Social Scientist, Senior
Company websitecaci.com (CACI, opens in new tab)
Base salary $103,800 to $218,100
Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Fort Meade, MD
You apply on the employer's own site. Six Figure Work does not handle applications.
- LocationFort Meade, MD
- WorkplaceOn-site
- Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
- Last checked (1 h ago) · observed since
About this job
The Opportunity:
Join a team dedicated to advancing national security through innovative irregular warfare and operations expertise. CACI is seeking Social Scientists to support mission-critical efforts that help U.S. and partner forces better understand the human dimension of conflict and competition. By applying behavioral, cultural, political, and social science research methods, you will provide data-driven insights that inform operational planning, influence activities, and strategic decision-making in some of the world's most complex environments.
Working across Geographic and Functional Combatant Commands, you will collaborate with military planners, intelligence professionals, and operational leaders to assess the information environment, analyze audience behaviors and influence networks, and evaluate the effectiveness of operations. Your research and analytical expertise will directly contribute to developing evidence-based recommendations that improve mission effectiveness and support national security objectives.
This is an opportunity to apply rigorous qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to real-world challenges while influencing operational outcomes at the strategic and operational levels. Candidates who are passionate about human behavior, social research, and solving complex global problems in dynamic environments will find meaningful opportunities to make a measurable impact while growing their careers with CACI.
Responsibilities:
- Conducts campaign and operational level assessments of the information environment using opinion research, intelligence, operational reporting, and social media insights
- Design and execute qualitative and quantitative research applying rigorous social science methodologies to support operational planning in multi-national environments
- Leads Hierarchy of Psychological Effects Model (HPEM) analysis in support of Psychological Operations
- Develop and track measures of performance and effectiveness for OIE, IW, and Sensitive Activities
- Creates data collection plans and coordinate stakeholder collection of social, cultural, economic, political, and religious indicators
- Provides data visualization and translates empirical research findings into operational assessments for decision-makers
- Designs, evaluates, and oversees opinion research through surveys, flash polls, focus groups, and in-depth interviews
- Develops audience profiles and analyzes key communicators, networks, and regional or transregional state/non-state influence
- Creates and delivers formal assessment reports through briefs, presentations, and inputs to Command-and-Control systems
- Leads innovative social science research initiatives and evaluates external studies for methodological strength and operational relevance
Qualifications:
Required
- Active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph
- MA/MS in a relevant field (e.g. behavioral sciences, social sciences, anthropology, sociology, psychology)
- 10+ years’ experience supporting military operational planning and/or assessments (7 years with BA/BS) for OIE, IW, Sensitive Activities, or compartmented activities)
- Demonstrated experience briefing or delivering written concepts to executive/senior-level (GO/FO/SES) decision makers
- Demonstrated experience designing, administering and/or evaluating research instruments and activities in support of military operations
- Demonstrated experience integrating data analytic tools, to include AI/ML enabled tools, in support of assessments and research
Desired:
- PhD in relevant field
- Demonstrated expertise applying social science and data analysis to military evaluations and assessments for OIE, IW, and Sensitive Activities
- 5 years’ experience supporting military operational assessments and research at the CCMD, Service Component Command, Joint Task Force or similar level
- Familiarity with CENTCOM, INDOPACOM, and/or NORTHCOM AORs
- Demonstrated experience supporting formal assessments of Psychological Operations and integration of HPEM
What You Can Expect:
A culture of integrity.
At CACI, we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member, you’ll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customer’s missions and driven by a higher purpose – to ensure the safety of our nation.
An environment of trust.
CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. You’ll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.
A focus on continuous growth.
Together, we will advance our nation's most critical missions, build on our lengthy track record of business success, and find opportunities to break new ground — in your career and in our legacy.
Pay Range:
There are a host of factors that can influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications. Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and learning and development opportunities. Our broad and competitive mix of benefits options is designed to support and protect employees and their families. At CACI, you will receive comprehensive benefits such as; healthcare, wellness, financial, retirement, family support, continuing education, and time off benefits.
The proposed salary range for this position is:
$103,800 - $218,100CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.
Source: CACI on Workday · View original posting (opens in new tab)
Pay in context
This role's base floor ($103,800) is above 6% of the 60 Science & Research roles in Maryland listed on this site. Their median floor is $141,957; the middle half runs from $121,785 to $189,320.
Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 8, 2026.
This listingSocial Scientist, Senior$103,800 to $218,100
SAP Functional Consultant – Procure to Pay (PTP) / Materials Management (MM)$105,100 to $231,100
Exploitation Analyst (EA)$105,100 to $231,100
Cloud Infrastructure Systems Administrator- LINUX Admin$105,100 to $231,100
Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Functional (SME)$105,100 to $231,100
Senior Principal Software Developer$105,100 to $231,100
Momentum Financials Technical Subject Matter Expert$105,100 to $231,100
Chart as a table
| Role | Published base |
|---|---|
| Social Scientist, Senior (this listing) | $103,800 - $218,100 |
| SAP Functional Consultant – Procure to Pay (PTP) / Materials Management (MM) | $105,100 - $231,100 |
| Exploitation Analyst (EA) | $105,100 - $231,100 |
| Cloud Infrastructure Systems Administrator- LINUX Admin | $105,100 - $231,100 |
| Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Functional (SME) | $105,100 - $231,100 |
| Senior Principal Software Developer | $105,100 - $231,100 |
| Momentum Financials Technical Subject Matter Expert | $105,100 - $231,100 |
Observed changes
- First observed on the employer's board
- Began meeting the published-salary criteria
- Observed since
- Employer-stated posting date
- 2026-10-26
Where this pay comes from
Location as the employer wrote it: Fort Meade, MD, US
$103,800 - $218,100
- Method
- Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
- Checked
- Rule set
- us-base-v2
The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.
What we verified
- The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
- The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
- The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.
We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.
