Senior I/O Psychologist

Istss; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Maki People, an AI talent assessment company, is seeking a Senior Business Psychologist to shape the future of recruitment. You will collaborate with clients to analyze needs, design and validate assessments, and translate psychometric findings into practical hiring strategies.

You will conduct research to identify core competencies across industries, develop custom frameworks, ensure diversity and fairness, and present insights to non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in I-O psychology, organizational psychology, or closely related field.
• 3+ years of applied I-O/talent assessment experience in industry; 5+ years preferred
• Strong client-facing orientation with ability to communicate psychometric findings to non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Build strong client relationships through the assessment lifecycle from needs analysis to results interpretation
• Apply psychological theories and methodologies to improve assessment and selection procedures
• Conduct research to identify key psychological factors and competencies across roles and industries
• Create custom assessments and competency frameworks tailored to client needs
• Ensure test banks are diverse, inclusive, and aligned with future of work
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality, scalable assessments
• Communicate validation studies and statistical insights to non-technical audiences
• Share insights on AI technologies integrated into assessments and their impact
• Ensure ethical and compliant test development and AI-driven hiring practices
• Assist in training internal teams on talent acquisition best practices
• Stay updated on I-O psychology and AI research to inform product development
• Contribute to client proposals with science-focused input
• Represent the company at industry conferences and client meetings

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Client relationship building

Communication of psychometrics

Translating theory to practice

Public speaking

Project management

Data analysis

Industry trend awareness

Ethical AI

Education

Graduate degree in I-O Psychology or Organizational Psychology

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