ESRC-funded Innovation Fellowship opportunity - CENTRE-UB Behavioural Research Capacity Building Fellow

The Government Behavioural Science Capability Strategy and Delivery Lead will work across organisational and professional boundaries to develop and deliver an effective and innovative strategy to grow behavioural research capability across the whole of government. The postholder will be recruited for 5 years/60 months to the University of Birmingham as part of a £17.5m Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) investment in UK behavioural research, and will be seconded into Cabinet Office for a minimum of three years of this period, with option to extend the secondment within the overall term of the appointment. Full details of the position, including information on how to apply, can be found here.
The ESRC investment funding these roles aims to build world-leading capability in interdisciplinary behavioural research. The programme will harness, connect, and extend the UK’s existing capacity and capability to research fundamental questions about human behaviour. It will also develop the next generation of behavioural researchers to work outside of academia. This will help the UK to address major societal challenges, by enabling decision making based on evidence. The ESRC had made two investments, and each fellowship is attached to one of the investments. Behavioural Research UK (BR-UK) will connect and convene stakeholders from across different sectors. Its leadership team will develop a ‘hub’ that covers the whole of the UK with academic, policy and industry representatives across the four nations. The Centre for Doctoral Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (CENTRE-UB) will develop the next generation of PhD graduates and early career
researchers, and provide relevant training to researchers working in government and other sectors.
These investments will complement and build on existing expertise, resources and research by building capacity and expanding the range of disciplines and expertise that can contribute to understanding of human behaviour.
Each of the new roles will entail working across government, and with the two academic research consortiums and ESRC., In developing a new behaviour research capability-building offer embedded within the Curriculum for Government, the successful candidate will lead on consultations and data collection to identify learner profiles, the strengths and limitations of existing training methods, and the types of information and skills within the area of behavioural and social sciences that are relevant to the work of civil servants and ministers. These insights will then be translated by the post holder into evidence-based capability-building interventions, working closely with the Centre-UB team, GSCU and the behaviour science community across Government. This is likely to include curating existing effective interventions into professional development pathways, developing new interventions (including with Centre-UB), and identifying where behavioural research capability could be built within existing interventions (such as generalist accelerated development programmes). The postholder will
lead the sustainable implementation of the curriculum, including processes and frameworks for monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement.
The GSCU are based in a number of locations and the post-holder would be allocated to a base office, which would be either Glasgow or York. The postholder can be based within the office at York or Glasgow, or can be home-working. Regardless of location, the postholder is expected to travel to Birmingham monthly for whole-day meetings to work with the team at the University of Birmingham (located in Edgbaston) and will need to travel to London monthly to meet with government colleagues (which would involve an overnight stay). There is no minimum office attendance requirement, and candidates are encouraged to identify the right hybrid work pattern that meets their personal circumstances and supports delivery in the role.
Main duties
1. Map capability user needs in government using systematic research methods and, working with CENTRE-UB, develop the training offer for government.
2. Work with the GSCU and CENTRE-UB to identify and develop the curriculum offering for government grounded in behavioural research content and skills.
3. Plan, design and develop training programmes (that may range from masterclasses to more formal and/or accredited courses) to meet the needs of civil servants, and evaluate their implementation and effectiveness using appropriate methods.
4. Engage stakeholders and build understanding of the training offer and of behaviour research capability through effective communication e.g., prepare presentations, reports, and papers for dissemination within government and across the wider social science community (e.g., industry, academia); build, maintain, engage and manage relevant stakeholder networks.
5. Be a proactive and engaged member of the GSCU Curriculum Team and wider GSCU, and the CENTRE-UB team, contributing to collective leadership and management, and supporting effective delivery – including spotting areas where behaviour research knowledge or evidence could enhance delivery for users. This includes working with government partners to set up fellowship placements, joint PhD studentships, and PhD placements.
6. Contribute to the sustainability of CENTRE-UB as a national resource for training in behavioural research by leading on the development of a long-term strategy for maintaining provision of behavioural research training for civil servants in collaboration with the CENTRE-UB/GSCU team.
7. Contribute to the sustainability of the new behavioural research curriculum offer within Government, leading on developing a strategy and frameworks for maintaining and continuously improving provision.
8. Promote equality and value diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
9. Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
10. Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

This role is ideally suited to an emerging behaviour research leader who is passionate about evidence-based policy making, who understands the importance of using behavioural research to make informed decisions, and knows how to create the conditions for this to happen, particularly through building skills and capability. Investment in behavioural science expertise exists already within government therefore the successful candidate will take a leading role in further developing these networks and building on early investments. This unique role builds links between academia and government, therefore, the ideal candidate must have doctoral-level qualifications and expertise in conducting behavioural research, and experience of designing, delivering and/or evaluating training and learning opportunities to build capacity, preferably with external stakeholders.
Essential
(1) Behavioural research knowledge, experience and credibility.
+ Must have a PhD in a social or behavioural science (such as psychology, sociology, cognitive science, economics, political science, social research, anthropology).
+ Established track record of leading behavioural research/evaluation projects from design through to delivery and dissemination/impact, including experience of using relevant quantitative and qualitative research methods, including impact and process evaluation, surveys, interviews/focus groups, systematic literature review and document analysis; research ethics; project and stakeholder management.
+ Must have very strong, broad knowledge of behaviour research and its applications, including different perspectives within the discipline and have personal credibility to other leading behaviour scientists and behaviour science practitioners through a personal track record of relevant activities within the discipline.
+ Knowledge and experience in designing, delivering and/or evaluating training activities (e.g., training programmes, courses, and/or workshops, seminars, or public speaking events) aimed at enhancing capability, preferably in an area related to behavioural research.
(2) Working with stakeholders, accessing expertise, influencing and managing relationships.
+ Experience of working successfully with non-academic stakeholders or partners, to access expertise and relationships to support the development, delivery and impact of successful, projects.
+ Experience of proactively building and maintaining relevant and diverse networks.
+ A track record of mobilising evidence to influence practice, in any context.
(3) System change skills
+ Can operate effectively in a complex system, including building understanding of the system and how it works, identifying levers and barriers and understanding how to work with others with/on these to effect change.
+ Can see the big picture, understands how their work fits in with wider priorities and initiatives, able to make connections and drive efficiencies.
+ Can cope with change and uncertainty, remains effective and can adapt work and ways of working in response to changes in the system, whilst maintaining a focus on strategic goals and the big picture.
(4) Personal effectiveness
+ Works effectively with others in teams, building strong relationships, contributing to a positive work environment and the overall effectiveness of the team.
+ Can provide examples of where they have reflected on gaps in knowledge or skills and sought information to fill these gaps.
+ Must have highly developed interpersonal, negotiation, presentation, and communication (written and verbal) skills, including ability to explain technical concepts and research findings to non-technical audiences. Must be able to communicate information or best practice relevant to achievement of the goals of CENTRE-UB and GSCU to the wider academic/government team.
+ Must understand and promote the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace and within CENTRE-UB’s and GSCU’s varied activities.
+ Able to work and deliver at pace, and meet tight deadlines; highly organised and able to work transparently and efficiently across GSCU and CENTRE-UB.
+ Meet the security checks and other clearance and declaration of interest processes required by the host. This post requires BPSS clearance, which usually requires a criminal record check and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-baseline-personnel-security-standard
+ Observe the provisions of the Civil Service Code and the Official Secrets Act 1989.
Desirable
+ Postdoctoral level behaviour research experience.
+ Developed knowledge of research into effective approaches to training, learning and capability-building from behaviour research and other disciplines/perspectives, and experience applying this in practice.
+ Experience of working with government.
+ Experience of working in large or complex organisations or systems, and has led change or projects across boundaries., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Full details of the benefits offered by the University of Birmingham are outlined in the full advertisement for this role on the recruiter’s website.