Agent in Southwest Agency

Location: Bristol

The Agencies are the 'eyes, ears and voice' of the Bank in their respective parts of the United Kingdom. Agents gather economic intelligence through their conversations with their network of UK businesses, and they analyse and summarise it to contribute to the Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) and the Financial Policy Committee's (FPC) assessment of the economic and financial environment.

Agents talk to senior contacts from a wide range of organisations - from small businesses to large global companies - across all sectors of the economy, to gain an insight into how businesses are operating and their future plans. This provides a unique perspective into how the real economy is evolving and the factors driving those developments.

The Agents also communicate policymakers' key messages supporting their decisions to business contacts and other local audiences across the UK. This includes regular presentations on the Monetary Policy Report and related interest rate decision and Financial Stability Report to support a widespread understanding and trust of the monetary and financial policy framework and process.

Agents also coordinate interactions and host meetings between policymakers and their local contacts, so that they can hear the views of businesses and communities first-hand.

Agents at the Bank of England lead on these activities in their regions. They also fulfil either a Technical or Managing Agent lead role:

Technical Agents lead on an 'area of expertise' alongside a team of Agency experts. They are subject-matter experts, driving the Agency Network's economic narrative in specific areas, how it squares with other data and staff views, and influencing and being fully integrated within the Monetary Analysis Directorate, other parts of the Bank, and ultimately our policy committees.

Managing Agents manage one of our four 3-Agency teams, for example the Midlands and South West Team (comprising the East and West Midlands and South West Agencies). The Managing Agent for this Team, which we don't currently have a vacancy for, directly line manages 3 Scale E Agents and the Team's Senior Administrator, and is responsible for the successful running of the Team.

Job description

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to become the Scale D Agent for the South West and Technical Agent for the Network's External Engagement and Communications.

The successful candidate will lead the Bank's engagement with businesses within the South West region of the UK, gathering intelligence in contact visits and round tables and carrying out representational functions. The South West Agency covers Gloucestershire, parts of Wiltshire, Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bristol, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

The successful candidate will be Technical Agent leading on External Engagement and Communications, responsible for strategy on external engagement and communications for the Agency Network and its effective implementation. The role focuses on increasing the effectiveness of the Agencies and Bank's communications via coordination with the External Engagement Division and Communications Directorate and playing a key part in increasing understanding of and trust in the Bank of England's objectives of maintaining monetary and financial stability. This role also leads the Agencies' External Communications Working Group and chairs the external facing Agents' National Briefing presentation on the quarterly Monetary Policy Report.

The jobholder will play a key role in the governance of the Agency Network, by being part of the Agency Services Management Team, which focuses on intelligence collection, data strategy, policy impact and external engagement and communications.

Role requirements

Location: Lives in the South West (Gloucestershire, parts of Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bristol, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall) or very close to it (within 10 miles of the border) as local presence, visibility, representation and local knowledge are core elements of the role. The Agency office is in Bristol.

Travel is an essential part of the role. This role requires a combination of in-person meetings and virtual meetings with Agency contacts in the South West . It also requires regular in-person meetings with the South West Agency in the Bristol office and the Midlands and South West Team in Birmingham and the broader Network in locations such as Leeds or London.

Minimum criteria:

• Strong communication skills, comfortable interacting with senior stakeholders internally and externally.
• Economics to degree level or equivalent work experience.
• Able to work collaboratively with colleagues within and/or outside the Bank.
• A good understanding of the Bank's approach to monetary policy and its policy frameworks, more generally.

Essential criteria:

• Experience of delivering presentations to technical and non-technical audiences and explaining complex messages clearly and concisely.
• Experience conducting analysis to answer economic and policy questions.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of conducting interviews to gather qualitative information and summarising a large range of qualitative information effectively.
• Experience managing diverse teams and of matrix management.
• Experience/ interest in corporate communications' strategy
• A full driving licence.

The Bank values diversity and inclusion - we want to reflect the society we serve better; we want the best people to work for us and we want our workplace to be inclusive. We value all forms of diversity, including but not limited to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation. One way we support diversity and inclusion is through our staff run networks.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive working environment and are open to considering how the role might be carried out with flexible working. This role is therefore open to job shares, flexible and part time working patterns.

We expect colleagues in the Agency Network to spend a minimum of 20% of their working time in the office per month. Subject to that minimum requirement, individuals and managers should work together to find what works best for them and their team.

We are also committed to making adjustments for candidates and employees where possible and have partnered with external expert organisations to support us in this. We are a member of the Disability Confident Scheme

We are the UK's central bank - and we are a bank like no other; known by our peers for our world-leading thinking on policy and strategy.

Our mission is to promote the good of the people of the UK by maintaining monetary and financial stability. We seek to keep prices stable and people's money safe. We know our work matters to people, to families, up and down the UK. We are driven by curiosity and the desire to do important, challenging work.

It takes a great team to run the Bank of England. We rely on each other to play our part. We benefit from a collaborative culture and long-established flexible ways of working, supporting our colleagues balance their work and personal lives. We strive to be a place where people feel they belong and have equal access to opportunities, because different perspectives helps us make the best decisions for the public.

There's much to gain from working with us - from career defining work at the heart of the UK economy, being part of a fantastic team, and a rewarding compensation package.

Join us and find a bank like no other. Together, we can make a difference.

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The Bank values diversity and inclusion - we want to reflect the society we serve better; we want the best people to work for us and we want our workplace to be inclusive. We value all forms of diversity, including but not limited to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation. One way we support diversity and inclusion is through our staff run networks.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive working environment and are open to considering how the role might be carried out with flexible working. This role is therefore open to job shares, flexible and part time working patterns.

We are also committed to making adjustments for candidates and employees where possible and have partnered with external expert organisations to support us in this. We are a member of the Disability Confident Scheme