Personal & Private Banking (PPB) Behavioural Economics Graduate Programme

Liberty is offering an exciting 12-month graduate programme focused on behavioural economics, designed to immerse recent graduates in the world of personal and private banking. This initiative seeks to harness the power of behavioural insights to drive commercial value and enhance customer outcomes within the financial services sector. As a participant, you will operate across various departments within the bank, including Analytics, Digital, Product, Marketing, and Channel teams. The core objective is to apply principles of behavioural economics to design and implement "nudges" that positively influence customer behaviour.

About the Programme

The Behavioural Economics team at Liberty plays a pivotal role in identifying, researching, and recommending global best practices in behavioural economics from both academic and industry sources. These insights then serve as the foundation for developing new initiatives. You will be part of multi-disciplinary teams working on projects that span the full spectrum of personal and business banking services. The programme emphasises practical application, with a focus on improving customer financial well-being, enhancing savings rates and credit performance, and boosting internal productivity. You will gain exposure to the entire value chain of financial services, from front-line execution to the development, testing, and scaling of impactful interventions. Collaboration is key, and you will work closely with teams in digital channels, branch networks, segment management, product development, and marketing. Active learning and practical experience are central to this rotational programme.

During this intensive 12-month journey, you will be integral to constructing behavioural interventions, from their initial design through to their execution. A significant part of your role will involve managing and measuring key experiments to understand their impact. This includes:

• Identifying new opportunities where behavioural economics can add value.
• Researching the latest methodologies and sourcing behavioural insights directly from customers.
• Designing, monitoring, and meticulously measuring the results of experiments.
• Collaborating across different business functions to implement and scale successful projects.
• Staying abreast of the latest advancements and best practices in behavioural economics.
• Presenting your findings and insights to a diverse range of senior and junior stakeholders.
• Engaging in hypothesis-driven business problem-solving and testing these hypotheses in live environments through field experimentation.
• Developing strong project management skills.
• Contributing meaningfully to the bank's objectives and fostering a passion for behavioural economics.
• Demonstrating professional conduct in line with the bank’s standards.

What They're Looking For

To be considered for this dynamic programme, candidates must meet specific academic and personal criteria. You must be a South African citizen. Furthermore, any prior work experience should not exceed 24 months. Academically, Liberty is seeking individuals who have recently completed, or are on track to complete in 2026, an Honours or Master's degree. The relevant fields of study include:

• Economics
• Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Neuroscience
• Organisational Behaviour
• Decision Making
• Sociology
• Business Science
• Marketing
• Econometrics

All postgraduate qualifications must be completed by 31 December 2026. Applicants will need to submit their matric certificate, copies of their qualifications, and full academic transcripts for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. If you are currently completing your postgraduate studies, proof of registration will be required.

This programme offers a fantastic entry point into the financial services industry for those with a strong academic background in behavioural science or related disciplines. Graduates who successfully complete this programme often find opportunities to continue developing their careers in analytics, innovation, product development, or customer experience roles within large banking institutions. In South Africa, roles involving data analysis, behavioural insights, and strategy within the banking sector are in demand, and compensation typically reflects this, with starting salaries for graduates in such specialised fields often being competitive, rising significantly with experience and demonstrated impact.

Honours or Masters qualification (recently completed or completing in 2026): 

• Economics 
• Psychology 
• Cognitive Science 
• Neuroscience 
• Organisational Behaviour  
• Decision Making  
• Sociology 
• Business Science 
• Marketing 
• Econometrics

Postgraduate to be completed by 31 December 2026.