Principal Behavioural Scientist
| Posting date: | 11 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £57,515 per year |
| Additional salary information: | National Minimum Salary: £57,515; London Minimum Salary: £62,034 Please note that all G7 analytical posts in DfT attract an additional non-consolidated and non-pensionable annual allowance of £5000, paid monthly. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 24 May 2026 |
| Location: | London |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 461283/3 |
Summary
Would you like to work on complex, high‑priority policy areas—such as sustainability, accessibility, safety or public behaviour change collaborating with analysts policy colleagues and external research partners?
Would you enjoy working across behavioural science, social research and evaluation, and contributing to the development and management of research capability (for example by supporting external contracts with suppliers of expertise in Human Factors and Ergonomics)?
If so, we’d love to hear from you!
Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:
- Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
- 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
- Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
Read more in the Benefits section below!
Find out more about what it's like working at DFT.
This is an exciting opportunity to make an impact by using behavioural science theory, evidence and wider social research skills to shape transport policy, delivery and communications. As a Principal Behavioural Scientist in DfT’s Behavioural Science team, you will work in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment on high‑priority issues including sustainability, accessibility, passenger experience and safety. You will also contribute to wider social research and evaluation projects and support the management of the department's Human Factors and Ergonomics research capability.Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:- Contributing to the Behavioural Science team’s work programme. Make a strong contribution as a senior member of the Behavioural Science team, delivering its work programme to ensure that the Department makes impactful use of behavioural science and HFE approaches to inform its activities for the benefit of the public. Help identify further opportunities for behavioural science and human factors to be used and manage behavioural science and human factors projects for policy customers.
- Applying technical behavioural science expertise. Provide authoritative technical advice to ensure policies, programmes, communications and responses to emergency situations are informed by people-centred behavioural insights. Work collaboratively with customers to develop workable behavioural science-based solutions that inform and influence policy, delivery and communications. Use behavioural science theories and frameworks to diagnose behavioural drivers and barriers and provide robust policy recommendations.
- Building the Department’s capability in behavioural science and HFE. Build the Department’s capability in behavioural science and HFE, including by building relationships with DfT policy teams, producing and disseminating information to raise awareness of behavioural science and HFE approaches and showing how policies can be developed in a people-centred way.
- Engaging with stakeholders Work with stakeholders across the Department and in its agencies and partner organisations to advocate and support the effective use of behavioural science and HFE to inform activities. Stay abreast of policy developments and direction to identify opportunities where behavioural science and HFE can provide greatest impact in guiding and improving policy interventions. There will also be opportunities to represent the Department with other government departments, cross-government social and behavioural science networks and the Government Social Research profession.
- In addition, you will scope, commission and quality assure the work of external contractors and oversee and direct the work of senior behavioural and social researchers
For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.
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