Job summary
The Behavioural Programmes Unit (BPU) in the Department of Health and Social Care delivers impactful health behaviour change campaigns. The BPU delivers the Better Health behaviour change programme, covering a range of issues including smoking cessation, mental health, early years and obesity. Our insight-led behaviour change programmes combine campaigns, partnerships, data and technology to encourage people to make healthy changes. Better Health provides the only national NHS wellbeing digital apps, the core wellbeing support to users on and advanced E-CRM programmes to change behaviour.
The Strategy and Planning team leads the business planning process, develops strategies for activity and evaluates activity in order to drive improvement and demonstrate impact.
In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose � to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you�d like to work in, we�d love to hear from you.
Two roles are being advertised, both are for full-time Strategy, Insight and Evaluation Leads.�
Job description
Strategy, Insight and Evaluation Leads are the engines of our team and your role will lead on strategy, insight and evaluation. We expect candidates to have a good baseline experience of all three skills, but a stronger track-record in one or two areas is welcomed as long as you have a passion to excel at all three.
You might currently be working in a role in a public, private or not-for-profit organisation or be a strategist/planner working at an agency or commercial company. Whatever your background, you'll have a drive for making a difference and be a strong self-starter who can deliver results.
The roles involve working with evidence, data, research and insight to create marketing strategies that drive behaviour change. They also involve planning and delivering world-class, data driven evaluations that demonstrate the impact of what we do on health outcomes and help us to continually learn and improve.
Your work will build an in-depth insight into people�s lives and use behavioural science to understand how people behave and how to help them live healthier lives. You will also�use research and insight to identify the most promising opportunities for behaviour change marketing and digital products to create change. A key focus of the roles includes addressing health inequalities and tackling disparities through our activity.
Leadership, collaboration and consensus-building are all important � you will work with internal and external stakeholders, from academics and behaviour change experts to policy makers and multiple agencies to ensure that evidence, behavioural science and our key audiences are at the heart of what we do.
The Strategy and Planning Team is a small but high-performing and ambitious team. We deliver high quality strategies, insight and evaluation that lead to inspiring campaigns that create behaviour change at scale. The roles will lead on campaigns that sit within our Better Health brand which includes areas such as smoking, early years and mental health (although you may also work on other areas too).
You will lead and manage campaign strategy, insight and evaluation, providing the expertise and vision to be a credible advocate for our programmes internally and externally.
The roles' responsibilities include:
- Developing and disseminating robust and evidence-based marketing strategies for key programmes, audiences and behaviours.
- Having responsibility for and extensive experience of using insight, behavioural science, data, modelling, theories of change and Key Performance Indicators�
(KPIs).
- Working with the Head of Strategy, Insight, Evaluation and Data on the annual business planning process, setting out plans for the year ahead and drafting persuasive business cases to secure future budget for activity.
- Providing strategic, evidence-based advice to internal stakeholders on public behaviours and attitudes in relation to health issues across the full range of issues that the BPU works on.
- Developing and promoting a deep understanding of and insight into the audience(s) and behaviours associated with each focus of activity.
- Working with research and evaluation agencies, ensuring each programme is fully and rigorously evaluated and that evaluation drives continuous improvement.
- Supporting others' career development through line management or otherwise.
- Working closely with internal ( policy colleagues, partnerships, digital and campaigns team) and external stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment.
Person specification
Key skills and experience required for the roles
Essential:
- Background in strategy/planning with sound experience of planning and evaluating behaviour change programmes or campaigns.
- Extensive experience in using a wide range of data and research techniques to generate and embed insight in programmes.
- Experience of using negotiation and influencing skills across a range of sectors/stakeholders to ensure programme objectives are delivered.
- Experience working with and interpreting complex data from multiple sources (including survey, qualitative, profiling, media, digital and population data) and distilling it into intuitive insights, compelling narratives and actionable recommendations to improve campaign and digital strategies and tactics.
- Experience of working to tight deadlines and managing uncertainty and complexity to deliver business objectives.
Desirable:
- Demonstrable knowledge of the industry, media and wider communication and marketing landscape.
- An understanding of the public health system, political environment and evidence-based approach to decision making.
- Strategic thinking, engaging, insightful and curious to learn more.
- Creative and innovative thinking to drive new ideas to solve intractable problems.
- An analytical, problem-solving mindset comfortable working with, interpreting and manipulating data.
- Ability to generate and apply insight to change behaviour.
- Ability to work in partnership with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
- A persuasive communicator, both orally and in writing.
Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, usually either London or Leeds.� Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in person interaction and collaboration and enhancing team working, learning, and support.�
You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas and some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.�
Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need.�
There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements.�
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
1. Seeing the Big Picture
2. Changing and Improving
3. Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
4. Presentation Candidates will be assessed on their experience in planning, their ability to think strategically and their communications skills.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of �53,116, Department of Health and Social Care contributes �15,387 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
5. Learning and development tailored to your role
6. An environment with flexible working options
7. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
8. A with an employer contribution of