Programme Advisory – Business Case & Project Finance – Principal Consultant (Economist)
turnertownsend
London, United Kingdom, gb
Posted Sep 3, 2026
- Full-time
- Infrastructure
Job description
Our Programme Advisory business, set up in 2018, offers services to clients from strategy to delivery of their capability delivering major programmes and projects both in the UK and globally, with a market leading client base across the public and private sectors. Our key differentiator in the market is that we offer practical, accessible advice informed and underpinned by broad technical delivery capability and industry experience of our core business. We are expanding our UK team, and we are seeking to recruit a highly motivated and experienced Principal Consultant with strong economic advisory, technical, analytical, and stakeholder management skills to join our growing Business Case and Project Finance team. You will support clients in the development, funding, appraisal and evaluation of major infrastructure projects and programmes. This role is ideally suited to someone with experience in economic advisory and/or public sector business case development for infrastructure projects and programmes across a wide range of sectors including energy & net zero, defence, transport, environment and utilities. Do you have an interest in shaping infrastructure and policy through economic analysis helping clients make evidence-based investment decisions and joining this exciting and ambitious business? The role will involve the following responsibilities: Leading and contributing to the development of the Economic Case and wider Five Dimension Business Cases in accordance with HM Treasury Green Book guidance Undertaking economic appraisal (including sensitivity and distributional analysis) and producing economic impact assessments (to quantify GVA, employment and wider societal impacts) Contributing to monitoring and evaluation in line with HMT Magenta Book, as well as benefits management Designing and developing economic models, appraisal tools, and analytical frameworks to support client decision-making (e.g. producing input-output models, CBA models, Monte Carlo simulations) Presenting complex economic analysis, recommendations, and project outputs in a clear, concise, and engaging manner for both technical and non-technical audiences Supporting clients in identifying funding/financing opportunities and developing robust evidence bases to secure investment decisions, including VfM of public funding vs private finance Deploy established methodologies, tools, and frameworks, tailoring them to client requirements while contributing to their continuous improvement and development Using your strong interpersonal, communication and persuasive skills to engage with and influence a wide range of clients and stakeholders to successfully implement, adopt and realise business outcomes. Working effectively within multi-disciplinary teams, contributing to the delivery of integrated advisory services across major programmes and infrastructure projects Taking ownership of the quality and accuracy of your work, consistently delivering excellent client service and professional standards Able to prepare, define and lead on bid proposals, and work closely alongside Senior Management and the wider Turner & Townsend team. Identifying, contributing to, and progressing business development opportunities, supporting the growth of client relationships and the wider Business Case and Project Finance practice. Supporting the development and mentoring of junior consultants where required Sharing knowledge and best practice with colleagues through communities of practice, workshops, thought leadership, and industry engagement activities A natural gravitas in dealings with clients, with a ‘making the difference’ approach and an enquiring mind-set, with the ability to identify opportunities to expand existing client relationships and contribute to the growth of accounts Flexibility to travel is a requirement for this role
To be an attractive candidate for our business in this role, you will possess some of the following attributes: Degree in Economics (or closely related discipline with significant applied economics experience). The candidate’s knowledge of economics and ability to apply it will be assessed at interview. Typically, 4 or more years of relevant experience in applied economic analysis, public sector appraisal, or consulting Extensive knowledge, application and demonstrable experience of HM Treasury Green Book, AquA Book and Magenta Book economic principles across major capital programmes, including: Business case development for projects and programmes Options appraisal and optioneering Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Economic Impact Assessments- gross value add (GVA), productivity, growth, employment, wider social benefits analysis. An understanding of input-output modelling is essential. Evaluation and application of HMT Magenta Book (logic models, theory of change, monitoring and evaluation, deploying evaluation techniques) Benefits management (identification, quantification, articulation, realisation, benefits registers) VfM of public funding vs private finance Sensitivity and scenario analysis Distributional analysis Strong understanding of public sector decision-making and policy processes. Ability to lead analytical workstreams, exercise sound judgment, and solve complex economic and policy challenges. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex economic analysis into clear and actionable recommendations and policy insights Proficiency in Microsoft Excel Additional experience Previous experience or a suitable demonstration of the following will be a distinct advantage in applying for this role: MSc Economics would be advantageous Experience of working with the public sector, with a portfolio of experience in managing projects with a public sector delivery setting for across a range of sectors and organisations including transport, renewable energy, net zero, water services, defence (and willingness to obtain SC clearance), wider government infrastructure services. Demonstrable understanding of HM Treasury Green Book supplementary and other departmental appraisal guidance, including, but not limited to: Energy and net zero: valuation of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, carbon valuation, Net Zero strategy development and the assessment of climate-related costs, benefits and wider economic impacts. Transport: development of transport strategies and frameworks at local, corridor-wide and national scales, with the ability to interpret rail, road and multi-modal transport modelling outputs and apply Department for Transport (DfT) Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) to inform economic appraisal, cost-benefit analysis, and investment decision-making Environment: natural capital appraisal using DEFRA’s Enabling a Natural Capital Approach Defence Experience and/or willingness to learn and apply visual analytics tools (e.g., Power BI) Experience and/or willingness to learn econometric analysis, quantitative modelling and apply other analytical tools, e.g. Python or R Understanding of the latest UK policy guidance development and implementation of economic benefit assessment, including social value, community benefits and low carbon transition Experience mentoring or supporting junior consultants
Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change. We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance. Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community. Please find out more about us at