Graduate Student Researcher

• Full-time or part-time, paid internship (can be part of an official university or college work experience program or outside of it)

• Compensation: $25/hour

• Duration: Flexible on start date and duration (3-12 months)- please specify what would work for you

• Location: Canada-based. Remote-friendly. Working hours are EST, but we can accommodate those in other time zones. An office is available for those in Toronto. 

• Canadian work authorization is required.

• Role starts in: 60 days

About the job

Passionate about behavioural science, public policy, or evaluation? Looking for practical experience at an organization dedicated to creating social impact? If so, we want to hear from you.

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is a global leader in using behavioural science to improve lives. We are a social purpose consulting firm with over 250 employees and offices around the world. The Canadian team is 7 kind, curious and hardworking individuals located in Toronto and Montreal. We work closely with a larger team in the US and with teams globally.

Our expert team partners with governments, nonprofits, and private sector organizations. We work across a wide range of areas—from health to consumer protection to sustainability. For example, we have helped tuberculosis patients take their medicine, helped organizations narrow their gender pay gap, and more. We design interventions, run mixed-methods evaluations, inform policy, and build organizational capacity to use evidence. 

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to bring their unique talents to our team. At BIT, we believe that behavior change is an important lever of social change, and we need people from all walks of life to help us achieve it. By leveraging diverse experiences, backgrounds and insights, we aim to create better and more equitable outcomes for our team, our clients, and the people at the center of our work. Applicants who identify with groups that are traditionally underrepresented in Behavioural Science are strongly encouraged to apply.

What will a Graduate Student Researcher Intern do? 

Your daily tasks may include a combination of:

• Evidence reviews and summaries: critically engaging academic and “grey” literature and summarizing its implications for our projects (e.g., how they inform intervention design or problem definition)

• Intervention development: applying behavioural science concepts to communications, processes, programs, and policies

• Capacity-building: delivering trainings, developing materials, and creating resources to help build skills

• Research design: developing mixed-methods research plans, developing randomized control trial (RCT) protocols 

• Writing and speaking: drafting client notes, slides, emails, and reports, as well as attending and presenting in meetings and calls

What makes a great Graduate Student Researcher? 

We’re looking for people who share our passion for generating social impact through strong research methods. We see this position as a great opportunity for graduate students in related fields to build their skills and expertise while exploring roles outside of academia. This opportunity is a good fit if: 

• You are willing to work on a wide range of problems using a variety of methods 

• You are intellectually curious 

• You are collaborative

• You want to pursue a socially impactful career

As a successful candidate, you should be able to:

• Explain and apply at least some key concepts from the behavioural sciences, public policy, and research methods

• Identify what makes some policies and services effective vs. ineffective, focusing on the people affected by them most

• Communicate to different audiences (e.g., partners across sectors, service users, etc.) 

• Manage your time and tasks to produce high-quality work  

• Work within a team, seek a diverse range of perspectives, and approach new challenges with humility and curiosity

What can we offer you?

Positive social impact is at the center of everything we do at BIT. It’s how we make strategic decisions and judge the quality of our projects. Here, you get to apply behavioural science to real world issues and see your work improve lives. This student placement offers you:

• Deeper knowledge of what the practical application of behavioural insights looks like in the real world

• Opportunities to hone your project skills, including communication, stakeholder management, and project management

• Access to a global network of amazing colleagues who are kind, intelligent, and fun to be around

• A culture that values work/life balance and gives you flexibility in how, when, and where

How to apply

Role closes: March 17, 2024

Please send in your CV and cover letter with the following questions answered.

• Why are you interested in a role with BIT?

• What are some of the strongest skills you will bring to the role?

• When would you like your student placement/role to start and end, and for how many hours/week?