Founded in 1977, the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is one of the world's leading think tanks.
Independent, non-profit and non-partisan, we work to promote free markets and economics, through research, publishing, media outreach, and public education. We inject sound ideas into public debate and help shift the climate of opinion.
The ASI has always been a practical think tank rather than a purely academic organisation. Despite its strict political independence, it works with policymakers to deliver real change, and to make its ideas reality.
The UK is held back by restrictive planning regulations, punitive taxes on wealth creators and an inefficient, bloated state. Our policy research and educational programmes lead with free market principles in our mission to make Britain more prosperous and end poverty around the world.
Job Details
We are currently recruiting a Policy Research / Data Lead to run the Institute’s research. This role will shape the Institute’s overall research and educational programmes, and can include representing the Institute in the media.
You must be an entrepreneurial self-starter, able to rapidly promote a new idea or urgently counter the errors of the Government, often producing major research in hours or days, rather than weeks and months.
We’re looking for someone who is fascinated by politics, philosophy, and economics, and is committed to the ASI’s free market principles. You must have an acute interest in policy, write well, without proof-reading being necessary, and be excellent at working on your own initiative without supervision. We pride ourselves on having a small and agile team, requiring self-motivation and enthusiasm about the work we do and the mission we are trying to achieve.
Our research programme includes promoting the fundamentals of a free society (property, rule of law, free speech, limited government, trade etc.), growth and prosperity (from housing reform to energy abundance) and future markets (accelerating technology and progress). Our educational programmes build on these themes, with additional focus on our intellectual heritage from thinkers like Adam Smith, as well as more recent friends of the ASI, like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek (who was Chairman of our Academic Advisory Board).
The demand for data analysis from the ASI has risen dramatically, as we scrutinise the impact of Government policies and track the stagnation of the UK. So, we are increasingly interested in numerical literacy. The ideal candidate can analyse and manipulate data sources to produce graphs, models and visualisations. For example, we report annually on Tax Freedom Day, Cost of Rent Day, the State Reliance Index, and the Millionaire Tracker. This does not however mean we are looking for advanced econometrics skills - the data analysis needs to be rapid to produce, and easy to understand for journalists and policy makers (see our examples, @jburnmurdoch of the FT, @SpecDataHub and @OurWorldInData for the types of charts we like).
The ASI has alway identified talent early and provided a platform to grow fast. Experience working in a political, economics, or policy environment e.g. parliamentary office, financial institution, academic department, etc. is desirable but we are open to talented people from careers outside of Westminster (or recent graduates) .
The Policy Researcher’s responsibilities include:
- Writing research and briefing papers, opinion articles, and blog posts on key issues;
- Commissioning and project managing external authors;
- Analysing data and generating practical insights;
- Working with the Chief of Staff and the Chairman on developing ASI’s policy research and educational projects;
- Representing the Institute in print, broadcast and social media (authoring op-eds, participating in live interviews and debates);
- Building relationships with policymakers, legislators, trade bodies, members of the press and donors;
- Presenting findings and engaging with policymakers, industry stakeholders, fellows, external authors and media representatives;
- Working with the communications team to identify opportunities for impactful media content.
Essential:
- Full alignment and passion for the mission of the Adam Smith Institute;
- A drive to work in a highly entrepreneurial, self-driven and collaborative environment;
- Solid grasp of economics and public policy with the ability to clearly explain complex ideas;
- Deep interest in policy debates;
- Strong attention to detail with the ability to deliver quality work quickly;
- A personal communication style that aligns with the pedigree and spirit of the Institute (serious, overton-window pushing policy analysis, delivered in a personable style with a sprinkle of mischief);
- An eye for opportunities that scale;
- Willingness to appear in print and on media as a spokesperson for the ASI;
- Ability to translate complex concepts;
- At least a 2.1 degree from a globally leading university.
Desirable:
- Advanced data analysis and visualisation skills;
- Advanced excel skills;
- Data tools like Datawrapper;
- Previous experience writing policy reports.
Note: The above bullet points describe the ideal candidate. None of us matched all of these at once when we first joined the ASI. Also, some of the best policy researchers are weaker on numerical skills. We encourage you to apply even if you believe you meet only part of our wish list.
What we offer
- Work within a small core team of six;
- An office-first environment at the heart of Westminster, minutes away from the Houses of Parliament;
- An empowering environment that will fast-track your career;
- An annual trip abroad (somewhere sunny in late winter which doesn’t count towards your Annual Leave allowance);
- Weekly opportunities to meet senior movers and shapers, including MPs, Cabinet ministers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, journalists and academics;
- 25 days annual leave.