Diplomatic and Development Economics Fast Stream 2025

Position description

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advances UK national interests and promotes the UK as a force for good in the world. It serves British citizens, protects UK security, defends values, reduces poverty, and tackles global challenges with international partners. The FCDO operates globally with 280 posts worldwide.

Economics is vital to the FCDO, placing economists at the core of policy, partnerships, diplomacy, and aid spending decisions. The FCDO, an international economic department with a global development mission, relies increasingly on economic expertise to provide ministers with fresh ideas and deep policy insights.

Economics enhances policy and programming by:

understanding the impact of economic developments on broader policy interests
diagnosing and prioritising challenges
designing evidence-based solutions, considering trade-offs and cost-effectiveness
implementing policy with measurable success metrics
influencing others with data-driven arguments
Diplomatic and Development Economists engage in diverse, rewarding projects, focusing on country-specific and thematic issues across international borders. This role places you at the centre of development, global macroeconomic policy, and international relations.

UK-based roles involve collaboration with government departments, consultancies, international organisations, and academia, offering valuable experience and training before an overseas posting. Diplomatic and Development Economics fast streamers are placed in a range of varying roles with the primary purpose of making sure development and foreign policy is underpinned by sound economic analysis. No two Diplomatic and Development Economists fast streamers will share the same career path and you can choose to spend a large part of your career overseas. The unique benefit of this scheme is that the training it provides allows Diplomatic and Development Economists to apply for both analytical economics roles and policy roles later in their career, both within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) or in other government departments. This offers a great range of career pathways and options for you in the future.

All Diplomatic and Development Economist fast streamers must be granted ‘Developed Vetting’ (DV) security clearance before starting. For DV clearance, you need to have lived in the UK for 5 of the last 10 years, including a consecutive 12-month period. Security clearance relies on assurance checks that can only be carried out in the UK – which is why a sufficient UK footprint is a mandatory requirement for this scheme.

Person specification

You must be a British citizen (those with dual nationality may apply)
Resided in the UK for at least 5 of the previous 10 years, including a consecutive 12-month period
You need, or expect to receive, a 2:1 degree, degree apprenticeship or higher or a postgraduate degree in an economic subject for mixed degrees, at least 50% should be in economics

Application instructions

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