Senior Social Scientist

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!

 

At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.

 

Job Description:

Parsons is looking for an amazingly talented Sr. Social Scientist to join our team! In this role you will get to apply social and behavioral science expertise to support Operations in the Information Environment (OIE) and Irregular Warfare (IW) by analyzing the cultural, psychological, and social dynamics that shape how audiences perceive, interpret, and respond to information and actions.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Provides behaviorally grounded insight that informs planning, execution, and assessment across J39 activities.

• Designs and conducts qualitative and quantitative research—including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and social network analysis—to develop a nuanced understanding of target audiences, group dynamics, identity drivers, and influence pathways relevant to mission objectives.

• Translates research findings into operationally actionable insights that support Target Audience Analysis (TAA), COA development, narrative design, and risk assessment.

• Collaborates closely with planners, analysts, behavioral scientists, content developers, and assessment teams to ensure OIE plans, messaging, and influence approaches are culturally informed, behaviorally realistic, and ethically sound.

• Advises on cultural resonance, social norms, and potential unintended effects, helping mitigate risk and improve campaign effectiveness. 

• Supports the development of assessment frameworks by identifying behaviorally valid indicators and proxies, interpreting results in context, and contributing to lessons learned and plan adaptation.

• Ensures research methods and findings are rigorous, transparent, and compliant with applicable authorities and ethical standards, preserving commander trust and analytic credibility.

What Required Skills You'll Bring:

• Bachelors degree and 13+ years experience. Years of comparable experience can be used in lieu of degree. (HS diploma 17+ years, Associates 15+ years, Masters 10+ years)
• Must have a current/active TS/SCI clearance or higher

Security Clearance Requirement:

An active Top Secret SCI security clearance is required for this position.​

This position is part of our Federal Solutions team.

The Federal Solutions segment delivers resources to our US government customers that ensure the success of missions around the globe. Our intelligent employees drive the state of the art as they provide services and solutions in the areas of defense, security, intelligence, infrastructure, and environmental. We promote a culture of excellence and close-knit teams that take pride in delivering, protecting, and sustaining our nation's most critical assets, from Earth to cyberspace. Throughout the company, our people are anticipating what’s next to deliver the solutions our customers need now.

Salary Range: $88,400.00 - $154,700.00

We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle!

This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to be posted for an average of 30 days until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.

Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!

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