Behavioral Research Lead - P.h.D

ABOUT SCALING.COM At Scaling.com, we help founders and entrepreneurs scale their businesses 10x or more within three years. Through the Science of Scaling framework, disciplined business strategy, and behavioral insight, we help leaders make better decisions, execute with clarity, and create the identity-level shifts required for extraordinary growth. ABOUT THE ROLE We are building a research function to understand how business owners change as they apply the Science of Scaling — not only what results they produce, but when and how their thinking, decisions, and behavior begin to diverge from the pack. The Behavioral Research Lead will study our Scalers, with particular attention to the highest performers, to identify the paradigm shifts that precede and sustain exceptional growth. A completed Ph.D. is required for this role. Your mandate is to connect behavioral evidence to business outcomes. You will examine strategy-call recordings, qualitative observations, Revenue Data Portal metrics, and program-engagement data to identify the moments, patterns, and practices that distinguish Scalers capable of growing 10x in three years. A central focus will be how Scalers use the Frame for Focus to redefine the game they are playing, narrow attention, raise standards, and act differently. This is a highly collaborative, hands-on research role. You will work closely with Dr. Benjamin Hardy, Blake Erickson, our Strategist team, and participating Scalers to shape the research agenda, test interpretations, and turn findings into tools that strengthen our strategy, curriculum, coaching, and intellectual property. You will begin as the owner of the function, with the opportunity to build and lead a broader research capability over time. WHAT YOU'LL DO Build and execute a mixed-methods research agenda across strategy-call recordings, Scaler interviews, Revenue Data Portal data, program engagement, and other behavioral and business-performance signals. Identify the timing and nature of paradigm shifts — the language, beliefs, decisions, commitments, and repeated behaviors that signal a Scaler has begun operating differently. Compare highest-performing Scalers with relevant cohorts to isolate meaningful differentiators, connect behaviors to revenue and operating outcomes, and distinguish strong evidence from interesting correlation. Study how Scalers apply the Frame for Focus, including how they redefine the game, narrow focus, eliminate lower-value work, raise their floor, reconstitute teams, and make higher-leverage strategic moves. Partner with Dr. Benjamin Hardy, Blake Erickson, Strategists, and Scalers to develop research questions, conduct interviews, interpret context, test emerging hypotheses, and validate findings against lived experience. Improve data capture and research quality by defining what we should collect, how Strategists and Scalers should document pivotal moments, and how qualitative and quantitative evidence can be linked responsibly over time. Translate findings into practical tools and feedback loops for strategy, curriculum, coaching, community experiences, and leadership decision-making — making the research useful inside the business, not only interesting on paper. Publish clear research briefs and white papers for the Scaler community, contribute to peer-reviewed work where appropriate, present findings live, and build a durable evidence base and intellectual property engine for Scaling.com. WHO YOU ARE A completed Ph.D. in psychology, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, behavioral science, business, or a closely related field. This is a firm minimum qualification; doctoral candidates and applicants without an earned Ph.D. will not be considered. Strong in both qualitative and quantitative methods — you can design studies, code and synthesize behavioral evidence, analyze longitudinal data, and defend the limits of your conclusions. Experienced in research involving interviews, conversations, recordings, observational data, or other unstructured sources, with the judgment to handle sensitive founder and business information confidentially. A rigorous thinker who can connect changes in language and behavior to measurable business outcomes without confusing correlation with causation. An exceptional collaborator who can work with founders, practitioners, Strategists, and participants while maintaining research independence and methodological discipline. An exceptional writer and communicator — rigorous enough for academic audiences, clear and compelling enough for a founder, and practical enough to shape how a team operates. Fluent with AI-assisted research and call-intelligence tools, and energized by building structure from a complex, evolving, real-world dataset. Deeply curious about the Science of Scaling, aligned with the Frame for Focus, and self-directed enough to set the agenda, surface insights early, and build a research function from the ground up. Paid Time Off – Includes vacation days, sick leave, and company holidays Remote Work Flexibility – Work from the location of your choice (U.S.-based) with the structure, autonomy, and support to thrive