Type of contract: Member of the European Commission’s contract staff, Function Group IV (article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants)
Duration of contract: 36 months (renewable up to maximum 6 years)
Area: Behavioural Insights
Place of employment: Brussels (BE)
Indicative basic salary: 4,319.72 – 6,256.88 € (applicable as of 1st of July 2024)
WE ARE
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies to positively impact society. The current vacancy is in the Competence Centre on Behavioural Insights within Unit EU Policy Lab: Foresight, Design and Behavioural Insights. The Unit is based in Brussels and it is part of the Directorate for Innovation in Science and Policymaking of the JRC which is under the authority of the Director General. Our mission is to inform the conception, development and implementation of EU policies with insights from foresight, behavioural sciences and design. Our complementary competences in these areas allow us to better anticipate issues requiring European Union (EU) policy attention, identify issues requiring further analysis, tackle policy issues from different perspectives and applying evidence from the behavioural sciences.
Through the EU Policy Lab, the Unit provides an experimental, collaborative and multidisciplinary space to explore, connect and find solutions for better regulation and better spending. The selected candidate will contribute to deepen the integration of JRC scientific advice into policy making in the EU by providing evidence on human behaviour, mainly through the collection, interpretation and application of behavioural insights. This can be complemented by team work on horizon scanning and foresight studies or design applied to policy making processes.
WE PROPOSE
The jobholder will contribute to deepen the integration of JRC scientific advice into policy making in the EU. The new colleague’s responsibilities and tasks will include:
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Establishing and maintaining contacts with policymakers interested in behavioural insights, both within the European Commission, and across the European Union;
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Applying behavioural insights in EU policy and supporting European Commission services in applying behavioural insights to specific policy issues;
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Bringing a behavioural dimension to activities of the EU Policy Lab, in conjunction with other teams (Foresight, Design for Policy);
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Managing and procuring relevant projects, including planning of allocated resources;
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Contributing to exploratory and policy-relevant behavioural research;
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Contributing to the drafting of reports, articles, briefings and/or speeches on behavioural sciences;
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Contributing to the provision of training activities, management and promotion of our community of Practice, and collaborations with relevant stakeholders.
WE LOOK FOR
We are looking for a motivated and collaborative colleague to join the Competence Centre on Behavioural Insights. Suitable candidates should have (essential):
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Experience in developing and synthesising evidence in policymaking;
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A University master’s degree, preferably in social sciences (e.g., behavioural economics, economics, social psychology, cognitive psychology, anthropology);
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Strong understanding of behavioural insights and behavioural science in a policymaking context;
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Knowledge of quantitative research methods, including experimental methods, and be familiar with data analysis;
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Excellent knowledge of English (C2 level) drafting and presentation skills;
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The ability to work in teams and to deal with tight deadlines.
In addition, the following qualifications are considered an advantage:
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Experience in conducting research projects independently;
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Experience in project management;
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Experience in designing and implementing (national or cross-country) field experiments;
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PhD in a relevant behavioural field.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are already on a valid CAST FG IV reserve list, or you have already applied to one of the calls below, you can directly submit your application at http://recruitment.jrc.ec.europa.eu/?type=AX. If not, before applying to this position, you must register for one of the two following:
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the Call for Expressions of Interest | EU Careers (europa.eu) (CAST Permanent FG IV), which is used by a wide range of organisations (institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the European Union), or
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the specialised call for researchers (JRC Call COM/1/2015/GFIV – Research), which is mainly used by the JRC.
Note that each of the calls above has different minimum eligibility requirements and different selection tests.