Senior I/O Psychologist

Pennsylvania Psychological Association; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Maki People, an AI talent assessment company, seeks a Senior Business Psychologist to partner with clients and shape recruitment through scientifically validated methods. You will develop competency models, design bespoke assessments, and ensure ethical AI integration across industries.

Lead validation studies and collaborate with science, AI, and client teams to deliver actionable insights and high-quality solutions. Hybrid work model with global client engagement.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in I-O Psychology or related field with quantitative focus preferred.
• 3+ years of applied I-O/talent assessment experience in industry; 5+ years preferred.
• Strong client-facing orientation and ability to translate psychometric findings for non-technical stakeholders.
• Deliver technically rigorous work that is legally defensible and compliant.
• Experience with data analysis or programming tools for psychometric analysis.
• Hybrid work arrangement with collaboration across teams and clients.

Responsibilities

• Build strong client relationships and guide them through the assessment lifecycle.
• Apply theories and methodologies to improve assessments and selection procedures.
• Conduct research to identify key psychological factors and competencies.
• Create custom assessments and competency frameworks for clients.
• Ensure test banks are diverse, inclusive, and aligned with future of work.
• Collaborate with Onboarding, Customer Success, Psychometricians and AI Scientists to ensure quality.
• Communicate validation studies and insights clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Share information on how AI is integrated into assessments and their impact.
• Ensure ethical and compliant development of AI-driven hiring systems.
• Train internal teams on psychological best practices in talent acquisition.
• Stay updated on I-O psychology and AI research to inform product development.
• Contribute to client proposals with scientifically rigorous input.
• Present findings at industry conferences and client meetings.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Job analysis

Competency frameworks

AI in assessments

Ethics & compliance

Communication of findings

Psychometrics

Research skills

Project management

Public speaking

Diversity & inclusion

Automated scoring ethics

Education

Graduate degree in I-O Psychology or related field

Doctoral degree a plus

Tools

SPSS

JASP

Mplus

R

Python

Job description

About Us

Maki People is an AI talent assessment company applying industrial-organisational psychology and AI to build scientifically validated hiring tools. Our science team develops structured interview grids, situational judgment tests and competency models grounded in established psychometric practice — including job analysis, criterion and construct validity, reliability testing, and adverse impact analysis — and works to ensure these methods keep pace with new AI-based scoring approaches. We work with large multinational clients across industries including transportation, professional services, and manufacturing.

About the Science Team

At the heart of Maki People, the Science team is shaping the future of hiring through innovation, rigour, and collaboration. Led by our Head of Science, Aiden Loe, and working closely with our COO, Paul-Louis Caylar, this team develops high-quality content that sets our platform apart.

We don’t just create and validate assessments—we innovate. Our work spans:

• Expanding a cutting-edge library of tests and tools.
• Designing bespoke activities and experiences for clients.
• Evaluating and refining AI-driven scoring algorithms and large language models (LLMs) to ensure fairness, accuracy, and transparency.
• Leveraging psychometric expertise to build reliable, valid, and impactful assessments.
• Developing tools that analyse candidate and job data to predict performance and potential with precision.
• Supporting clients in using assessment data to optimise their workforce strategies, from talent acquisition to development and retention.
• Leading original studies to explore emerging psychological and technological trends and sharing insights through publications, presentations, and client reports.
• Collaborating with regulatory bodies and industry leaders to establish new standards in ethical AI use and hiring practices.
• Equipping internal teams and clients with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and apply psychological and AI-driven insights effectively.
• As Maki continues to grow, the Science team is central to understanding user experiences, refining assessments, and driving broader adoption—all while upholding the highest scientific standards.

Your impact

As a Senior Business Psychologist, you will go beyond day-to-day responsibilities and be a key partner in shaping the future of recruitment while driving exceptional outcomes for our clients. This includes:

• Building strong client relationships and guiding them through the assessment lifecycle—from needs analysis to results interpretation
• Applying psychological theories and methodologies to improve our assessment and selection procedures
• Conducting research and analysis to identify key psychological factors and competencies relevant to various job roles and industries
• Creating custom assessments and competency frameworks tailored to client needs and psychometric standards
• Ensuring that our test bank is diverse, inclusive, and covers the core competencies aligned with the future of work.
• Working closely with Onboarding, Customer Success, Psychometricians, AI Scientists and Assessment Operations to ensure high-quality, scalable, and impactful assessments
• Communicating validation studies and statistical insights in clear, actionable ways for non-technical audiences
• Sharing insights and information with external stakeholders on how AI technologies are integrated into our assessments, highlighting their purpose, functionality, and impact
• Ensuring that test development and AI-driven hiring systems adhere to the highest ethical and compliance standards.
• Assisting in training and educating internal teams on psychological best practices in talent acquisition
• Staying updated on I/O psychology and AI research, applying insights to product development.
• Contributing to client proposals by providing expert input on science-related matters, ensuring the scientific rigour, validity, and innovation of our solutions are effectively communicated to win key deals.
• Representing Maki People by presenting actionable insights and findings at key industry conferences, bridging scientific rigour with practical business applications.

What we are looking for:

• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills to collaborate effectively with internal teams, clients, and external stakeholders.
• Experience in job analysis and developing competency frameworks for clients.
• Excellent understanding of AI applications in assessments.
• Strong understanding of ethical considerations and compliance standards in the development and application of assessments, especially those integrating AI technologies.
• Proven ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences and advocate for an evidence-based approach in business discussions.
• Expert knowledge in assessment design, validation studies, and psychometric methods.
• Advanced research skills to design and execute studies that drive innovative assessment solutions and contribute to thought leadership.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to quality standards.
• Familiarity with industry-specific challenges and trends, enabling assessment customisation across diverse sectors and job roles.
• Strong writing skills for creating professional documentation, including technical reports, white papers, and client-facing materials.
• Experience with data analysis or programming tools (e.g. SPSS, JASP, Mplus, R, Python) for psychometric analysis and research.
• Strong knowledge of test content creation and review processes.
• Expertise in assessment design and item-writing best practices, ensuring cultural fairness and minimizing bias in assessments.
• Comfortable with public speaking and presenting findings at conferences, webinars, and client meetings to represent the organisation effectively.
• Awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles, applying them to ensure assessments promote fair and unbiased hiring decisions.
• Understanding automated scoring systems and their ethical considerations.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in I-O Psychology, Organizational Psychology, or closely related field (quantitative focus strongly preferred); doctoral degree a plus
• Proven ability to deliver technically rigorous work that also meets legal and professional defensibility standards
  3+ years of applied I-O/talent assessment experience in industry; 5+ years preferred
• Strong client-facing orientation, with experience communicating psychometric findings clearly to non-technical stakeholders and adapting recommendations to real-world enterprise constraints

Workplace Type

• Hybrid – 3 days in the office, 2 days remote