Early career

Lecturer, University of Aston, 1967–70; Economist, Programmes Analysis Unit, Atomic Energy Authority, Harwell, 1970–72; Research Associate and Deputy Head, Health Services Evaluation Group, Department of the Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford, 1972-74.

Civil Service

Rickard joined the Civil Service as an Economic Adviser, Department of Health and Social Security, 1974-76. He was promoted to Senior Economic Adviser in 1976, and moved to the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection, 1976–78; Central Policy Review Staff, Cabinet Office, 1978–82; HM Treasury, 1982–84.

After a period as Economic Adviser to the State of Bahrain, 1984–87, he returned as Chief Economic Adviser to the Department of Transport, 1987-91. He was then Under-Secretary (Economics), HM Treasury, 1991–94, then was again Chief Economic Adviser to the Department of Transport, 1994–95, after which he took early retirement from the Civil Service.

Subsequent career

Rickard was IMF Fiscal Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Republic of Moldova, 1995. Since then, he has been a freelance consultant.

Since 2003, he has been a non-executive director of the Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust, and a trustee of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, Isle of Wight.