Fixed term: Available on a full-time (39 hours) or part-time basis for 15 months (Jan 21- April 22)
Flexible working options include flexible start and finish times, home working and compressed hours

Are you looking for a new challenge and want to join a successful and rapidly growing organisation? Do you have a passion for exploring new ways to change people's lives at a national scale through government policy? If so, we want to hear from you.

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is looking for an exceptional candidate to join our Education team as a Research Assistant for a fixed term of 15 months (Jan 2021 – April 2022). You will be engaged in a number of tasks to support the successful delivery of a large scale randomised controlled trial in primary schools across the country. You will need to be willing to get involved in a range of tasks, be flexible in your approach and be able to juggle competing priorities. This role offers someone an excellent opportunity to develop their organisational and project management skills.

What does a Research Assistant do?

This role is in our Education team. The role will involve working alongside other members of the Education Team to deliver a programme to improve maths and science learning in primary schools. The role would suit someone with an interest in education who is looking to gain experience within the industry.

This role is at Research Assistant  level which means you will be involved in things like:

• Undertaking project specific tasks, e.g. researching information, formatting data, etc;

• Coordinating a network of temporary Research Assistants carrying out work across the UK in support of specific evaluation projects;

• Maintaining and updating project plans and documentation;

• Support preparation for client meetings and presentations; and

• Helping to monitor and chase project work externally and internally, including liaising with schools.

What makes a great Research Assistant at BIT?

We are looking for people who understand what we do, share our values and are keen to learn and develop their expertise. We are looking for candidates with the skills listed below. We expect to provide training and development support in some of the areas.

• Strong communicator and interpersonal skills. You will be able to communicate appropriately to staff at all levels;

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. You can explain complex topics in simple terms.

• Strong IT skills. You will be able to confidently present work using microsoft office and G suite. 

• Can do attitude. You are self motivated and a willingness to be flexible.

• Good organisational skills. You can manage your own time, and where appropriate that of your colleagues, to produce high quality work within a reasonable time frame.

• Good attention to detail. 

Who are we and what can we offer you?

The Behavioural Insights Team is the world leader in applying behavioural science to public policy challenges in order to strengthen communities and improve lives. 

We design and rigorously test new ideas across a range of areas such as health, crime and education, to establish what works and what doesn’t. We have helped Tuberculosis patients take their medicine; reduced police susceptibility to cyberattacks; and helped organisations close their gender pay gap.

We are looking for a passionate and imaginative individual who understands behavioural science and shares our thirst for evidence-based solutions to join our dynamic and growing team.

BIT really is a great place to work:

• We encourage flexible working and have a culture which enables this; for example flexible start and finish times and an IT set up which allows for easy working from home options

• Employees have part ownership of the company through membership of the Employee Benefits Trust.

• We have regular team lunches with inspirational guest speakers. 

• We have a flexible benefits programme which currently includes things like gym memberships, cycle to work schemes and the ability to buy extra annual leave at the start of the year.

• We’re a social bunch and have a variety of interest groups including Film Club, BIT Kids for our parents & 5-a-side team to name a few.

• We have a great office in Westminster, which has an amazing coffee machine and fridges stocked full of soft drinks!

How to apply

We use a great platform called Applied to reduce bias in the recruitment process. You will need to answer a few work-based questions which will be anonymously marked by members of our team. Our selection is based on performance in these questions, rather than looking at your CV. 

Candidates with the top scoring answers will be invited to a structured interview where you get to meet some of the team. At the interview stage you will be asked questions that reflect the role and also to complete a work-based task, so you have the chance to demonstrate your skills. It’s at this stage we first see your CV. We always give all applicants feedback, no matter what stage your application reaches.