Appointment details

Chair Budget Responsibility Committee

Summary

• Organisation: Office for Budget Responsibility
• Sponsor department: HM Treasury
• Location: London
• Sectors: Finance and Audit
• Skills: Audit and Risk
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 52 week(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £150,000 to £208,100 per annum
• Length of term: 5 years
• Application deadline: Midday on 26 March 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   20 February 2026

2. Application deadline

   Midday on 26 March 2026

3. Sifting date

   10 April 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   8 May 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Additional introductions

I am pleased to invite applications for the role of Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). This is one of the most significant public appointments in the UK’s economic and fiscal landscape.

The OBR provides independent and authoritative analysis of the public finances and the economy. Its forecasts and assessments underpin Budget and fiscal policy decisions, and its work is central to the credibility of the UK’s fiscal framework at home and with international investors, markets and institutions. The Chair leads the OBR’s strategy and work programme and will focus on the organisation's internal capability and the effective delivery of its core remit, while always safeguarding   its independence.

We are seeking an outstanding leader  with deep macroeconomic and/or fiscal expertise, strong public credibility, experience of working constructively across organisational boundaries, and the ability to lead a high-calibre analytical organisation. The successful candidate will bring sound judgement, integrity and the confidence to provide honest, evidence-based assessments, including where these may be challenging for government.

This is a demanding and high-profile role, but also a uniquely rewarding opportunity to contribute to the UK’s economic stability, transparency and long-term prosperity. Please take the time to read through this pack, which provides further information and I hope that you will consider applying.

James Bowler

Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury 

Appointment description

This is a high-profile and important role. Under legislation, the Chancellor of the Exchequer may only appoint a member to the BRC if that person has knowledge or experience likely to be relevant to the performance of the Office’s duty.

We will seek a new Chair who can lead the committee’s work, focus on delivering the core functions and internal capability of the OBR, including leadership to the OBR’s staff, and work constructively with stakeholders in government and beyond.  This is a high-profile and influential role, and candidates must command broad respect for their objectivity in dealing with issues of political sensitivity. 

Organisation description

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was established in 2010 to enhance the accountability of the government, by providing independent and authoritative analysis of the UK’s public finances. As the government’s independent forecaster, the OBR is responsible for producing the official economic and fiscal forecasts that support and inform the government's economic and fiscal policy. The OBR employs around 52 members of staff and with a budget of around £6.4 million per annum and has considerable influence both nationally and internationally.

Work of the Office

The main legislative duty of the OBR is to examine and report on the sustainability of the public finances, which it is required to do ‘objectively, transparently, and impartially’. The Office’s analysis is key to informing the policy decisions made by ministers and maintaining fiscal transparency and the wider understanding of the UK’s public finances. The Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 and the Charter for Budget Responsibility set out the legal requirements of the Office, but it has complete discretion over how to deliver its core objectives.

Within its broad remit the OBR is specifically required to produce:

Economic and Fiscal Forecasts (The Economic and Fiscal Outlook)

The economic and fiscal forecasts produced by the OBR represent the Budget Responsibility Committee’s (BRC’s) collective view of the UK’s medium term economic and fiscal outlook. It is based on the analysis produced by OBR staff and draws on the work and expertise of officials across government. These forecasts are published in the OBR’s biannual Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) publications.

Since the OBR’s establishment, the government has chosen to adopt the OBR’s forecasts as the UK’s official forecasts, and they are used for the formation of government policy. The OBR has a statutory duty to publish at least two forecasts per financial year and the timetable is determined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Typically, the OBR’s forecasts are published alongside the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget in Autumn with a second forecast in the Spring.

Evaluating performance against the government’s fiscal targets

The OBR is also required to produce an assessment of the government’s performance against its fiscal mandate (fiscal rules) alongside the forecast commissioned for the Budget. Following the government’s commitment to hold a single major annual fiscal event and in line with recommendations made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), at Autumn Budget 2025, the government announced that the OBR would only assess the fiscal rules once per year at the Budget when the government is formally setting out its fiscal strategy. At the spring forecast the OBR is required to provide an interim update on the economy and public finances without a formal assessment of the fiscal mandate.

Forecast Evaluation Report

The OBR is also required to produce a Forecast Evaluation Report (FER) each year to evaluate how its past forecast performance compares to subsequent outturn data. Investigating the causes of forecast and data outturn divergence allows the OBR to reflect and identify lessons for future forecast improvements and enables the BRC to explain the reasoning behind its judgements.

Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report 

The Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report (FRS) is the OBR’s annual publication focused on the long-term sustainability of the public finances and a comprehensive review of the fiscal risks thereto. The reports examine how government policy and economic trends are likely to affect the public finances over the coming decades and provides an assessment of the main macroeconomic risks to the long-term sustainability of the UK’s fiscal position.

Welfare Trends Reports

The OBR’s Welfare Trends Report (WTR) is a biennially produced report that sets out the trends and drivers of welfare spending and assesses the governments performance against the welfare cap. The WTR includes analysis on both the short- and long-term trends in spending on social security benefits and tax credits.

Other analysis

The OBR has complete discretion in how it fulfils its remit and additionally produces a wide range of working and technical discussion papers on topics relating to their analysis, modelling approaches, and duties.

Find out more www.obr.uk/ 

Board composition

The OBR is led by the three members of the Budget Responsibility Committee (BRC); the Chair and two Members. They have executive responsibility for the core functions of the OBR, including the judgements reached in its forecasts.

The BRC is supported in it's work by the OBR’s permanent staff of 52 civil servants, led by the Chief of Staff. The staff work in teams covering: economic forecasting and analysis; fiscal forecasting and analysis; welfare forecasting and analysis; sustainability analysis; and strategy, communications and operations. 

Read more about the OBR via the website.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The specific requirements for this role include: 

• Independence of thought and undisputed integrity: Candidates must be independently minded and be able to exert their influence as Chair of the BRC and when representing the OBR to government, Parliament and the public. Candidates must be able to form their own views and decisions, whilst working closely and constructively with other members of the Committee and the OBR Oversight Board and with stakeholders outside of the organisation. Candidates must have the ability to maintain discretion and engender trust in staff, peers and stakeholders providing support and assurance where appropriate.
• Strong and proven economic and fiscal knowledge, including analytical ability: Candidates must have the expertise and experience necessary to lead the OBR in the performance of its role to produce independent analysis of the UK’s economic and fiscal outlook. They must be able to take account of, and balance, a wide range of factors affecting the UK’s economic growth, productivity and fiscal sustainability in forming their judgements. In particular, they must be able to absorb large volumes of complex information and reach reasoned and robust conclusions both to deliver forecast judgements and organisational objectives. They should have a clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of the OBR and the wider context within which it operates, and a strong track record of leadership and delivery of economic and / or fiscal analysis, in the private, public or voluntary sectors, and proven ability to communicate effectively with a non-technical audience.
• Interpersonal and leadership skills: Candidates must possess strong communication and interpersonal skills to be able to provide effective strategic leadership of the OBR, to build and sustain strong, trusted and constructive relationships with Ministers, Parliament, Senior officials, and external stakeholders, and to be a credible public representative of the OBR’s forecasts. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to seek out and listen to a range of views and should foster a collaborative culture and effective relationships, while always maintaining the clear independence of the OBR. In addition, the Chair will be required to motivate the team of OBR analysts, lead the BRC and ensure that the OBR operates to its full potential. They will also be required to provide effective leadership to the OBR as an organisation, ensuring effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on risk management and governance, including information security, to ensure appropriate systems are in place to protect the OBR’s outputs. The OBR must perform its duties objectively, transparently and impartially, and the BRC Chair is expected to lead the Office in a way reflective of this.   

Desirable criteria

• Experience of forecasting: a strong track record of delivery on significant economic and fiscal forecasting and analysis within the private, public or voluntary sectors.
• Experience of policymaking: understanding of the policymaking process would be desirable.

Application and selection process

About this appointment

Some public appointments are made by the Prime Minister, or the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Others are made by Secretaries of State or other ministers and are of interest to the Prime Minister.

Public appointments made by or of interest to the Prime Minister

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

• equality information
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a supporting statement of no more than 2 pages

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the principles of the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

James Bowler (Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury) will act as Panel Chair, supported by:

• Baroness Sarah Hogg (Non-executive member: Oversight Board Chair - OBR) - panel member

• Sir Gus O’Donnell (former Cabinet Secretary) - independent panel member

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Pre-appointment scrutiny

Pre-appointment scrutiny by select committees is an important part of the process for some of the most significant public appointments made by Ministers. It is designed to provide an added level of scrutiny to verify that the recruitment meets the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. This scrutiny may involve the relevant select committee requesting and reviewing information from the Department and the Minister’s preferred candidate. The select committee may also choose to hold a pre-appointment hearing.

If you are confirmed as the government’s preferred candidate for this role, the department will be in touch to confirm next steps. In most cases your name and CV will be provided to the relevant select committee in advance of the hearing.  Following a date being agreed for a pre-appointment hearing with the committee you will be asked to complete a questionnaire in advance of that. Following the hearing, the government will review and respond to the Committee’s report before confirming the appointment. 

Full information can be found in the Cabinet Office’s guidance here. 

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact the HMT Public Appointments Team email: hmtappointmentsteam@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. Fees will be uprated annually on the basis of the change in the Consumer Prices Index each anniversary month of employment.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

Pension and redundancy

The OBR will pay a sum equal to 20% of your monthly fee into your personal pension scheme each month, less statutory deductions if appropriate. 

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the HM Treasury public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappointments-hmt@hmtreasury.gov.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Please find HM Treasury privacy notice on the gov.uk website.

Attachments

• Candidate pack

Contact details

If you have any queries please contact HM Treasury Public Appointments team -  publicappointments-hmt@hmtreasury.gov.uk.