We are looking for people passionate about the application of behavioural insights and quantitative research methods in the global south.

What does a Senior Advisor do?

As a Senior Research Advisor in our international programmes team in London you will lead behavioural insights and evaluation projects in Low and Middle Income countries in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA region. Our current portfolio includes predominantly large-scale randomised controlled trials (RCTs) testing the impact of public health interventions (e.g. vaccination uptake, obesity programs, malaria bednets usage), but also includes quasi-experimental designs looking at the impact of edutainment interventions  (e.g. TV shows) on corruption or rolling out large-scale sustainability initiatives with private sector partners.

In this role you will work with a team of junior researchers and policy advisors and will lead projects with our partners across governments, philanthropic organisations, and Third Sector organisations (such as UNICEF or UNDP). The successful applicant will also work alongside other senior researchers across the company to strengthen and expand our research offering.

Specifically, the role will involve:

• Leading and managing projects primarily in public health, gender-based violence and peacebuilding across Low and Middle Income countries in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA region, throughout the project life cycle:, e.g. leading BIT project teams; overseeing the development and delivery of project deliverables; applying concepts from behavioural science to the design of policies, communications, processes, and programs; overseeing the design and implementation of field experiments; leading work plan development and coordination; and, supporting the establishment of BI Units in the region.
• Leading and managing people, e.g. line management responsibilities.
• Managing client and stakeholder relationships, e.g. understanding client and stakeholder priorities, developing new relationships, managing issues, and leading client meetings.
• Developing and supporting new projects in Low and Middle Income countries, e.g. by identifying opportunities and developing proposals for new projects with the potential for significant social impact.
• Represent the business externally through talks, potential media appearances, and written content.
• International travel to supervise research and build strong relationships with our partners.

What makes a great Senior Advisor in International programmes at BIT?

We are looking for someone who has:

• Strong project management skills and experience, particularly in projects with a complex research component. Experience leading delivery end to end and ability to find solutions to difficult project challenges;
• International development experience. You have a working understanding of some of the key topics in international development and ideally, working experience from Low and Middle Income Countries.
• Strong cultural sensitivity and experience adapting and delivering work in different contexts – a courteous, diplomatic yet (when needed) assertive manner when dealing with partners;
• Have a good understanding of core BI concepts and their application. You should understand core behavioural biases and behaviour change techniques and be able to use them in identifying barriers to target behaviours and designing BI solutions.
• Good understanding of quantitative and qualitative research topics. This includes being able to communicate complex concepts in accessible ways to audiences who may not have any experience of rigorous evaluation.
• Understand how to effectively lead, support, and develop others. You can nurture talent and energise people to perform at their best. You care about the success, development and wellbeing of others and can have meaningful (and sometimes difficult!) conversations.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication. You can draft strong reports, build slick slide decks and explain complex topics in simple terms.
• Experience presenting to large and/or influential audiences and facilitating workshops with research and policy professionals;
• Foreign language speaking skills are desirable (e.g. Russian, French, Arabic).

Please do not feel discouraged if you do not meet all of the criteria. We are ultimately looking for exceptional people who want to have an impact on real-world outcomes and create environments where everyone can thrive. So whatever background you bring with you, please apply if the prospect of this role excites you.

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.

Key dates:

• Role closes: Monday 8th April  at 12:00pm BST (midday)
• Interviews and task completion: w/c 15th April 2024
• If necessary, second round interviews: w/c 22nd April 2024
• Please note that all dates are subject to change (but we’ll do our best not to change them!)

Please note:

You will need to have the right to work in the UK in order to be able to undertake this role. We will ask all applicants short-listed for an interview to provide evidence of their right to work during the recruitment process.  If you do not have the right to work for BIT but are the most suitable person for the role we will explore with you whether sponsorship may be an option. However, this may not be possible for all roles.

Some of the personal data you provide to Applied when you apply for a role with The Behavioural Insights Team will be passed on to The Behavioural Insights Team for the purposes of (a) reviewing your application; (b) inviting you for interview; and/or (c) offering you a job and getting you set up as an employee/contractor. For full details on how BIT collects and uses your personal data please visit our Global Recruitment Privacy Notice.

If your application is not successful, any personal data provided to us by Applied (including any personal data relating to equal opportunities monitoring as set out above) will be retained by The Behavioural Insights Team for no longer than 6 months after the application deadline has passed (other than in exceptional circumstances where we may need to retain your personal data for longer), at which point your personal data will be securely deleted. We only keep your information for that period in order to allow us to comply with relevant legal obligations.