The Behavioural Insights Team

In 2010, the then Prime Minister created the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) to apply behavioural science to public policy in the UK. In 2014 we became a social purpose company, owned by the Cabinet Office, Nesta (an innovation charity) and our employees.

BIT works with governments around the world in almost every policy area. Whilst the subject and output of our projects varies considerably, there are common threads: we try to understand the contexts in which people make decisions; we notice small details; we come up with innovative ideas for solving policy problems; and we measure the impact of everything we do as robustly as we can.

BIT selects staff on the basis of our organisation’s values: always prioritising social impact; empiricism and humility; fresh thinking, collaboration; and public service.

Roles and Responsibilities

You will be part of the Home Affairs and International Programmes team, working on a range of projects across policy domains, looking at ways in which behavioural insights can be applied to policy problems with a specific focus on social cohesion, crime and criminal justice. For example, can you find a way to reduce prejudice and increase trust in young people in schools? Can you design effective counter-narrative interventions that tackle extremism? Can you prevent young people from becoming engaged in violence?

To do this, you will need to work with a range of partners, such as:

• Government departments (e.g. Home Office, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Justice, MHCLG, DCMS);

• UK police forces (e.g. the Metropolitan Police);

• Academics (e.g. Chicago Crime Lab); and

• NGOs, foundations and companies in the private sector (e.g. banks).

To become a trusted advisor to these partners, you will need to know how to navigate each of their worlds. You will need to have existing knowledge of home affairs policy, and stay up to date with the latest policy, academic and tech developments in the sector. Working closely with the Director and Principal Advisor you will be expected to make substantial contributions to BIT’s thinking, developing powerful new insights. You will also develop new project opportunities in these areas.

Ideally, you’ll have experience in these fields, but this is not essential. We are looking for curious people that like to solve problems. You must be confident in your ability to apply research findings to develop interesting and practical policy interventions. You will think on your feet in meetings with senior officials and suggest workable solutions to complex policy challenges. You can also spot potential issues with public policy interventions and identify how behavioural science can address them.

Skills and Experience

Essential

All candidates must be able to demonstrate:

• A good understanding of what drives people’s behaviour relating to social cohesion, integration, crime or criminal justice in the UK and/or internationally;

• Exceptional written and verbal communication;

• A keen sense of personal impact - a courteous, diplomatic yet (when needed) assertive manner when dealing with partners;

• Strong project management skills and experience - the ability to lead projects with a high degree of autonomy;

Desirable

Finally, it would be desirable if you have:

• A good understanding of the behavioural science literature;

• A background in the criminal justice system, policy-making or academia;

• Experience of bidding for and winning competitive consultancy tenders;

• The ability to support the design and implementation of rigorous evaluations, including but not limited to randomised controlled trials;

• A Masters or PhD in a relevant subject area (including, but not limited to criminology, behavioural economics, public policy, psychology, anthropology, design thinking)