[Hiring] Social Scientist @Organizational Development Resource Group

Role Description

We are seeking a highly qualified Social Scientist to support the research-based mission and training programs of Brigadier Charels Young-Research, Analysis, and Lessons Learned Institute (CY-RALLI) Research and Knowledge Portal. This role will help strengthen the Security Cooperation workforce by developing evidence-based knowledge products, research repositories, systematic reviews, and applied analytic products that translate complex research into practical, actionable guidance.

The Social Scientist will be expected to manage the technical, administrative, and logistical execution of a workflow to produce a Catalogue of Existing Evidence (CEE) and a series of technically rigorous systematic reviews of social scientific literature on security cooperation questions and debates. All activities, deliverables, and recommendations produced under this section are subject to final review, approval, and formal acceptance by the Government. Specific tasks include:

• Systematic Reviews and Catalogue of Existing Evidence Operations
  • Develop recommended system designs, methodologies, and draft standard operating procedures for systematic literature reviews and evidence cataloging.
  • Coordinate methodology panels, field expert panels, and peer-review activities involving academic and social science experts.
  • Engineer database architecture and draft standardized codebooks to support structured, queryable research data.
  • Develop training materials for scholars producing systematic reviews and contributing to the evidence catalogue.
  • Analyze academic literature to recommend operational research topics and strategically relevant debates for Government review.
  • Draft systematic reviews and manage workflows for external scholars, including schedules, quality reviews, and administrative coordination.
  • Support approved AI-assisted or AI-only workflow testing by generating test versions, coordinating blind peer review, and documenting comparative findings.
• Applied Research Products and Analytic Source Documents
  • Manage workflows that translate social scientific theory and evidence into policy-relevant applied research products.
  • Formulate applied research frameworks, methodologies, and procedural workflows for Analytic Source Documents.
  • Coordinate applied research methodology panels and support peer-review assessment activities.
  • Design and deliver training materials on policy-translation techniques for Government-selected scholars.
  • Identify and recommend Security Cooperation concepts and operational challenges where applied research can provide strategic value.
  • Draft, compile, and technically develop Analytic Source Documents, or coordinate development with external researchers.
  • Track milestones, conduct technical and policy-translation reviews, and prepare administrative support packages for Government review.
  • Support approved AI-assisted applied research workflow testing and deliver comparative findings.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Social Sciences, Political Science, Sociology or a related field.
• An active Secret Clearance.
• A government background investigation will be conducted on selected applicants to determine whether they qualify for access to classified information.
• 8-10 years of experience in research design, systematic review methodology, and evidence synthesis.
• Proven experience developing knowledge products, job aids, or similar practical guides for a professional workforce.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct literature reviews and synthesize scientific information.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex research findings into actionable insights and clear visualizations for non-academic audiences.
• Experience with knowledge management systems (e.g., SharePoint) and developing SOPs.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

• The opportunity to shape the knowledge base of a critical national security mission.
• A collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment.
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Compensation

The pay range for this job is determined by various factors, including but not necessarily limited to location, responsibilities of the job, and alignment with market data. When determining a salary for this role, the following factors may be taken into consideration: contract-specific affordability, education, knowledge, skills, competencies and experience. The estimate displayed represents the salary range for this position and is just one component of ODRG's total compensation package for employees. It is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific employee. The pay band for this position is $100-135k.