About the Behavioral Insights Team

The Behavioral Insights Team (BIT) is a leading social impact consulting organization bringing evidence-based policy making to governments and nonprofits across the world. We believe that if you understand how people make decisions in the real world, you can design and deliver better policies and services.

This means that we draw on the lessons from the behavioral sciences to design creative and scalable solutions in fields ranging from health to criminal justice to humanitarian response. We are also committed to using and generating evidence, so we test our interventions using techniques like randomized controlled trials (RCTs) before they are scaled. We have run around 400 RCTs to date. For some of our recent projects, please see https://www.bi.team/our-work/blog/.

BIT was created inside the UK government in 2010 as the first government organization dedicated to applying behavioral science to policy and programs. Indeed, we created the term “behavioral insights.” We became a separate social purpose corporation in 2014; in 2015, we opened our North America office and work in a fast-paced and collaborative environment in Brooklyn, NY. This role will offer the opportunity for travel both inside and outside the United States.

Our portfolio of work continues to grow, and as a result we’re now looking for multiple Associate Advisors to join us. Associate Advisors typically hold Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees along with one to two years’ work or research experience, although we are open to candidates with a range of work experience.

Who we are looking for

At BIT, we work towards the development of programs and policies that serve people more efficiently and effectively, and we are particularly focused on serving populations who have not benefited fully from existing approaches. For example, we seek to increase uptake of government services among vulnerable communities, such as primary care for low-income families, job search support for people who have lost their jobs, or counseling for victims of intimate partner violence.

We also work on increasing representation for traditionally underrepresented communities by bringing their perspectives to applied behavioral science research, e.g. conducting exploratory research with these communities or ensuring their participation as stakeholders during project planning. We therefore value candidates who bring knowledge and experience around issues facing these populations, in the U.S. and internationally.

We seek candidates who embody the BIT values: prioritizing social impact; empiricism and humility; fresh thinking, collaboration; and public service. In real terms, that means we turn down projects that we don’t think will make a positive impact on the world; we hold project meetings where staff of all seniority levels are asked to contribute their perspective; and we are constantly checking our ideas and assumptions against the growing social science evidence base-- and changing course when it turns out we were wrong. A successful candidate for this role will be both a critical thinker and an empathetic, collaborative teammate.

While applied behavioral science and evaluation are integral to everything we do, we are committed to investing in the professional development of our staff and will provide the on-the-job training you need to be successful. Therefore, while a keen interest in behavioral science concepts and analytical methods is important, prior expertise in these areas is not essential.

As we are based in Brooklyn, NY, successful candidates will need the right to live and work in the United States. We will consider applicants proposing to use the post-completion OPT visa. We are looking to hire as soon as possible, so candidates with availability on or before May 1 will be prioritized.

About the role

• BIT’s Associate Advisors work under the direction of Advisors or Senior Advisors. They are expected to contribute to applied behavioral science projects in many ways, including but not limited to:

  • Developing interventions and trials, e.g. applying concepts from behavioral science to the design of communications, processes, and programs; assisting in the design of field experiments, including power and sample size calculations, developing plans for data collection, cleaning, and analysis

  • Research and analysis, e.g. helping the team conduct field research and desk research; conducting statistical analysis; contributing to the synthesis of findings

  • Written and oral communication, e.g. drafting and editing client-facing notes, reports, and PowerPoint slides; co-facilitating client workshops

  • Client management support, e.g. drafting client emails, meeting agendas, and similar products; joining client meetings and calls

  • Work planning and project management, at minimum by proactively keeping tabs on their own tasks and timelines, responding to project needs, and in some cases taking a more active role in work plan development and coordination

  • Operational support, e.g. scheduling meetings, booking travel, and preparing workshop materials

Note: For all tasks, AAs receive close supervision, guidance, and support. As an AA develops in the role, they will be expected to take more ownership of specific tasks within the project development process

• Associate Advisors at BIT come from a range of backgrounds, and there is no single profile required for success. However, the following backgrounds and qualifications are often helpful for the role:

  • Intellectual curiosity and open-mindedness

  • Dedication to achieving social impact

  • Familiarity with core concepts of behavioral science and randomized controlled trials

  • Experience balancing multiple priorities and projects in a work environment, particularly in a customer-serving role

  • Experience with data analysis, especially in Stata

  • An understanding of how to work in or with traditionally underrepresented communities

  • Experience working outside of the U.S.

  • Ability to write clearly and concisely

  • Strong academic performance

  • Ability to work collaboratively with teammates and clients with a broad range of backgrounds, political affiliations, and skill sets

  • Fluency in non-English languages, especially Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Swahili

For more information

About the opportunity

Office Location: Brooklyn, NY

Type: Full time, 40 hours per week

Compensation: $57,000-65,000 per year, plus benefits. We use a defined rubric to determine placement in the salary band to reflect differences in educational attainment, skills, and experience. Benefits include:

• 401k retirement plan, with up to 5% salary matched

• Platinum health insurance coverage

• 15 days annual leave, with the ability to purchase up to 10 more days per year

• Annual bonus based on group performance

• Mobile phone allowance

• Relocation package

Work Authorization: Candidates must already be authorized to work in the U.S. We will consider applicants proposing to use the post-completion OPT visa.

Deadline to apply: April 5, 2019

Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so applying early will improve your chances.

About the office

We strive to provide a supportive work environment where you can develop your skills and knowledge in this fast-evolving field. We offer flexible working arrangements and other policies to support the health and wellbeing of everyone on the team.

About the work

Some of your typical daily tasks may include...

• Research and analysis

  • Scan the evidence base for relevant behavioral science findings; assess quality of research supporting those findings; suggest behavioral intervention approaches based on that research and analysis

  • With support from Advisors and Senior Advisors, develop the experimental design for randomized controlled trials

  • Investigate and respond to gaps, errors and irregularities identified through field research or data analysis

  • Conduct randomizations, power calculations, descriptive and multiple regression analysis in Stata

• Work planning and project management

  • Deliver tasks on time, or proactively communicate around challenges to on-time delivery

  • Provide input on project planning and scoping

• Client management support

  • Schedule and participate in client meetings and phone calls

  • Support project team in maintaining a high level of responsiveness to client communications, e.g. by drafting email responses on tight deadlines

• Written and oral communication

  • Write clearly and concisely with appropriate style for the audience

  • Communicate behavioral science concepts clearly and concisely

  • Present to external partners on BIT projects and behavioral science concepts

• Strategic and operational support

  • Contribute to proposals and policy notes

  • Actively engage in relevant policy agendas by reading widely, attending conferences and events