Principal Economist

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Department: Policy & Public Affairs

You will work as part of international, multidisciplinary teams providing robust, impartial and influential advice across the policy lifecycle, from policy development and appraisal through implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review.

The role combines economic analysis, quantitative modelling, research and clear communication to help public- and private-sector clients understand the economic, environmental and social implications of policy and investment decisions.

Depending on your experience, you may lead defined workstreams, manage tasks or smaller projects, support and review the work of colleagues, contribute to proposals and help strengthen WSP’s global Policy & Economics offering.

Responsibilities

• Undertake economic appraisal and policy analysis, including cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, socio-economic analysis, regulatory impact assessment, feasibility assessment and evaluation.
• Develop quantitative evidence through data collection, validation and analysis; econometric or statistical analysis; scenario and sensitivity analysis; market assessment; and economic or financial modelling.
• Assess the distributional, competitiveness, fiscal, social and environmental implications of policies, programmes, regulations and investments.
• Support climate-policy and decarbonisation assignments, which may include carbon pricing, emissions trading, carbon leakage, transition pathways, investment economics and the cost-effectiveness of policy measures.
• Contribute to ex-ante appraisal and ex-post evaluation, including the development of theories of change, evaluation frameworks, indicators and evidence-based recommendations.
• Plan and deliver primary and secondary research, stakeholder engagement, surveys, interviews and consultations, where relevant.
• Prepare clear, concise and defensible reports, policy briefs, presentations, models and other client deliverables in English.
• Work collaboratively with specialists across environmental science, engineering, climate, natural capital, infrastructure, finance and other disciplines on global projects.
• Contribute to project management, quality assurance, commercial delivery and adherence to agreed scope, budget and programme.
• Support proposals, capability development and knowledge sharing; take an active role in client relationships, opportunity development and technical leadership.

Sector and thematic experience

Experience across multiple sectors or policy areas would be useful. We do not expect candidates to cover every area; applications are welcomed from economists who bring strong depth in one or more fields and an ability to apply their economics skills across unfamiliar topics.

• Climate change, net zero and decarbonisation, including carbon pricing and climate-policy instruments
• Energy, power, industry and industrial decarbonisation
• Transport, infrastructure, cities and the built environment
• Water, wastewater and wider environmental regulation
• Waste, resources, circular economy and sustainable consumption
• Air quality, industrial emissions, chemicals, health and safety policy
• Natural capital, biodiversity, ecosystem services and nature-related policy
• Sustainable finance, green investment, taxonomy and transition-related analysis
• Economic development, competitiveness, trade, innovation, labour markets or public policy

Technical skills and experience

• Strong grounding in microeconomics, public economics, environmental economics, applied economics or a closely related field.
• Demonstrable experience applying economic techniques to policy, regulatory, environmental, infrastructure or sustainability questions.
• Highly numerate, with the ability to structure complex analytical problems and translate findings into practical advice.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including structured models, scenario and sensitivity analysis, data tables, pivot tables, charts and advanced formulae.
• Experience with one or more analytical tools such as Python, R or Stata for data cleaning, statistical analysis, econometrics, modelling or visualisation would be advantageous.
• Experience in macroeconomic, input-output or Computable General Equilibrium modelling would be advantageous but is not essential for all candidates.
• Familiarity with credible national and international sources of government, industry and economic statistics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce concise, precise and well-evidenced outputs in English.

Qualifications

• A graduate/postgraduate qualification in economics, econometrics, environmental economics, development economics, public policy or another closely related quantitative discipline is preferred.
• Relevant experience gained in consultancy, government, academia, research, an international organisation or industry, commensurate with the level of appointment.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary and geographically distributed teams.
• Experience in client-facing delivery, task or project management, and the preparation of high-quality proposals would be valuable, particularly for the Senior/Principal Economist level.
• A record of managing analytical workstreams, reviewing outputs or supporting the development of colleagues would be advantageous for the Senior Economist level.

Skills and behaviours

• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving, with curiosity about new sectors and policy questions.
• Commercial awareness and a commitment to quality, accuracy and defensible analysis.
• Ability to plan work, use initiative, manage competing priorities and meet fixed deadlines.
• An inclusive and collaborative approach, with the confidence to work effectively across cultures, disciplines and time zones.
• A genuine interest in sustainability and in using economics to support better policy and investment decisions.