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Recap: BISG Kickoff 2018-19

With the new academic year underway, the Behavioral Insights Group hosted its fourth annual kick-off at Harvard Kennedy School’s Malkin Penthouse. The sold-out event provided students with a chance to hear from leading behavioral science researchers, learn how to become more involved in the field, and connect with other students and faculty.

After an introduction from BIG Faculty Chair Professor Todd Rogers, those in attendance were treated to talks from Professors Jennifer Lerner, David Laibson and Professor Rogers himself. The night was rounded off by a Q&A with the faculty, an invitation to join the Behavioral Insights Student Group from BISG Co-Leader Daniela Jozic, and a reception for community members to meet with each other.

Professor Lerner is the first psychologist to have received tenure at the Kennedy School and has just begun serving as the US Navy’s Chief Decision Scientist. She spoke about her pioneering research on the role of emotion in decision-making, the implications of this research for a range of policy domains, and ways for students to contribute by joining the Lerner Lab.

Professor Laibson, the author of several of the most cited papers in behavioral economics, spoke next. In a challenge to the field, he discussed several recent findings raising questions about the ability of isolated tweaks to decision-making environments to change outcomes (see here and here). On a more optimistic note, he noted that Harvard students have a bounty of opportunity to learn more about the emerging science, including through the many courses offered by the economics department.

Finally, Professor Rogers rounded off the formal part of the evening by speaking about his work in applying behavioral science to improve education and citizen engagement. In particular, he spoke about the power that information can have when placed in the right hands -- namely those of parents -- to reduce student absenteeism, as well as the surprising persistence of some behaviorally informed interventions. And while effect sizes can be small, behavioral interventions can have large absolute impacts if they scale well; several of the social enterprises co-founded by Professor Rogers, including In Class Today, show us one exciting path forward.

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Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Design/UX Researcher - ATLANTA

OrganizationCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

How to Apply

A complete application consists of

An application

Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts

A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list

Two educational or professional references

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

If you have questions, send an email to CDCrpp@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity in your email.

Application Deadline1/5/2019 12:00:00 AM Eastern Time ZoneDescription

There is a Research Opportunity at the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (CSELS) at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

The participant  will serve as a design/UX researcher that will be involved with current informatics innovation projects. The participant will be part of a design team that seeks to understand user needs before our technical team builds technology solutions. Duties include, but are not limited to:

1) Conducting environmental scans and background research for projects. 2) Learning how to schedule and conduct interviews with users. 3) Synthesizing research findings as a team. 4) Conducting user testing. 5) Creating visual and written communication products. 6) Coordinating working sessions with stakeholders, to include administrative tasks. 7) Co-facilitating week-long working sessions with stakeholders and users, to include documenting findings. 8) Responding to requests for information. 9) Assisting with exploratory and participatory research methods to uncover insights that will inform and inspire design and innovation and represent user needs. 10) Gathering and preparing data related to design, incubation, innovation, and assessment of user-centered service opportunities. 11) Participating collaboratively with team members and stakeholders to creatively solve problems. 12) Utilizing various approaches to include human centered design, UX and service design to identify user needs. 13) Being involved with integrity, transparency, and resiliency in civic minded or high impact driven environment.

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. The initial appointment is for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. The appointment is full-time at CDC in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a Bachelor degree in the social sciences or a related discipline within the last five years.

Completion of User Experience or Design program, course work, or workshop is desired, but not required. Experience (professional or personal) being involved on UX or design projects desired.

We would like a curious, motivated self-starter who loves to learn and has an interest in improving public health using Human-Centered Design/UX principles.

Analytical, creative problem solver: Experience researching and understanding complex systems, distilling them into understandable components, and honing in on problem/opportunity areas. Skill organizing and classifying concepts.

Strategic thinking with attention to detail: Able to see the big picture (vision), but is also practical and action oriented. Can focus on the details of a project and execute operational tasks without losing sight of the overarching goal.

Empathy and emotional intelligence: Knowledge and appreciate of customer service, navigating processes and bureaucracy, and delivering services based on what users need. Interested and able to step into another person's shoes. Values, understands, and can apply soft skills.

Communication and visual thinking: Can communicate clearly and concisely (verbal, written, visually). Experienced writer who can quickly draft reports. Understanding of the basics of visual design and able to communicate visually is a plus.

Team player: "Team first," service mindset. Comfortable collaborating with others from diverse backgrounds/disciplines. Appreciates differences in perspective. We’re a large organization and want to see that you can thrive in this environment.

Have effective time management skills to balance project schedule with fast-paced deadlines.

Eligibility Requirements

Degree: Bachelor's Degree received within 60 months.

Discipline(s):

Communications and Graphics Design (2 )

Life Health and Medical Sciences (1 )

Social and Behavioral Sciences (36 )

To apply, click here. 

Questions? Contact Mary Peck at dhi4@cdc.gov

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RESEARCH ANALYST, ECONOMIST/DATA SCIENTIST, GLOBAL ASSET ALLOCATION

APPLY

With over $460 billion in assets under management, Fidelity’s Global Asset Allocation division (GAA) is a leading provider of asset allocation solutions for retail and institutional clients. The range of investment solutions includes target date funds, target allocation funds, income and real return strategies, world allocation funds, managed volatility strategies, and custom institutional solutions.

Asset Allocation Research

The Asset Allocation Research Team (AART) consists of 12 research analysts in Boston, Massachusetts reporting to the Director of Research.  AART applies leading-edge thinking from the financial, economic and decision sciences to address asset allocation research challenges. Our aim is to drive innovation in asset allocation and support Fidelity’s multi-asset class investment solutions on both a strategic and dynamic time horizon.  This process is a critical input to Fidelity multi-asset class investment performance.  

The Position

Reporting to the AART team leader, you will be a key member of the Asset Allocation Research Team (AART) research effort to build systematic analytical processes that begin at the micro level but aggregate into unique insights into asset allocation. You will have a diverse set of duties and will work across the team as well as reciprocally across Fidelity’s asset management organization. Your skills will be applied to better understand our customers, financial markets and their links with the macro economy. Primary responsibilities include spearheading efforts to convert Fidelity’s extensive demographic and financial data about market participants into relevant and significant insights into participant attributes and needs, financial and economic implications, and strategic portfolio design. This position requires an ability to deal with, organize and combine large, diverse and unstructured datasets, as well as familiarity with the use and development of software tools utilized in the analysis of such datasets. Fields of inquiry most useful for this role include economics, mathematics and statistics, computer science, demography, psychology, sociology, public policy, and finance. In addition to this broad skill set, the ideal candidate would be a self-starter able to bring multiple perspectives to bear on problems and capable of managing a wide variety of responsibilities and tasks. This position requires excellent project management skills and a validated ability to work collaboratively to get results.

Responsibilities

Developing extreme facility with Fidelity’s extensive demographic and financial datasets and harnessing those for further improvement of client outcomes.

Building state-of-the-art models to develop unique insights on how client demographics in combination with macro policies and financial system structures impact micro and macro realities.

Using behavioural science insights to help develop unique, custom asset allocation solutions.

Working with the portfolio construction team to evolve and refine the ongoing strategic portfolio design efforts. Includes regular interaction with portfolio management and product teams.

Communicating regularly within Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers (SAI) and Global Asset Allocation (GAA) on insights and recommendations.

Working collaboratively across multiple investment teams to assure outcomes across GAA, SAI and asset management generally.

Qualifications

Background in economics/finance with a focus on quantitative methods and data analytics.

Proficiency with cross-sectional and panel data econometrics and machine learning methods for economics/finance.

Proven ability to combine broad ranging skills into coherent insights (Ph.D. or equivalent applied experience).

Strong project management skills and record of success across projects of varying size/complexity required.

Proficiency with econometric software (Stata/SAS), database manipulation (SQL), and coding (Python/R/Matlab).

Teammate with excellent interpersonal skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Strong intellectual curiosity and strong personal and professional integrity

Dedication to building a career at Fidelity and within the Global Asset Allocation division

Location

Boston, Massachusetts

To apply, click here.

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Applied Behavioral Science Lead

Position Overview 

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. Conservation ultimately comes down to people – their behaviors toward nature, their beliefs about its value, and their ability to protect it without sacrificing basic life needs. And so, conservationists must become as skilled in social change as in science; as committed to community-based solutions as national and international policymaking.

Over more than three decades, Rare has partnered with local organizations to run more than 400 behavior change projects in nearly 60 countries, promoting community-led adoption of solutions as diverse sustainable coastal fisheries management, fuel-efficient cookstove use, reciprocal water agreements, regenerative agriculture, recycling and waste management, wildlife demand reduction, and more. Rare’s largest current program, Fish Forever, is an innovative global movement to transform coastal fisheries in Brazil, Indonesia, Mozambique the Philippines and more.

Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment was launched in 2017 to bring the best insights from behavioral science and design to tackle some of the world’s most challenging environmental issues. Through partnership with leading academic and research institutions, we are translating the science of human behavior into practical solutions for conservationists worldwide. The integration of insights from the science of human behavior – what we call ‘behavior-centered design’ – is underdeveloped in the conservation and environment field in comparison to other sectors such as health, education, finance and public policy. We aim to change that by promoting adoption of the principles and practices of behavior-centered design by thousands of environmental leaders and practitioners around the world. Our vision is that by 2030, conservation challenges are dramatically more solvable because behavior-centered design is the norm in our field. To do this, we aim to raise the profile of behavioral science and design and build demand for it in the conservation space, to create compelling evidence that behavior-centered design leads to better conservation outcomes, and to strengthen the ability of practitioners and leaders to apply the strategies and tactics of behavior-centered design in their own work.

Rare is looking for an innovative and solutions-oriented expert with a knack for communication and a hunger to connect science to practice to join the Center for Behavior & the Environment and lead the development of its applied behavioral science program. Reporting to the Senior Director, Center for Behavior & the Environment, and working closely with the Senior Director and other team members, the Applied Behavioral Science Lead will be responsible for developing and executing the Center’s applied science and research strategy and leading the design and execution of its experimental collaborations. The role will involve working closely with the Center’s academic partners and research network and occasionally co-authoring papers when relevant.

Effective conservation must be based on the best available science, but connecting research to application is a difficult challenge requiring a broad range of skills spanning study design, expert analysis, keen interpretation and effective communication. Further, effective applied scientists need to find solutions that can balance research objectives with a range of practical needs. The ideal candidate has the ability to communicate expertise to a wide range of audiences and with multiple levels of stakeholders but does not quite feel at home in a purely academic setting. S/he has demonstrated the ability to collaborate and produce novel research for publication in the scientific literature but cares more about the impact that research has on solving big, hairy environmental challenges than on adding to her/his already impressive list of publications.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Applied Behavioral Science Lead will exercise independent judgment regarding the following areas of significance:

Field Experiments and Research Collaborations

Goal: Create compelling evidence for the conditions under which behavior-centered design leads to better conservation outcomes

Responsibilities include:

Oversee and/or support design and execution of at least three field experiments in collaboration with relevant research partners

Collaborate with Fish Forever Science & Technology team and country teams to conduct experiments to assess the effectiveness of behavioral strategies and tactics to drive adoption of the four core Fish Forever behaviors (fisher registration, fisher participation in management committees, catch reporting, and fisheries management compliance)

Independently identify and develop experimental opportunities in other projects (eg, water and sustainable agriculture in Colombia and China)

Support design and execution of a quantitative measure for assessing adoption of ‘behavior-centered design’ in the conservation field

Conduct data analyses independently or oversee/support data analysis by research collaborators

     2. Academic Network and Partnerships

Goal: Lead development and execution of the Center’s academic network and partnerships to strengthen the link between science and practice for solving big, hairy environmental challenges

Responsibilities include:

Lead development and execution of formal and informal academic partnerships including Yale Applied Cooperation Team, Stanford Earth, Stockholm Environment Institute, and more

Formalize and maintain a growing network of research affiliates and potential collaborators

Occasionally develop on-campus symposia/events and recruit and oversee interns/fellows from academic partners for strategically relevant projects

Identify opportunities for strengthening the science-to-practice bridge in innovative ways

    3. Learning and Translation

Goal: Strengthen the ability of practitioners and leaders to apply the strategies and tactics of behavior-centered design in their own work

Responsibilities include:

Support toolkit and product design team by providing content expertise and occasionally participating in team-led product design challenges

Contribute significantly to the development of an interactive and navigable “catalogue” of behavioral insights for conservation

Support development of the Center’s virtual platform and community, the Behavior & Environment Hive (BE.Hive) and use it to manage academic network and research affiliates and conduct strategic research-practitioner matchmaking

Participate in Center-led learning cohorts – informal partnerships of like-minded organizations sharing commitments to big, audacious goals, committing to prototyping and piloting innovating behavior-centered design concepts, and cooperating to share lessons around a set of learning objectives (e.g., Climate Change Needs Behavior Change learning cohort)

    4. Support for Communications and Thought Leadership

Goal: Raise the profile of behavioral science and design and build demand for it in the conservation space

Responsibilities include:

Occasionally write or co-write science translation pieces for the Center for Behavior & the Environment blog or other outlets

Occasionally represent the Center for Behavior & the Environment at strategically relevant conferences and convenings

Provide research and content support to CEO, Senior Director, Director of Operations and Engagement and other Rare team members for strategic external communications, funding proposals, etc

Support development of the Center for Behavior & the Environment’s strategic convenings and summits, including helping to recruit academic partners

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Advanced degree (PhD preferred; or Master’s with equivalent applied research experience) in relevant behavioral & social science discipline (including but not limited to behavioral economics, social psychology, anthropology, cognitive and decision science, organizational behavior, etc.);

Demonstrated experience in applying behavioral and social science research methods to social and behavior change projects;

A broad understanding of the behavioral science literature and how it can be applied to help solve complex behavior change problems, capacity to work across disciplines, and ability to communicate complex concepts to a general audience;

Demonstrated ability to design and conduct rigorous experiments, most notably Randomized Controlled Trials;

Experience using software packages for quantitative analysis and online testing (e.g. Qualtrix, MTurk etc);

Excellent communication and business acumen as applied to global, fast growth, fast-paced, innovative organizations;

Strong project management and people management skills, including the ability to manage up, down and across;

Ability to thrive in cross-functional team environments to build relationships across geographical distances, cultural communities, and up and down the organizational structure;

A commitment to Rare’s mission and values;

A desire to work on important conservation and environment issues such as climate change, overfishing, sustainable agriculture, etc is required; Knowledge and experience in working on some of these issues is a big plus but is not a requirement for the position;

Written and spoken fluency in English required; proficiency in other languages a plus, especially Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Tagalog or Bahasa Indonesian.

To learn more and apply, click here.

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Behavioural Research Consultant in Hong Kong

Behavioural Research Consultant

About Swiss Re

The Swiss Re Group is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural catastrophes to climate change, from ageing populations to cybercrime. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 80 offices globally. It is organised into three Business Units, each with a distinct strategy and set of objectives contributing to the Group’s overall mission.

About the Team:

The Life & Behaviour Research & Development (LBRD) department has global responsibility for the production and application of research in support of life & health business within Swiss Re. The international multidisciplinary research team works on a broad range of topics such as behavioural science, longevity, advancement in medicines & technology. The Research Consultant will work predominately in the area of behavioural research to understand the true drivers of customer behaviour and enhance engagement of insurance customers.

About the Job:

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a proactive and motivated individual to join our Behavioural Research Unit.

The chosen candidate will be a "self-starter" and a strong communicator who can independently and proactively drive forward primary research projects within the insurance industry in Asia.  

They will design, implement and evaluate primary behavioral science research within a commercial environment (such as running trials on websites, scripts, letters, forms etc) with insurance companies.

They will independently lead and contribute to applied research projects in the area of Behavioural Science and across other disciplines, including the changing landscape of life, health, medicine, and technology, and embed them into a business setting, including writing business cases for funding.

They will proactively create and manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders within several markets across Asia.

They will navigate uncertainty, analyse and select research opportunities in order to bring value to the business.

They will present to client and industry audiences and are happy to travel.

They will support the statistical analyses on the results for A/B trials the team conducts around the world and delivering the outcomes to clients.

About You:

Post-graduate qualification involving behavioural research and hands on knowledge and experience designing and implementing behavioural research studies.

BA/BSc in Behavioural science, Economics, Psychology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Health Economics, Medical and Health Sciences, Social Sciences. Advanced degrees (MSc, PhD) preferred.

A minimum 1-2 years' work experience in a commercial setting, with knowledge of the insurance industry preferred.

Excellent speaking and presentation skills (incl. PowerPoint) in English.  Mandarin preferred.

Excellent organisational, analytical, teamwork and communication skills.

Work experience in independently project managing research or other commercial projects.

Confidence working with leading national and international experts both in academic and insurance settings.

Experience in managing, prioritising and time management of multiple tasks.

Happy to travel within Asia plus some international travel to Europe (approx. twice a year).

Strong IT skills, experience with large data sets and familiarity using quantitative software (e.g. STATA, SAS, Matlab).

More details here. 

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Behavioral Insights Global is Hiring

Behavioral Insights Global is seeking 1-2 Fall 2018 Research Fellows to assist with the compilation and synthesis of recent research findings in behavioral policy for government stakeholders at all levels of government. BI Global spun out of concerted student efforts to apply academic research to policymaking and currently supports UNDP, WHO, and other international organizations in the creation and implementation of behavioral research to public policy frameworks. Research fellows will be better prepared to conduct policy-relevant research in behavioral sciences; gain practical insights into effect sizes, randomized controlled trials, and nitty gritty details of applied research; and those chosen will learn about the latest trends and opportunities in behavioral policy. They will also be able to contribute to a first-of-its-kind reference for behavioral policy experts. For more information, please email a CV and statement of interest to projects@behavioralinsightsglobal.org. This is an unpaid student research opportunity, and time commitment for this role will be flexible, with expectations of round 5-7 hours per week. Ideal candidates will have a strong grip on statistics and policy and a desire to make a difference in international development using behavioral approaches to data collection.

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The Harvard Decision Science Laboratory (HDSL) is Hiring RAs

The Harvard Decision Science Laboratory (HDSL) is a university-wide bio-behavioral research facility serving investigators from a variety of disciplines exploring the science of decision making. A research assistant here will get exposure to fields such as behavioral economics, organizational behavior, social and educational psychology. Researchers from all across the university, and at all levels of the scholarly community—from senior faculty to undergraduate researchers—use the lab to investigate how emotion, neuroscience, and cognitive processes combine to shape human judgment and decision-making. Our capabilities enable researchers to study hypotheses at the intersection of natural and social sciences.

Day-to-day at HDSL can be very different depending on current needs—you may be at the front desk checking in and out subjects, in the lab room running experiments, or working on programming or testing an experimental protocol. You may work with experimenters in the conceptualization and design of their experiments; in programming these designs using standard tools for subject interaction (for example, MediaLab, z-Tree, E-Prime, MatLab, Qualtrics); in conducting the experiments and interacting with subjects in the lab; and in compiling and analyzing experimental data. In addition, as part of their basic training in the tools of our state-of-art lab, the RA will be trained on the use of physiological monitoring systems for behavioral experiments. This “Physio Boot Camp” involves training in the correct placement of sensors, assuring the clarity of a signal for data collection, skills for respectful interactions with subjects, and use of software tools (specifically BioLab) for the analysis of physiological data. You will get the opportunity to work with several Harvard professors and graduate students, lab staff, and other students. Ideally, we are looking for a self-driven and innovative person that will design and lead new projects to promote the lab’s mission to promote evidence-based approaches.

Working at HDSL will provide a uniquely comprehensive introduction to experimental methods and tools. RAs at HDSL become acquainted with a wide variety of investigators, research questions, and experimental methods. The experience is one particularly suited to students interested both in learning experimental technique and eager for an exposure to a variety of fields and behavioral science, with a view to building skills and exploring fields of potential interest through direct engagement with researchers.

Skills Needed Students from all disciplines are welcome to apply, as we support a diverse pool of investigators. We do recommend that students have taken an introductory course in economics and/or psychology. Interest in decision science, as well as willingness to jump into the variety of different projects and support researchers, is important. The great opportunity in working for HDSL is that students here can learn whichever skills they want to acquire. We look forward to working with you. 

Credit or pay available. Please send your resume, and cover letter or any file/link to get to know you better, to decisionlab@hks.harvard.edu .

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The Decision Lab is looking for a Research Associate

About the Decision Lab

The Decision Lab is a Canadian think-tank dedicated to democratizing behavioral science through research and analysis. The Decision Lab applies behavioural science to create social good in the public and private sectors. Since launching in 2013, they’ve become one of the leading publications in this space and have worked with organizations such as The World Bank, the Skoll Foundation and some of the largest financial institutions in Canada.

The Position

The Decision Lab bridges a fundamental gap between behavioral science theory and application. Their associates are at the front lines of this work. They are looking for looking for bright, capable and curious candidates with a strong grasp of behavioral science concepts (whether this is from the point of view of behavioral economics, psychology, neuroscience, etc.) who have a strong thirst for translating these concepts into practice.

For more information, click here

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BIT is looking for a Principal Advisor in Early Years, Schools and Skills

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is looking for an exceptional candidate to join them as a Principal Advisor leading our Early Years, Schools and Skills team. The successful applicant will be an excellent leader, as well as a strong team player, creating and sustaining relationships with partners across the UK and around the world. They will lead a high performing team and oversee a range of projects that aim to improve educational outcomes across the age spectrum. For example this includes work on the early years focused on school readiness and parent engagement, a variety of school based projects ranging from the use of education technology in the classroom to teacher recruitment, as well as post-school projects looking at technical education, further education, apprenticeships and widening participation in higher education.

For more information, click here

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BEworks is Hiring an Associate in NYC

BEworks is the first management consulting firm dedicated to the practice of applying behavioural science to strategy, marketing, operations, and policy challenges. Founded in Toronto in 2010, we are now expanding our physical footprint into the US; New York City to be more precise. In NYC, we are starting with a team who will be focused on leveraging their behavioural science knowledge to teach business / policy leaders how to use behavioural science and the scientific method to think differently about how to solve their business and policy challenges.  Associates will be required to travel within the US and Canada and some may be transitioned to our Toronto office in the future to join our core consulting team.

FACILITATE THOROUGH CLIENT DISCOVERY by…

Evaluating data

Uncovering client assumptions

Understanding a client’s knowledge, intuition, and priors

Auditing their experimental capability

CONDUCT VIGOROUS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH by…

Gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information and existing scientific research, including insights drawn from BEworks’ proprietary IP database

PLAN & IMPLEMENT EXPERIMENTATION by…

Supporting the design and building of both large and small scale randomized control experiments of rigorous quality and exceptionally high standards (peer review and academic advisors provide guidance to ensure robustness of designs and analyses)

Conducting analysis in R, Python, SPSS or similar

Managing, organizing, and analyzing large, complex data sets (multiple variables, multiple time periods)

Qualifications:

A PhD is required, preferably in one of the following areas: psychology (preferably social, cognitive, or consumer), marketing (consumer behavior), economics (empirical or micro), or judgment and decision making

Post-doc experience and/or commercial/consulting experience would be an asset

A passion for empirical behavioral research

Strong research methods capabilities for leading the design of complex, multi-staged multivariate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and strong statistical knowledge are essential

High energy, self-starter who possesses a strong commitment to excellence

Ability and desire to work in a highly collaborative (and frankly, sometimes noisy) team

A voracious appetite for learning

Willingness to go the extra mile

A solid team player who is also an independent thinker

Deadline driven, organized, and able to multi-task


Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills are important

More details here.

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UK Department for Education is Hiring two Behavioural Insights Advisors, Apply by Sept 5th

The DfE BIU aims to embed behavioural science in all education and children’s social care policy. As a team, we lead a portfolio of innovative, robust, respected work in high priority policy issues such as widening access to higher education and increasing the take-up of STEM subjects. As a young team, this is an exciting time to join to help shape the direction of our expanding and ambitious unit. The role also offers a unique opportunity to further develop your proficiency in applied behavioural science, as it will involve working closely with leading thinkers and experts. This function will be based in the Strategy Unit, a small, fast paced, high-calibre team which supports the implementation of priority projects and policies that span across all of the department’s work. The Strategy Unit aims to: - Support Ministers to set the strategic direction for the department and their relative priorities and objectives - Take a strategic overview across and beyond the department, identifying gaps, opportunities and challenges, and making links between policy areas - Develop new policy ideas that address our biggest priorities - Build capacity in the department to think strategically and to make and deliver effective policy for Ministers Essential Skills - Knowledge of the behavioural science literature and its applications to public policy. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills (particularly presenting academic and technical work for non-academic audiences). - Ability to manage a workload of multiple projects, delivered to a high standard on deadline. - Strong teamwork skills. As part of a small team, you will need to be reliable and willing to take responsibility for elements of projects, meetings and daily routines. - Proven experience in managing and facilitating collaborative working across a number of teams and organisations. - Strong project management skills including producing projects plans and monitoring project deliverables. - Strategic thinking and creative problem solving. Desirable: Qualifications A Masters or PhD in a relevant subject area (in particular behavioural or experimental economics, cognitive or experimental psychology, decision science or other behavioural or social science disciplines).

More details here. 

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Invitation to BISG Students: Apply for Philanthropy Advisory Fellowship Opportunity

Join the Philanthropy Advisory Fellowship

Program: HUEA SG Philanthropy Advisory Fellowship is a program run by Harvard University Effective Altruism Student Group that recruits and trains Harvard grad students to consult for large foundations on how they can best improve the world with their charitable giving.

How it Works: We meet weekly on Tuesdays 5-6:30pm starting on 9/4. Free dinner is provided. Background research will be conducted during September, and by the end of the month we will assign Fellows to teams based on interest, skills, and demonstrated commitment -- the best way to be assigned to your top choice project is to attend weekly meetings in September and contribute to background research. We conduct a weekend retreat on Cape Cod (9/29) with training on consulting and philanthropy. We build well-rounded cross-disciplinary teams from across the Harvard graduate schools.  This is a semester-long, volunteer research program.

Donors and Programs for Fall 2018:

A billionaire family foundation (Arymax) wants to find the most effective strategies to improve the long-term future of Brazil. Last semester, we identified priority cause areas of Productive Inclusion, Government Effectiveness, and Reducing Violence. This semester we will research effective strategies, interventions, and organizations for the foundation to support in these cause areas.

Tata Trusts and other Indian philanthropists/foundations are partnering with The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer's non-profit, to find and promote effective charities in India. We have been asked to help identify which charities to select.

Last year, we worked with Eric Schmidt's foundation to create a curriculum for a college course on tackling global problems using an Effective Altruism approach. This semester, we will continue to develop that curriculum and promote adoption of the course at Harvard and other universities.

First Meeting and Info Session: Tues. 9/4, 5pm, at HKS Littauer L-332

Second Meeting and Info Session: Tues. 9/11, 5pm, at HKS Wexner WEX-434

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/579817982416459/

More Info: http://www.harvardea.org/philanthropy-advisory-fellowship/

Questions? Email huea.studentgroup@gmail.com .

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InClassToday is Hiring District Sales and Partnership Leaders

InClassToday co-founded by BIG faculty chair Todd Rogers uses behavioral insights and data to administer absence-reducing interventions at scale. Think: OPOWER for absenteeism, based on this and this research. 

InClassToday is on a mission to improve student outcomes by reducing absenteeism. Our intervention uses behavioral insights to empower parents and guardians with actionable information and has been proven to increase the number of days students are in school.

Research is clear: showing up to school matters. Many schools and districts across the US have taken steps to address attendance issues, but most interventions are challenging to design, expensive to implement and yield inconsistent outcomes. Furthermore, families and guardians-- who are at the core of student achievement-- tend to be under-informed on the matter. As a result, attendance rates across the US are still tragically low, with over 7 million students missing more than 10% of school.

They’re looking for District Sales and Partnership leaders passionate about the power of behavioral insights to support student success.  

More details here.

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Teachly Seeking Harvard Students with Behavioral Science Backgrounds for Part-Time RA/Fellow Positions - Apply ASAP

Teachly is recruiting 2-4 RA’s for the 2018-2019 academic year to serve as Teachly Fellows. They are seeking Harvard students, both grad and undergrad, with a wide range of backgrounds (computer science, statistics, teaching and learning, behavioral sciences, etc.). 

Teachly is an ed-tech application that brings the dynamics of a small classroom to large lecture halls. By making data -- about students, faculty, and their in-class interactions -- available and actionable, we believe that Teachly can greatly improve the quality of teaching and learning, and promote more inclusive academic environments. We are looking for bright, energetic, entrepreneurial and passionate students to help us in our efforts to creating more inclusive and effective classrooms.

Role Overview

This academic year, Teachly will be running pilots across various schools at Harvard University to learn about the data and evidence that can help faculty teach more effectively and inclusively. Teachly is looking for students to serve as part-time Teachly Fellows to achieve this mission. We need talented, self-motivated students to help our team deploy Teachly across Harvard

University, as well as gather feedback from participating faculty, identify priorities for future features, and encourage faculty behavior change and increased tool adoption. If you are a talented, self-motivated student passionate about improving teaching at Harvard University, and have a background in one or more of the following, please apply:

Computer Science & Statistics : Experience with R, python, data visualization and/or point and click automation tools (Workflow, Keyboard Maestro, Zapier, IFTTT, etc.);

Teaching & Learning : Former teachers or education students with knowledge in the learning sciences literature and an interest in nudging faculty to change behaviors through technology and data;

Behavioral Sciences : Experience designing behavioral interventions to change the way people act in various scenarios; and/or

Startups & Business : Experience in the world of building and growing startups with great interest in improving teaching.

To be eligible for this position, you must be an active student at Harvard University and be willing to work at least 8 hours a week. This role will compensate in line with a standard research assistant position. To apply, please complete this form. For additional questions, please email sarah_hamma@hks.harvard.edu.

APPLY HERE!

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The Behavioural Insights Team is Hiring a Principal Research Advisor and Associate Research Advisor

Principal Research Advisor

The Behavioural Insights Team is recruiting a Principal Research Advisor, who will support the Chief Scientist at the cutting edge of BIT’s diverse work programme, covering areas such as social capital, social mobility, and Data Science and BI Ventures.

The successful candidate will lead a team of ten working on some of BIT’s most challenging but exciting projects, including overseeing BIT’s social capital and social action work, our work with vulnerable young people, and either our data science or qualitative programmes of work.

More details here.

Associate Research Advisor

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is looking for an exceptional candidate to join us as an Associate Advisor in our Research and Evaluation team. In this role you will work on with the Chief Scientist and the Head of Social Capital on projects involving behavioural science, policy, randomised controlled trials, and data science, as well as working closely with BIT’s Ventures arm on products and services. We are keen to recruit a candidate with a strong background in behavioural science, project management and applied econometrics in particular.

The role will involve working directly with Chief Scientist to develop and run projects in emerging areas of interest to the team, as well as providing support to a wide variety of projects across the team’s operations in the UK and overseas. You will be expected to work on a wide variety of projects and to provide support including client interaction, project management, trial design, developing interventions, and analysing data. This is a demanding role, and would suit a candidate who is able to multi-task and managing different sets of priorities and stakeholders.

More details here.

[harvardbisg]

ideas42 is Hiring a Chief Economist

We are seeking an individual with experience in applied behavioral economics to join our team as our Chief Economist. At ideas42, the Chief Economist is part of the leadership team and is responsible for ensuring that the work of the organization reflects both the fundamentals of economic theory as well as the latest in current scholarship. The Chief Economist supports ideas42 project teams with empirical analysis and the publication of results, with an emphasis on fostering productive engagement with the academic community. The ideas42 Chief Economist pays particular attention to drawing out and communicating the policy implications of this work. The role is critical to ensuring the rigor, relevance, and impact of the work of the organization, and includes but is not limited to:

Project selection and work

Advises Executive Team on the economic and policy perspectives informing project and portfolio development to ensure and maximize relevance, connection to literature, empirical rigor, and potential for social impact

Assists team members with development of projects and portfolios with an eye to implications for social welfare

Supports the development of efforts to measure and track social impact across the organization

Provides feedback and support to teams on the economic and policy dimensions of domain and focus area strategies

Takes leadership role on overseeing projects where Chief Economist’s domain content or behavioral economics expertise is of particular relevance

Academic engagement

Develops and owns a strategy for coordinating with academic affiliates particularly in economics

Engages with the academic and think tank community though writing papers, speaking at seminars, etc.

Fosters connections between academic partners and research agendas and ideas42 staff and projects

Works with the Director of Communications to coordinate outreach to academic affiliates

Get results of ideas42 projects into academic journals and other outlets where appropriate

Works to ensure that the work of the organization is drawing on insights from the frontiers of research in the field

Required Qualifications:

PhD in Economics in fields in applied microeconomics such as labor or public finance

Familiarity and comfort with behavioral economics and/or applied behavioral science more broadly

At least 10 years working in a research and/or policy position

Fluency in Stata (and/or equivalent languages such as R).

Previous experience designing, conducting, and evaluating field experiments

Superb communication skills, both written and verbal; experience with and ability to effectively speak to and write for diverse audiences, including academics, policymakers, practitioners, and the public

A natural problem-solver with excellent prioritization skills, capable of successfully managing competing priorities and multiple deadlines

Ability to work independently and to serve as an ambassador for the organization

Preferred Qualifications:

Research and publication record in behavioral economics

Prior experience in nonprofit, think tank, and/or social impact organizations

More details here.

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Uber is Hiring a Behavioral Data Scientist in San Francisco

Uber Labs is a centralized data science team focused on applying theoretical insights and statistical methodologies from behavioral science through partnerships with product, data science, and marketing teams.

About the Role

Uber Labs data scientists form cross-functional partnerships with product, marketing, and data science teams across the business to bring insights and methods from behavioral science to solve some of Uber’s toughest business challenges.

What You’ll Do

Partner with teams across the company to bring a behavioral science perspective to product and program design, content optimization, and product strategy

Apply statistical methods from behavioral science (see eng.uber.com/mediation-modeling)

Conduct efficient literature reviews to identify relevant behavioral science theories and concepts to apply to a problem space

Design and conduct experiments

What You’ll Need

PhD in Psychology, Marketing, or other quantitative behavioral science

Expertise in statistics including power analyses, parametric, and non-parametric tests

Expertise in experiment design and methods, from A/B tests to quasi-experiments

Expertise in behavioral science theories and concepts applicable to business and product topics

Fluency in R or Python

Ability to work with cross-functional teams, including collaboration with product management, engineering, data science, and marketing

Strong communication skills, both written and verbal

Bonus Points If

Expertise in additional statistical methods (e.g., Bayesian approaches, dyadic analysis, causal inference approaches, factor analysis, SEM)

Experience with SQL and Hive

More details here.