Behavioural Insight and Trials Advisor

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HMRC’s Customer Behaviour and Understanding team is a large, diverse, and multidisciplinary team of around 70 analysts, behavioural specialists, and researchers.
We are looking for new Behavioural Insights and Trials Advisors to join our group of ten other behavioural specialists in one of the leading and longest established behavioural insight functions in UK government. Our team is the international leader in applying behavioural insights to tax, savings, and financial decision-making, working to boost revenue to fund vital public services, and improve the experience for all of HMRC’s customers - from the largest businesses, to the most vulnerable individuals., The successful candidate will work on a range of behavioural insights projects across different subject areas, including debt recovery and tax compliance, as well as priority areas as they arise, such digital transformation, customer and staff behaviours and policy development. You will be involved in all aspects of project delivery, including scoping, problem solving, behavioural diagnosis, intervention design, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and reporting. You will work on projects with other behavioural specialists and stakeholders as well as other research and analytical teams. Building relationships and communicating with influence are core components of this role.
We are proud of our supportive and friendly working environment, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and working patterns.
The role can be adapted to the strengths and interests of the successful candidate. Key responsibilities are likely to include:
+ Using behavioural science theory and frameworks, along with evidence, and primary research to diagnose behavioural problems and design and implement creative behavioural interventions
+ Running behavioural field evaluations, such as randomised controlled trials (RCTs), including analysis and reporting of data
+ Building and maintaining excellent stakeholder relationships internally, externally, and sometimes internationally
+ Raising the profile of behavioural science across the organisation, sharing best practice and capability building
+ Providing pragmatic behavioural advice to address varied challenges across tax, savings, communications, and customer experience
+ Presenting evidence and recommendations clearly and persuasively, We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.
Sift
Sift will be based on demonstration of the skills and experience against the essential criteria set out in the Person specification section. The sift will consider evidence provided in the CV and 750-word Personal Statement.
Desirable Criteria will not be sifted on but may be used in the event of a tie-break.
Interview
Candidates who successfully proceed to the interview stage will be asked to give a short presentation (5 minutes) about a behavioural insights project they have successfully delivered (can be a substantial University project) and answer questions about it. The questions will be designed to evaluate how well their demonstrated experience matches the essential criteria for the post and the Communicating and Influencing Civil Service Behaviour (see below).
During the panel interview, you will be assessed on the following Civil Service Behaviours:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Changing and Improving
+ Delivering at Pace
More information can be found in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework and the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary.
Interviews will take place face-to-face in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. Unfortunately, we are unable to reimburse travel costs. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – 376824 & vacancy closing date 27/11/2024’.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Criminal Record Check
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
+ Contact the UBS Recruitment team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you can travel to.
Terms and Conditions
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a 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)., Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.
In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.

The successful candidate will meet the following essential criteria:
+ Strong understanding of behavioural insights theory and how it can be applied to address real-world problems
+ Experience of bringing new ideas and creative thinking to enhance project outcomes
+ Experience of planning and supporting projects and delivering to deadlines
+ Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, both in writing and verbally, including technical content to a non-technical audience
+ Working knowledge of quantitative evaluation methods, including Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs)and statistical analysis
+ A degree in behavioural science or a related discipline or equivalent work experience
+ Related disciplines could include psychology, cognitive science, sociology, economics, political science, or another degree IF the degree contained a substantial behavioural science element. You will need to provide details of the behavioural science element of your degree in your application so that it can be assessed at sift. Failure to do so will see your application rejected.
+ We can be flexible about the degree requirement if a candidate has significant relevant work experience in the field of behavioural science. Please contact the vacancy holder for more information.
Desirable Criteria:
In addition, we consider it desirable for the candidate to demonstrate at least some of the following criteria. Please note that we do not expect candidates to demonstrate all of these criteria, and the successful applicant will be supported to develop their skills once in post.
+ Experience of qualitative research, such as focus groups, depth interviews, or digital User Research
+ Understanding of the ethical considerations of applying behavioural insights
+ Knowledge about tax administration or financial decision making
+ Experience with any of the following software packages
+ Digital data tools: e.g., Google Analytics, Splunk
+ Statistical analysis: e.g., SAS, SPSS, Stata, R, + Communicating and Influencing
+ Changing and Improving
+ Delivering at Pace

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ a short presentation (5 minutes) about a behavioural insights project you have successfully delivered (can be a substantial University project) and answer questions about it., Combined TC and OGD Pay - English Opens in new window (docx, 132kB)

Alongside your salary of £36,320, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £10,521 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
+ Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
+ Family friendly policies.
+ Personal support.
+ Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service