Joel is an academic pollster and military reservist, and the Academic Director at YouGov. His own research is focused on the public dimensions of globalisation and security.

Other hats include: captain in the British Army; polling director at the Cambridge University POLIS Department - where he co-runs the YouGov-Cambridge Centre for Public Opinion Research; senior member of Clare Hall College Cambridge; senior research associate at Jesus College Cambridge; affiliated researcher at the Cambridge University Bennett Institute; associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI); and a data journalist for numerous, with publications by the Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Huffington Post and RUSI.

He writes in a personal capacity.