SQW is looking for skilled and motivated Senior Consultants to join our team, focusing on local/sub-national economic development and innovation.

SQW is a leading independent consultancy in economic and social development. We provide research, analysis, and insight to support public policy, working with a wide range of clients including central government, local authorities, universities, and the private sector. Our 50 consultants are based at our offices in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, with a hybrid working approach in place.

Role Overview

We are recruiting Senior Consultants with experience of, and interest in, the policy areas of local economic development and innovation, enterprise, and business growth. In practice this means:

• Conducting socio-economic research
• Preparing HM Treasury Green Book-compliant business cases
• Completing economic impact assessments
• Designing and delivering evaluations
• Supporting strategy development and action planning

Senior Consultants contribute substantially to project deliverables, including preparing reports and presentations. They manage smaller projects and deputy project manage those which are larger or more complicated. They should therefore be comfortable engaging with clients and team members, both more senior and junior, using their confident analytical skills to oversee the work of more junior consultants. Senior Consultants also take part in developing proposals for new work, which requires thinking through approaches and methodologies which are deliverable and proportionate but creative.

This is a great opportunity to make a real contribution to the growth and development of the business and contribute to a better society.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Education: First degree in a relevant subject (minimum 2:1), including some quantitative elements
• Experience: Solid experience in a comparable role.
• Knowledge: Public policy in the UK, HM Treasury Green Book, evaluation methodologies.
• Skills: Strong communication, digital skills (Microsoft Teams, PowerBI).

A full job description is available attached to the job posting on the Careers page on our website.

What SQW Offers:

• Competitive salary starting at £41,000 pa
• Annual performance-related bonus
• Flexible working arrangements
• Contributory pension scheme with up to 5% matching contributions
• Permanent health and Death in Service insurances
• Flexible benefit options, including private health and dental schemes for individuals and their dependents, health assessments, electric vehicle purchase and bikes to work scheme
• Support for continuous professional development.

SQW is committed to making a positive impact on our clients and society, delivering social value through our work. We maintain an active social value policy, and implement a programme of activities (including providing increasing opportunities for staff volunteering and fundraising, facilitated by an employee-led Charity Committee). We are committed to being a net zero company by 2030, which means that we will reduce our emissions as far as is practical and offset the remaining emissions.

The closing date for applications is 19 January 2025. We will be reviewing applications as they come in and so you are encouraged to apply early, stating clearly which office you are interested in (London, Manchester or Edinburgh).

Minority ethnicities are under-represented within consulting. To create meaningful change for our clients, our people and our communities, we need diverse talent combined with diverse ways of working. We welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.