About Rare

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. For 50 years, across 60 countries, we have inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to shift their behaviors and practices to protect our shared planet. We are a global leader in driving social change for people and nature and believe that the cumulative power of individual and community action is a vital pathway to safeguarding and restoring our shared waters, lands, and climate.  Rare’s organizational culture is results-oriented and entrepreneurial, and our global programs cover the thematic areas of climate change, fisheries and marine conservation, sustainable agriculture, food security, and Green Recovery.

The role will be based out of Rare Europe, established in 2018 as the European representative office of Rare. We are a small yet dynamic team helping Rare advance its global mission in Europe and beyond.

Position Overview

• This is an 18-month fixed-term position with the possibility of extension.
• While this role may begin as a part-time (0.5 FTE) position, we expect it to expand into a full-time role in the Autumn of 2025.  
• This position is based in Germany; the selected candidate must have authorization to live and work in Germany (Rare will not provide sponsorship.)

Rare is seeking an innovative and solution-oriented individual to translate and apply behavioral and social science insights to environmental challenges. Working closely with Rare’s partner organizations (especially partners based in Europe), the selected candidate will collaborate with team members from the Center for Behavior & the Environment to guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of behavior change interventions.

The ideal candidate has strong quantitative and qualitative (mixed methods) research skills and demonstrated experience applying these skills in a field setting, preferably in a programmatic setting. To support research and intervention design, the applicant should have strong knowledge and experience in behavioral science, behavioral economics, or a related field, programmatically or academically.

The Behavioral Research Associate will be responsible for collaborating with a range of partners from the region to conduct thorough and rigorous research to design behaviorally informed solutions for a range of environmental challenges. This involves utilizing Rare’s Behavior-Centered Design process, which combines human-centered design principles with the latest insights from behavioral and social science. As the candidate will work with partners to develop practical evaluation frameworks, experience in impact evaluation is preferred. Additionally, this role involves building capacity in partner organizations around behavior change, supporting them in understanding and implementing the Behavior-Centered Design process. This involves frequent meetings with partners to explain research, design, evaluation, and behavioral science principles in non-expert terms, as well as supporting the design and facilitation of training.

The role will initially focus on reducing consumer plate waste in the context of an employer serving over 3,000 staff on the average day across various food service outlets. You will work with a team of external partners in the hospitality industry to design, implement, and monitor the success of pilot behavior change interventions. As part of this engagement, you will be leading the development of an academic quality publication and a practical guide sharing project learnings.

Core Responsibilities

• Design, test, and evaluate behavioral interventions and programming
• Utilize the behavior-centered design process to address environmental challenges, predominantly in the European context
• Develop and implement mixed-methods research strategies tailored to each project
• Execute research, analyze results, and communicate findings to inform design decisions
• Work closely with project partners on program design and implementation, understanding specific partner needs and support in building behavior change capacity
• Collaborate with a broad range of project team members, including project managers, trainers, consultants, etc.
• Conduct a comprehensive evaluation, documenting results, and formulating actionable recommendations

• Build capacity around behavior change with partner organizations through training and mentorship
• Mentor partner organizations in applying the behavior-centered design process, from developing research tools to co-creating monitoring & evaluation plans
• Assist in designing and facilitating training on behavior-centered design
• Co-develop resources that effectively translate research findings and recommendations into useful tools for a variety of non-expert audiences 

Requirements

• An advanced degree in Behavioral Science, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, Public Policy, or a related discipline
• Experience conducting qualitative and/or quantitative behavioral or social research—ideally in applied, field-based, or programmatic settings
• Strong foundation in behavioral and social science principles, theories, and academic literature
• Proficient in working with cross-sectional, quasi-experimental, and experimental data
• Advanced quantitative skills for designing and executing rigorous experiments, including power analysis, study design, and statistical analysis
• Experience with data analysis tools and environments; proficiency in R and/or Python is preferred
• Demonstrated ability to effectively translate complex scientific concepts to non-technical audiences through both written materials and verbal presentations
• Experience managing projects, including collaboration across various levels of an organization
• Comfortable working in interdisciplinary, cross-functional teams with colleagues across different countries and cultural backgrounds.
• Willingness to travel as needed, up to 20% of the time
• Fluency in written and spoken German and English is required

Commitments

• To Rare’s mission and values
• Addressing important environmental issues such as climate change, food waste, overfishing, pollution, sustainable agriculture, etc., is required. Experience working on these specific issues is not required.
• To the success of a team, to both teach and learn from others, and to toggle comfortably between directing and supportive roles as needed

Application Task

Please note that you will be asked to complete a behavioral science simulation task as part of your initial application.

Rare is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.