Senior Behavioral Scientist — Federal Policy & Data Strategy

Socket.dev; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with 1:

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Senior Behavioral Scientist to act as a technical expert and strategic partner. You will integrate behavioral science into policy development, testing, and optimization for federal programs, translating research into actionable solutions for executive-level stakeholders.

The role requires senior-level client-facing experience, program management within federal governance, and ability to deliver high-impact deliverables on schedule.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Public Policy, Behavioral Economics, Psychology, or related field
• 7–10+ years applying behavioral science in relevant environments
• Formal training in experimental design and statistical analysis
• Proven success designing and evaluating behavioral interventions
• Strong knowledge of experimental design and quantitative analysis
• Experience translating research into practical solutions for real-world problems
• Leadership in cross-functional teams delivering large-scale data solutions
• Background in public sector or regulated environments preferred
• Ability to obtain/maintain Federal Public Trust Clearance
• Must pass background checks as required

Responsibilities

• Engage with senior government stakeholders to understand complex needs and define analytics objectives
• Influence decision-makers and build partnerships across agencies
• Mentor junior researchers and guide cross-functional teams
• Collaborate with data scientists, engineers, and analysts to deploy data-driven solutions
• Provide technical mentorship and ensure quality of deliverables
• Lead projects with ownership, accountability, and timely outcomes
• Stay current with data engineering, big data tools, and analytics methods
• Develop behavioral strategies aligned to priorities and measurable outcomes
• Identify frictions, biases, and bottlenecks affecting performance
• Evaluate interventions and translate results into actionable recommendations
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Statistical software

Data visualization

Communication skills

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Research synthesis

Education

Master’s or PhD in Public Policy or related field

Tools

SAS

R

Tableau

Power BI

Excel

MS Office

Job description

Socket.dev is seeking a Senior Behavioral Scientist to act as a technical expert and strategic partner. You will integrate behavioral science into policy development, testing, and optimization for federal programs, translating research into actionable solutions for executive-level stakeholders.

The role requires senior-level client-facing experience, program management within federal governance, and ability to deliver high-impact deliverables on schedule.