The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) advises governments around the world. We work in partnership with civil servants and frontline professionals; understand the context in which their citizens make decisions; use a huge range of academic research; and run randomised controlled trials.

The 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, partly owned by our employees, and have expanded considerably to meet the demand for our work both in the UK and overseas (with clients from Australia; Singapore; the USA; United Nations Development Programme; and the World Bank).

BIT is looking for an exceptional candidate to join as a Principal Advisor leading our work on International Programmes. This is a senior level appointment and you will lead a team of Senior Advisors and Advisors to deliver large scale projects overseas. In this role you will be expected to work closely with the Director of International Programmes to develop an overarching strategy and practice for our International Programmes. You will need to be experienced with working with a range of stakeholders and clients to deliver projects, including international governments.

• As a Principal Advisor, you will be a member of the Senior Management Team reporting to the Director, Home Affairs and International Programmes.
• You will lead a team that not only helps shape the policies of the UK government, its partners and major international development organisations, but you will also be responsible for delivering a range of highly innovative projects which seek to demonstrate ‘what works’ in your area of specialism.
• You will interact with senior government officials, Ministers and clients on a regular basis, and be responsible for business development relating to International Programmes. You will play a role in ensuring that quality is maintained across the business and will be expected to manage and deliver projects to tight deadlines and budgets. The successful applicant will have a deep knowledge of behavioural science, have a strong understanding of mixed research methods, be a highly capable manager and possess superb interpersonal skills. Above all, you will reflect the culture and values of the Behavioural Insights Team, prioritising positive social impact in all you do, be empirically focussed, collaborative and be able to bring genuinely fresh and powerful ideas to bear in this policy area.
• You will lead a team of international development specialists and behavioural science experts. You will be responsible for overseeing a number of high profile policy trials in a range of middle and lower income countries in Latin America, East Asia and South Asia. The specific policy areas will vary widely, from anti-corruption in post-soviet Europe, to maternal healthcare in parts of Latin America, to tax compliance in East Asia. You will need to be versatile in your thinking, be able to recognise good ideas, be resilient to difficult challenges and environments as well as possessing the ability to bring others with you. You will be expected to represent BIT to very senior audiences in the UK and overseas, including at Cabinet level, and often in international and domestic media.

All candidates must also be able to demonstrate:

• Substantial experience working on the development or delivery of policy in an overseas environment in government, academia, industry, or for a consulting firm or a design agency;
• Strong leadership and management experience, including supporting team members to develop their own skills and expertise;
• Deep understanding of the behavioural science literature and how it can be applied to help solve complex real life policy problems;
• Experience working with the UK Government, other governments around the world or international development agencies in applying behavioural insights;
• Strong programme and project management skills and experience, particularly related to behavioural insights projects;
• A clear focus on collaborative working, including with partners from outside of your organisation, understanding that this is essential to achieving better outcomes;
• Exceptional written and verbal communication (for example ability to write short, to-the-point policy papers for Ministers or senior officials);
• Experience presenting to large and influential audiences and facilitating behavioural insights workshops with policy professionals;
• High level strategic thinking, challenging existing assumptions and thinking of creative solutions to problems;
• Competent analytical skills and an understanding of mixed methods of research and evaluation; and
• Experience in responding to competitive tenders, preparing responding bids/proposals and securing new work packages.

Finally, it would be desirable if you have:

• A Masters or PhD in a relevant subject area (including, but not limited to behavioural economics, psychology, design thinking, evaluation methods).