Research Fellowship Scheme

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade (DBT), is excited to announce an opening in our flagship Research Fellowship Scheme.

The scheme seeks to forge connections between UK academia, industry and government. Fellows are invited to join OPSS for a one-year secondment to lead an impactful research project.  

We are seeking a skilled researcher to join the Strategic Evidence Team in Economics.

As a relatively new regulator, it is vital that OPSS can demonstrate the benefits and impact it has on consumers, markets and businesses. Understanding the detriment that can be caused without OPSS intervention, and hence avoided if OPSS intervenes, is a key component of identifying and monetising the impact of OPSS. OPSS has developed an Excel-based economic model to help measure the monetary detriment associated with unsafe goods.

OPSS is seeking a research fellow to:

1. Lead the conversion of the economic detriment model from Excel into RStudio.
2. Build in new capabilities to incorporate the treatment of uncertainty within the estimates.
3. Aid the dissemination of estimates through the development of a dashboard or interactive user interface. 

The current model is inefficient, requiring extensive manual data processing. A more robust version will enable OPSS to regularly update the model with new data and easily refresh estimates. The current team has three members providing technical guidance and quality assurance.

This is a new project, offering a unique innovation opportunity.

The fellow will receive an induction to OPSS and the Strategic Evidence Team, including the economic detriment model and its policy context. The role offers opportunities to become familiar with concepts of detriment and the value for money assessment of the regulatory role of the OPSS.

Key Responsibilities:

• Model Development & Conversion:
  • Translate the existing Excel-based model into RStudio, ensuring all functionalities are maintained or improved
  • Streamline data loading, wrangling, and calculations to improve efficiency and reproducibility
• Quality Assurance & Analytical Robustness:
  • Lead the quality assurance to ensure model accuracy and reliability
  • Implement best practices for analytical robustness, including documentation, version control, and peer review
• Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing:
  • Work both independently and in a team, with support from team members for quality assurance and technical feedback
  • Engage with colleagues to refine the methodology and identify opportunities for model expansion

Deliverables:

• A functional economic detriment model in R-studio
• Clear documentation for future use by OPSS economists
• Recommendations for model enhancements and scalability 

Person specification

We will assess the following criteria at application stage:

• Proficiency in RStudio and Excel
• Understanding of economic modelling 

The candidate must be able to demonstrate the following technical skills: 

• Software programming [practitioner level] - Conversion of the economic detriment model from Excel, automation of processes, and code optimisation for future-proofing model updates
• Data Wrangling & Processing [practitioner level] - Handling, structuring, and cleaning data for efficient model use
• Quality Assurance & Analytical Robustness [practitioner level] - Leading the quality assurance process, verifying model accuracy with colleagues and ensuring reproducibility
• Building & Applying Knowledge [awareness] - Understanding the economic principles and modelapplications
• Communicating insights [awareness] - Documenting and communicating model development and presenting to the team 

An economics background is advantageous but not essential. 

Ready to apply?

Email your CV and cover letter via the 'Apply' button above (e: OPSS.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk). 

Find additional scheme details and application instructions here

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