Senior Behavioural Scientist

Job summary

Ofgem works on behalf of energy consumers to ensure every household and business in Great Britain can rely on a safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable energy supply. As our Behavioural Science function continues to grow, we are recruiting a Senior Behavioural Scientist/Behavioural Economist.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced behavioural scientist, behavioural economist or academic looking to apply and develop their expertise in a high-profile and impactful policy environment. Established in 2016, Ofgem's Behavioural Science function has built a strong reputation across Government and the regulatory sector for embedding behavioural science into policy and decision-making.

The team supports the design and delivery of Ofgem's work by applying behavioural insights and testing new interventions using robust experimental methods, including online experiments and field trials. These projects generate behavioural evidence that helps shape market interventions and improve outcomes for consumers.

In this role, you will lead behavioural research projects and apply behavioural expertise to complex policy challenges. A key focus will be the design, delivery, analysis and communication of online experiments and, ideally, field trials, providing behaviourally informed, empirical evidence to support organisational decision-making.

We are looking for someone with practical experience delivering behavioural research end to end, alongside a strong understanding of behavioural science and economics literature. You will have excellent quantitative analysis skills, be an effective communicator, and work closely with policy colleagues to develop robust research that delivers meaningful impact.

You will join Ofgem's multidisciplinary Consumer Insights and Behavioural Science (CIBS) team, which brings together behavioural, qualitative and quantitative research expertise to better understand consumers and inform policy decisions.

It is a particularly exciting time to work in energy. Technological innovation, evolving business models and the transition to Net Zero are transforming the sector, creating significant behavioural challenges and opportunities. Whether helping to shape future retail markets or supporting consumer flexibility, your work will play an important role in ensuring behavioural evidence is embedded within policy and regulation.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Delivery: Lead the delivery of high-quality behavioural research/projects, including online experiments and potentially field trials, to provide evidence that helps Ofgem to deliver on its strategic priorities, ensuring effective project and people management and quality assurance.
• Stakeholder engagement/influencing: Build strong, effective relationships, collaborating with policy teams across Ofgem to identify and deliver on opportunities for behavioural science and/or economics to support in answering complex questions.
• Build relationships with external stakeholders to maximise partnership and collaboration opportunities e.g. ensure Ofgem benefits from behavioural science research conducted by academia.
• Communication/impact: Draft clear and concise documents, including briefings, reports, and presentations and present work at internal forums. Help build capability and raise visibility of Behavioural Science in Ofgem. Increase Ofgem’s impact as a regulatory leader in Behavioural Science by representing Ofgem at external events, conferences etc to showcase the work of behavioural science in Ofgem.
• Innovation: Keep abreast of advances in the field of Behavioural Science and how this can be applied in Ofgem.

Key Stakeholder Relationships:

Internal

• Policy and strategy teams across Ofgem
• Other members of the CIBS team and wider Office for Research & Economics
• Other analysts and technical specialists e.g. Data Science
• Support functions including Comms, legal, procurement

External

• Government Departments
• Regulator counterparts, consumer bodies, academia, and think tanks (as appropriate).
• Energy Sector e.g. energy suppliers
• Behavioural Science community

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Hands-on experience of behavioural research methods including: e.g. experimental and quasi-experimental methods, literature reviews) with proven experience of personally delivering online/lab experiments (LEAD)
• Extensive experience of applying behavioural science to real-world problems (e.g. diagnosis of behavioural barriers, behaviourally informed intervention design, ability to assess effectiveness of an intervention) in a regulatory, government, academic or consultancy role (LEAD)
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of behavioural science and/or behavioural economics with an up to date understanding of the key literature
• Ability to distil complex subject matter into relevant messages for different audiences – both orally and in writing, combined with excellent drafting skills.
• Well-developed skills in collaboratively leading people and projects and working with diverse stakeholders
• Strong statistical analysis skills e.g. econometrics, causal inference, use of statistical software (and proficiency/willingness to learn coding languages e.g. R, Python)

Desirable Criteria:

Specialty in one or more of the following areas:

• Applied experience of wider qualitative and quantitative research approaches
• Experience of programming online/lab experiments
• Experience in using/analysing big data

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,452, OFGEM contributes

£14,326 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be directed to a Civil Service test – guidance for this can be found here Civil Service online tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The test you are due to take is not timed and you can complete it at your own pace. Upon passing the test, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential criteria listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile. In the event of receiving a large number of applications, an initial sift may take place on just the lead criteria indicated in the essential criteria.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [ https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn ].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employment so that we can clearly demonstrate that our decisions are not influenced by private interests.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the

Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)

and the

Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window) .

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