Staff Behavioral Scientist - AI-Driven Validation Expert

The Predictive Index; Westwood (MA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Predictive Index is building a new venture anchored in robust behavioral science. We seek a Staff Behavioral Scientist to lead scientific integrity from day one, shaping instrument development, validation, and evidence across pilot programs.

You’ll translate rigorous research into product decisions, collaborate with product and go-to-market teams, and help establish credibility with HR buyers, legal reviewers, and academics. This is a rare, ground-floor opportunity.

Qualifications

• PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, Psychometrics, or closely related field.
• 8-10 years of applicable experience, especially in early-stage companies or products without PMF.
• Deep hands-on experience in psychometric development: scale construction, IRT/CTT, validation design, norm development.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct applied validation research in real organizational settings.
• Fluency translating rigorous science into language usable by product teams and buyers.
• Comfort working at the frontier where research, product roadmaps, and GTM strategy evolve together.
• Passion for using AI across work processes with modern tools to move fast and extend team capacity.
• Builder’s mindset; operate lean and cover surface areas beyond title.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific foundation and defensibility of the venture’s claims.
• Design and validate psychometric instruments, scales, or scoring models for the product.
• Run applied research with pilot customers to prove the product delivers expected outcomes.
• Translate peer-reviewed I/O and OB research into product features, UX, and messaging.
• Own the scientific defensibility, manuals, validity evidence, and white papers for credibility.

Education

PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology or related field

8-10 years relevant experience

Psychometric development experience

Applied validation research

Translating science for products

AI-forward mindset

Builder mindset

Job description

The Predictive Index is building a new venture anchored in robust behavioral science. We seek a Staff Behavioral Scientist to lead scientific integrity from day one, shaping instrument development, validation, and evidence across pilot programs.

You’ll translate rigorous research into product decisions, collaborate with product and go-to-market teams, and help establish credibility with HR buyers, legal reviewers, and academics. This is a rare, ground-floor opportunity.