Behavioural Science Consultant

Department: Behavioural Science

Location: London

Contact type: Permanent

Full Time/Part time: Full Time

Reporting into: Consulting Director

About Ogilvy: 

Ogilvy UK has been creating iconic ideas that deliver impact at scale for clients ever since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. Ogilvy UK specialises in bringing together brand advertising, customer experience marketing, PR, influence and consulting, all fuelled by Behavioural Science. Our world-class award-winning creative campaigns deliver solutions for clients including Molson Coors (owner of Madrí beer), Valeo Foods UK (owner of Kettle Chips and Rowse Honey), Argos, Mondelēz International, Unilever, TK Maxx and Pernod Ricard.  

In 2023, Ogilvy UK celebrated their 75th anniversary and was the most awarded agency in Europe. Ogilvy is home to the largest influencer marketing practice globally and hosts the world’s biggest festival of behavioural science and creativity, Nudgestock – now in its 14th year. 

The Role:

Within our Behavioural Science practice, we research and apply the latest thinking in cognitive psychology, social psychology, and behavioural economics – bringing together behavioural science and creativity to solve some of the world's most interesting and important challenges with the world's most influential organisations. We believe in the power of counter-intuitive thinking, daring to be trivial, and the idea that the opposite of a good idea can also be a good idea — principles drawn from the many gospels of our Behavioural Science founder, Rory Sutherland.

Whether designing the next generation of healthy snacks, empowering men to call out misogyny, or leading global sustainability initiatives, we create effective interventions, communications, and experiences for clients across the public, private, and third sectors.

We work across all sectors and categories including healthcare, technology, financial services, manufacturing, automotive and retail. Our clients include Nestlé, Mondelēz, Google, The Coca-Cola Company, Mayor Of London, Odeon, Sainsburys, Jaguar Land Rover and many more. You can read more about our work in our annual publications: https://www.ogilvy.com/ideas/annual-2024-years-biggest-behavioral-science-case-studies

As the curators of the world’s largest festival of behavioural science and creativity, now in its 14th year, we are at the global forefront of the ever-evolving landscape of Behavioural Science in marketing: https://nudgestock.com 

A bit about you: 

Our Consultants typically have four-to-six years of experience in consulting, behavioural science, or client-side strategy roles and have relevant degrees. They bring unique blends of creative thinking, strategic depth, and analytical skills, but most of all, they have decided that they want to work in a team that brings business and brand strategy together with creativity and executability. 

As a Consultant within the Behavioural Science practice, you will have a detailed knowledge of, and passion for, behavioural science. You will have strong credentials (academic and/or work experience) in cognitive psychology, social psychology and/or behavioural economics, combined with the proven ability to practically apply this knowledge to find innovative ways of solving problems. You will be hyper curious about people, their behaviours and ultimately why they make the choices that they do.

While this role will be based within our Behavioural Science practice, you’ll have exposure across our practices and will work across projects, developing skills in Brand & Marketing Innovation, Business Transformation and Sustainability as well. 

As a successful Behavioural Science Consultant, you will: 

Have a fluent knowledge of behavioural science and key concepts and theories. 

Be capable of interpreting research from a range of quantitative and qualitative sources and techniques (academic literature, ethnographic and complex data sets). 

• Be a confident, engaging and inspiring presenter capable of translating academic insights into a broader business context. 
• Be capable of building strong external and internal client relationships and offering constructive challenge when required.
• Be a champion of creative ideas and creative approaches to research. 
• Always seek to help others, create a positive working environment and providing constructive feedback that fosters high quality output. 
• Have AI experience and capability, integrated into your workflow.

Responsibilities: 

Project delivery: 

Under the guidance of Directors, Consultants are responsible for driving medium complexity/scale projects and supporting large scale/complexity projects. This includes: 

• Leading the delivery of primary and secondary research (e.g. literature reviews, competitor analysis and consumer research) ensuring appropriate detail and scientific rigour curated to the needs of the client. 
• Distilling research into strategic and creative opportunities. 
• Developing ideation workshops, taking a lead role in workshop facilitation, and developing behavioural interventions. 
• Championing creativity, with responsibility for nurturing the creative output of your projects; identifying opportunities from insights and refining the most novel and effective applications of behavioural science. 
• Working to delegate project deliverables to Analysts, including reviewing and providing feedback to the quality of all client facing deliverables. 
• Managing day-to-day client communications, solidifying the relationship, and leading client meetings. 
• Managing project timelines, budgets and setting expectations with both delivery teams and clients. 
• Managing relationships with third party suppliers. 
• Maintaining the Ogilvy Consulting standard of excellence in consulting, rigour and creativity. 

Business Development: 

• Proactively participating in growth conversations with existing and prospective clients. 
• Drafting new business proposals for Director sign off, including approach, budget scope and project plan. 
• Contributing to agency pitches. 
• Contributing to thought leadership and events (e.g. The Annual and Nudgestock). 

Experience: 

• An undergraduate degree is a minimum requirement and a Masters or beyond is certainly beneficial. Subjects may include (but are not limited to) psychology, biology, humanities/social sciences, and economics. We’re most concerned with how you’ve used and applied what you’ve studied, rather than the specific discipline itself. 
• Ideally 4-6 years of experience in a consultancy, client strategy position or equivalent strategic role in professional services. 

Skills and Attributes: 

• Knowledge of behaviour change principles, heuristics and biases and fundamentals of psychology and behavioural economics. 
• Abreast of industry trends and innovations with a good understanding of the broader applications of behavioural science. 
• Qualitative and quantitative research skills (including desk research and primary consumer research). 
• Able to draw critical human and cultural insights from data and observation. 
• Strong business acumen and critical thinking skills. 
• Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal. 
• Ability to take initiative and to work independently and within a team. 
• Ability to delegate, provide constructive feedback and manage individuals within a project team. 
• Excellent organization and time management skills with the ability to multi-task, especially in high-pressure situations. 
• Strong work ethic with superior attention to detail. 
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly in Excel and PowerPoint. 
• Strong use of AI, with some experience of AI automated workflows

How we help you Thrive:     

• 25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day  
• Bupa Healthcare 
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave 
• We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm 
• A 1.5:1 Matching Pension Structure 
• Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests and development budgets and Wellbeing incentives and activities throughout the year  
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme 
• Life Assurance