Policy Design Specialist

The Policy Design Specialist will lead the design and delivery of policy innovation initiatives, support strategic diagnostics and experimentation processes, facilitate stakeholder engagement and co-creation exercises, and contribute to the development of innovative solutions that advance Bhutan’s development priorities and long-term economic transformation agenda. The role involves applying design thinking, user-centered approaches, and systems thinking to policy development in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide advisory and technical support on policy innovation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and government agencies using innovative tools and methods.
• Lead design, prototyping and development of innovative policy solutions applying design thinking, prototyping, and systems thinking methodologies.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement, co-creation workshops, and user-centered research with government agencies, civil society organizations, and communities.
• Conduct user research and gather qualitative and quantitative data to inform policy design and translate findings into actionable design principles and strategic policy recommendations.
• Ensure systematic integration of gender perspectives into policy analysis, recommendations, and programming.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure design solutions are feasible and impactful.
• Communicate design insights, prototypes, and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support capacity building for design-led policy innovation through training, knowledge sharing, and mentoring.
• Support strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts including proposal and partnership development.
• Develop partnerships and networks with local innovators, youth organizations, NGOs, private sector, media and academia to nurture and test innovative ideas and build local capacity.
• Undertake other related actions as requested by the Prime Minister's Office.
• Identify capacity building needs and organize relevant training and workshops involving government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and academia.
• Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned from the project and implementing partners.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Social Science (Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, International Development), Environmental Science, Transition or complexity Science, Engineering Design (Industrial or Service Design, Architecture, Urban Planning), Communications, Business, or a related area is required, or University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in one of the areas mentioned above in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Minimum 5 years (with master´s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor´s degree) of professional work experience in the field of innovation management, design research and international development either in public or private sector.
• Proven experience of working effectively in a team with diverse cultural and academic backgrounds.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Additional years of work experience in areas of either qualitative social research, human centered design, user experience, behavioral insights, or futures and foresights.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting field or remote qualitative research.
• Demonstrated experience in crafting research tools and outputs for qualitative research.
• Experience designing policy experiments, validate hypotheses and test prototypes.
• Proven experience and knowledge about application of innovation in solving complex issues in private or public sector (assessed through generating ideas, prototyping, and developing solutions with real impact).
• Prior experience in working in an innovation lab in public or private sector.
• Fluency in English and Dzongkha is required.

Skills

• Innovation Management
• Design Research
• International Development
• Qualitative Research
• Human Centered Design
• User Experience Design
• Behavioural Insights
• Futures and Foresight
• Research tool design
• Policy experimentation
• Hypothesis Validation
• Prototype Testing
• Innovation Application
• Design Thinking
• Systems Thinking
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Co-creation Facilitation
• MS Word
• Excel
• Spreadsheet Packages
• Database Packages

Languages

English, Dzongkha