Behavioral Scientist, Senior

About the role

The Senior Behavioral Scientist serves as a technical expert and strategic partner, working collaboratively with key stakeholders, including clients and senior data scientists, to integrate insights from behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, and applied social sciences into the development, testing, and optimization of policies and programs that align with client missions. As a recognized subject matter expert, the Senior Behavioral Scientist translates behavioral science research into actionable solutions and deliverables. This position involves close collaboration with client leadership, stakeholders, and technical teams to design, plan, and execute projects involving behavioral interventions—from initial assessments and diagnostics through experimental evaluations and the formulation of data-driven recommendations for implementation. Primarily supporting federal agencies, the role enables advanced compliance initiatives through the development of analytical models and decision-making frameworks that enhance operational efficiencies and promote effective compliance practices. This is a senior-level, client-facing role that demands a robust foundation in behavioral science methodologies coupled with the program management expertise to operate effectively within federal governance structures. Success in this role requires the ability to present to executive-level stakeholders and ensure the timely delivery of high-impact deliverables against established program milestones. This position aligns with Cayuse’s core values of Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Adaptability, and Integrity by fostering technical solutions that meet customer needs, promoting teamwork, and prioritizing quality in deliverables.

Reports to: Program Manager. Working conditions: Professional office environment, with the ability to work onsite in the main office. Must be physically and mentally able to perform duties for extended periods of time. Ability to use a computer and other office productivity tools with sufficient speed to meet the demands of this position. Must be able to establish a productive and professional workspace. Must be able to sit for long periods of time looking at computer screen. May be asked to work a flexible schedule which may include holidays. May be asked to travel for business or professional development purposes. May be asked to work hours outside of normal business hours.

Responsibilities

• Engage with senior government stakeholders to understand complex business needs, translate them into advanced data engineering and analytics objectives, and develop comprehensive strategies for data integration, transformation, and analysis.
• Strong consultative and relationship‑building abilities; adept at influencing decision‑makers and partnering across agencies or departments.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor junior researchers and guide cross‑functional teams through the behavioral insight process.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of data scientists, engineers, and analysts to design and deploy innovative data-driven solutions and ensure seamless integration into operational frameworks.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior team members, ensuring quality work-product development and fostering skill development within the team.
• Drive projects independently by demonstrating ownership, accountability, and leadership for deliverables, ensuring timely and high-quality outcomes.
• Stay at the forefront of industry trends in data engineering, big data tools, and analytics methodologies to continually improve processes and solutions.
• Ability to develop behavioral strategies aligned to organizational priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Competence in managing multiple projects, setting research priorities, and delivering high‑quality insights under tight timelines.
• Comfortable presenting findings to executive leadership and shaping strategic policy or program design.
• Identify behavioral frictions, biases, and decision bottlenecks affecting organizational performance or customer experience.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and