Associate Advisor – Health Team

Permanent: 39 hours per week

Salary range: £25,840 - £35,000 per annum, plus benefits

Based in Westminster

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is looking for an exceptional candidate to join as an Associate Advisor in our Health team in London. The successful applicant will work on a range of projects applying behavioural insights to solve policy problems. The role is likely to include working on projects that aim to improve the way that health and social care is provided. Previous work in this area has included work with Public Health England, the Department of Health, hospitals, local authorities, and providers of social care.

The Behavioural Insights Team

The then Prime Minister created BIT in 2010 to apply behavioural science to public policy in the UK. In February 2014 we became a social purpose company, owned by the Cabinet Office, Nesta (an innovation charity) and our employees. The Behavioural Insights Team works with governments around the world in almost every area of Government policy. 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 find out what has and hasn’t worked before; we come up with innovative ideas for solving policy problems and we measure everything we do as robustly as we can. As well as displaying professional excellence, BIT selects staff on the basis of our company values: always prioritising social impact; empiricism and humility; fresh thinking, collaboration; and public service.

Roles and Responsibilities

As an Associate Advisor you will support a wide range of projects, providing advice and project management. You will likely lead aspects of projects working to a Senior or Principal Advisor, and will also undertake discrete pieces of work (such as literature reviews or scoping out various aspects of projects). You will help to plan and organise randomised controlled trials, conducting research during explore project phases. You will also develop and suggest workable policy solutions, and prepare deliverables with a clear understanding of the overall project objectives.

You will get regular exposure to a range of senior stakeholders and be expected to actively contribute to company development. Many of our Associate Advisors have a Masters degree in a relevant subject (economics, psychology or similar) and/or prior work experience in either a policy or consultancy role.

Essential

• An understanding of the behavioural science literature and how it can be applied to help solve complex policy problems;

• Excellent organisational skills;

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

• Exceptional written and verbal communication (for example ability to write short, to-the-point policy papers for Government Ministers or senior officials);

• Strategic thinking and creative problem solving; and

• Strong teamwork skills ¬ - as a part of a small team you will need to be reliable and willing to take responsibility for the small details of projects and meetings.

Desirable

• Masters in a relevant subject area (including, but not limited to behavioural economics, psychology, evaluation methods);

• Experience of working with or within the UK health and/or social care system.

• Previous experience in experimental methods (perhaps as an RA or as part of a university project);

• Competent analytical skills and an understanding of mixed methods of research and evaluation; or

• Experience working on the development or delivery of policy in government, academia, industry, or for a consulting firm or a design agency.

Date of posting: 30th August 2017

Close of Applications: 18th September 2017 at 9am GMT

Interviews and assessment tasks will take place: end September /start October 2017

Please note:

• If you do not already hold the right to work in the UK and/or require sponsorship in order to continue working here, you should think carefully before applying. This is because we will be unable to sponsor you unless there is no other suitably qualified settled worker available to fill the role or your current immigration status means that the resident labour market test will not apply in your case.

• Due to the volume of applications received we are unable to provide feedback. Please ensure that you meet the requirements for the role. To find out more about the organisation and the type of people who work in the team visit: http://www.behaviouralinsights.co.uk