Construction Economist

CONSTRUCTION ECONOMIST

Overview of the Client

Our client are an independent, multidiscplinary consultancy focused on delivering exceptional client solutions. Their flagship office is in London with a regional office in the midlands with a team of 140. They work within numerous sectors and are particularly strong in high end residential and commerical property but worth within education, hotel, retail, and healthcare also. The business was started by partners of a well known and high end, large consultancy and are renowned for providing quality services.

Overview of the Role

To provide day-to-day cost advice helping Clients understand their construction costs, analyse and optimise them against their definition of value, and deliver their scheme in line with these costs. The Construction Economist’s role is to provide the macro and medium/long-term economic advice to further assist the Clients in this, and to underpin the day-to-day work.

Responsibilities

Core Work Duties and Measures of Sucess

• Quarterly Market Update – Research external information, analyse internal information, discuss as needed with project teams, synthesise, produce the report, and present as needed to clients (typically 1-5 per quarter).
  • Published to time with minor feedback comments
  • Clear and engaging key message(s)
  • Positive Partner feedback – e.g., helpful in discussions with clients
  • Presented to multiple Clients with positive feedback – e.g., useful in achieving their aims
  • Reflects trends across the firm
• Weekly “Construction Corner” email to all firm - One interesting and relevant piece of construction economics news succinctly summarised (<10 lines), with links to further information.
  • Staff able to use the items in the following week’s discussions and activities 
  • Positive feedback from staff
• Adhoc support to Clients on specific issues e.g. summary of pressures on the price of timber (typically 2 per month).
  • Positive feedback from clients
• Bi-monthly economic update to both Partner groups (10 min presentation + 10-20 min discussion).
  • Partners able to use information in their cost advice
  • Discussion helps inform further research

STRETCH GOALS (to develop in time with the individual, generally around building exposure of the individual and by extension our client to the market):

• Core Thoughts – Quarterly short 1-2 side pieces or infographics on industry hot topics in conjunction with a Partner or Associate (e.g. Smart buildings, post-Covid office design)
  • Published to time
  • Are sufficiently engaging and on appropriately selected topics so attract Client/press attention “I’d like to hear more about that”
• External speaking – Speaking at external events to raise individual and firm’s profile, e.g. one per quarter
  
  • In time become invited to speak due to strength of reputation 
  • Client feedback “I saw X speaking at Y, I’d like to hear more”
• Other Thought Leadership – Developed to raise the individual and firm’s profile. Research pieces, collaborations, Building cost models, LinkedIn etc.
  • To be developed with the individual
• Fee-paying research for specific clients – Potential for this as the role grows.
  • To be developed with the individual
• Long-term – become industry “name” and Economist Partner in business.
  • To be developed with the individual

Required Skills

• Technical – Necessary Economics, Construction Industry and Quantity Surveying knowledge 
• Strong presenter - Confident to hold their own in Client and Partner discussions 
• Self-starter – Able to expand and develop job role in time (see Stretch Goals above) 
• Synthesiser - Ability to synthesise various different trends, data and views to arrive at key messages, reconcile different points of view constructively

Reporting and Support

• Day to management and reporting to JSH, bi-annual updates to CSG, considering dedicated links to teams
• Support from the support team on producing reports, presentations etc
• Work closely with Charlie our Digital & Data Lead, and wider Working Groups for information
• Aim to bring in junior support member to the economics team in due course (e.g. graduate level)

What You Will Get

• Work with some of the best in the industry on exciting projects
• Great office environment with a close team and good socials
• Very competetive benefits package, including good work/wellbeing balance, 28 days annual leave, enhanced parental pay, life assurance cover, permanent health insurance, Lifeworks EAP platform, performance-related bonus, pension contributions (at 4% + 4%), cycle to work, health and wellbeing seminars, annual (and frequently international) staff conferences and much more
• Very real progression leading to Partner level
• Industry leading training and development
• Salary is entirely dependent on experience, so let us know what you would be looking for. 

For more information or a discretionary chat call Ash Dean on 07759 122 624