portfolio. 

Technical 

• Collaborate with other Cities Studio disciplines to deliver integrated place-based projects for clients 
• Develop economic and financial appraisals, including undertaking data analysis and baselines 
• Manage and continuously improve evidence-based research to support strategies and regeneration and development programmes 
• Manage and deliver a broad range of built environment-related Five-Case Business Cases and related feasibility studies and impact assessments 
• Support place-based strategy work with masterplanning, urban design and town planning colleagues 
• Provide economic development advice verbally and via reports to clients. 
• Produce technical and narrative-led reports, action plans, and presentations  
• Manage the development of proposals for potential clients

Project Management

• Manage and deliver projects and deliverables 
• Day-to-day client contact and project management 

Team Management 

• Line manage junior colleague(s), providing guidance and support and supporting long-term growth 
• Support development of the team’s skills and technical excellence 

Candidate specification

You have both a personal and professional interest in socio-economic and urban development. You are enthusiastic to work in a collaborative team environment on behalf of a range of public and private sector clients. You’ve previously worked in similar roles, most likely within a multi-disciplinary or specialist place economics consultancy, or the public sector. Throughout your career, you have had the opportunity to work on projects in the fields of economic development, regeneration, transit-oriented development, placemaking or similar fields.  

An ideal candidate would both be able to work as a part of a team and work independently, as required. Our team works in offices across the country, so you should be comfortable in a hybrid (in-person and virtual) working environment. You should be analytical and approach projects with creative solutions. 

You will be able to demonstrate the following: 

• Preferred master’s degree / essential bachelor’s degree in Economics, Economic Development, Finance, Geography, a Social Science, or a related discipline. 
• Experience delivering some combination of economic strategy and policy, business cases, impact assessments, and economic and financial appraisal (see “Technical” responsibilities above). 
• Familiarity with HM Treasury Green Book and Five-Case Business Cases, ideally qualified as a Better Business Case Practitioner (though certification can be supported for the successful candidate.)   
• Experience managing project resources and budgets 
• Experience supporting the development of proposals for clients or developing and selecting proposals for bidders 
• Experience managing a junior staff member and developing team skills 

You should have project management experience and have managed projects or parts of projects including technical aspects and commercial elements. Additionally, you will be able demonstrate your successes in supporting business development, and contributing to the winning of new work. 
 

We have a collegiate and collaborative culture which values equality and diversity, and we take proactive steps to create an inclusive workplace. Together, we are opening opportunities with connected thinking.  

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UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working 

Happy to talk Flexible Working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

 Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.