Senior Economist

Senior Economist

Permanent position - based in Brussels

The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) is currently seeking to hire a Senior Economist.

CER represents the majority of European railway and infrastructure companies in Europe. The purpose of CER's work is to represent the interests of its members to the European Parliament, Commission and Council of Ministers as well as to other policymakers and transport actors. CER's main focus is to promote a strong rail industry that is essential to the creation of a sustainable transport system which is efficient, effective and environmentally sound.

General responsibilities:

Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Senior Economist leads CER's work on the economic aspects of relevant EU transport & railway policy topics as well as CER's work in the areas of environmental, climate, and energy policy. The Senior Economist is assisted by an Environmental Economist.

Specific responsibilities:

• Monitor, analyse, and where relevant respond to EU policy developments, including in particular the following outputs or activities:
  - Critical reviews of Impact Assessments and studies
  - Analyses of the likely impacts of proposed EU policies or legislation  for different types of railway companies and for the sector as a whole
  - Consultations with representatives of CER member companies to identify their needs and to forge consensus positions
  - Drafting of detailed policy counter-proposals reflecting CER consensus positions
  - Oral and written presentations of such positions, including the ability to interact with non-technical audiences
• Produce ad hoc economic analyses on selected topics including, for example:
  - Infrastructure pricing, including pricing for congestion/scarcity and externalities
  - Incentive schemes for the adoption of new equipment or technologies
  - Impacts of (changes in) taxation, e.g. VAT, energy taxes, carbon taxes
  - Impacts of the EU Emissions Trading System on the railway sector
  - Economic impacts of railway transport and infrastructure investment
• Develop, maintain, and share general expertise in the fields of transport, energy, and environmental economics including, for example:
  - Results and insights from published transport-economy and energy-economy model scenarios (e.g. ITF Transport Outlook, IEA Energy Outlook, PRIMES)
  - Aspects of infrastructure project appraisal and financing options
• Design and steer externally commissioned studies, including the drafting of relevant Terms of Reference and the reviewing of interim and final versions
• Organise and chair meetings with CER member company representatives, in particular CER's Economics Group and CER's Environment Group
• Develop and maintain a network of regular contacts with officials from EU institutions and relevant stakeholders (industry, NGOs, academia)

Requirements:

• A Master's degree or PhD in economics
• At least 7 years of relevant work experience
• Excellent analytical skills and a good understanding of economic research methods
• Ability to coordinate work processes involving multiple inputs and sensitivities
• A strong interest in EU transport, climate and environment policies
• A willingness to learn about the structure and functioning of EU institutions
• Fluency in English with strong writing skills (any other major European language will be considered a plus)
• Excellent presentation skills in combination with a good capacity to communicate
• A flexible and proactive attitude to work
• The ability to learn fast and work in a dynamic international environment

Terms and conditions are competitive, depending on the experience and qualifications of the candidate.

CER is looking to filling the position as from January 2015.

Interested candidates should send a two-page cover letter and an extended CV to 
paule.bollen@cer.be with copy to edward.christie@cer.be

Shortlisted candidates shall be required to take an online written test on Saturday 8^th November 2014 from 14:00 to 18:00 CET.

Applications will be treated in confidence.
The closing date for applications is 31 October 2014.