Linguist

The role

Linguists will conduct research on language and interaction to develop proprietary consulting methodologies. They will translate linguistic and cognitive theory into practical models and tools for business environments.

What you will do

• Conduct original research on language, meaning, and interaction as they relate to organizational performance, leadership, and human coordination.
• Apply frameworks from discourse analysis, pragmatics, theory of mind, and speech act theory to the development of Gap International’s proprietary consulting methodologies
• Translate advanced linguistic and cognitive theory into practical models, tools, and interventions for business environments
• Author and contribute to research papers, white papers, and thought-leadership content grounded in Gap International’s methodologies
• Adapt and extend existing linguistic frameworks to support current and future consulting models, products, and offerings
• Collaborate with consultants, researchers, and product teams to integrate linguistic insights into client engagements
• Support marketing, training, and intellectual-capital initiatives through expert linguistic analysis

Required qualifications

• PhD in Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Psycholinguistics, or a closely related field (completed or near completion)
• Demonstrated expertise in discourse analysis, pragmatics, theory of mind, speech act theory, and/or psycholinguistics
• Strong grounding in the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, or cognitive theory as applied to communication and meaning
• Experience conducting independent, theory-driven research and producing publishable academic or applied work
• Strong analytic and synthesis skills
• Clear, executive-ready communication
• Comfort working in ambiguity and building practical solutions from research and observation
• Ability to translate complex theoretical concepts into clear, actionable insights for non-academic audiences
• Interest in applying linguistic research to business, leadership, and organizational performance
• Willingness to travel domestically and/or internationally as needed
• Current resident of, or willingness to relocate to, the Philadelphia area

Nice to have

• Client-facing, teaching, facilitation, or consulting experience
• Experience with mixed methods (qual + quant), experimental design, or applied research translation
• Familiarity with computational approaches (e.g., corpus methods, annotation, NLP literacy)
• Background in social psychology, decision science, organizational behavior, or learning sciences
• Evidence of cross-domain work (publications, projects, collaborations) bridging language and cognition

Benefits

• A role with significant impact and visibility within the company
• Opportunities for professional growth and development in a supportive and collaborative environment
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• A dynamic and inclusive company culture

Before you apply

• Applicants should be legally authorized to work in the US

About the company

Gap International is a global performance consulting company that works with executives and their organizations to produce extraordinary business results. Headquartered in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, it has worked with over 50,000 executives in 1,500 organizations across 65 countries.