Behavioral Architect & Engagement Scientist

Knudge™ is looking for a Behavioral Architect & Engagement Scientist (a unique blend of Social Engineer, Clinical/Behavioral Scientist, and Gamification Expert) to design the core nudging mechanics of our platform.
In this role, you will not be building another addictive app; instead, you will be reverse-engineering the psychological hooks of the attention economy to build the world's first frictionless disconnection agent. Your primary mission is to make phone disconnection effortless where it is mandated (starting with heavy industrial and construction jobsites) and aspirational where it is chosen.

Role Overview: Behavioral Architect & Engagement Scientist

• Department: Product Psychology & Behavioral Science


• Location: Flexible / Hybrid


• Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Purpose

Our phone habits are too deeply ingrained for simple bans or willpower to work. As our Behavioral Architect, you will sit at the intersection of clinical psychology, social engineering, and product design. You will dissect why users pick up their phones in high-risk environments and design the real-time, context-aware "knudges" that gently steer them back to physical reality without causing friction or resentment.

Key Responsibilities

• Reverse-Engineer Attention Hooks: Analyze the variable reward schedules, notifications, and psychological triggers used by social media platforms to design effective, counter-acting behavioral interventions.


• Design Contextual "Knudges": Create and test a library of behavioral nudges (micro-rewards, cognitive speedbumps, and positive reinforcement) tailored to industrial workplace environments where safety is a metric.


• Behavioral Data Analysis: Partner with data and product teams to analyze user telemetry from construction jobsites, measuring the efficacy of different nudge types on reducing distracted phone usage.


• Clinical Framework Development: Translate clinical frameworks (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model) into scalable, automated product features.


• Stakeholder & Safety Alignment: Work alongside enterprise safety managers to ensure Knudge integrates seamlessly with existing corporate safety briefings, transforming passive "phone policies" into automated, high-ROI safety infrastructure.

What We Are Looking For

Core Qualifications:

• Advanced Degree: Master’s or Ph.D. in Behavioral Economics, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field.


• Behavioral Design Experience: 3+ years of experience designing interventions, gamification mechanics, or behavioral change programs in digital health, wellness, or enterprise safety.


• The "Social Engineer" Mindset: A deep, systemic understanding of digital addiction, persuasion mechanics, and how to influence human behavior without relying on explicit authority or hard bans.


• Data-Informed Fluency: Ability to look at user engagement logs, identify where a behavioral intervention failed, and rapidly iterate on the timing, tone, or delivery of a nudge.
  Nice-to-Haves:


• Experience working with industrial, construction, or blue-collar workforces where safety compliance is a critical KPI.


• Familiarity with the emerging legal and regulatory landscape surrounding digital wellness and social media compliance.


• Background in developing digital therapeutics (DTx) or insurance-reimbursable wellness products.

To help tailor this job description further, could you share a bit more about your funding stage or current team size? Let me know if you would like me to adjust the seniority level (e.g., Head of Behavioral Science vs. an individual contributor) or focus more heavily on the hardware/infrastructure side of the product.