Scientific Lead - Health Data Research (f/m/x)

Healthcaremarketing; Berlin; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days of paid vacation

Flexible working hours

Mobile work options

Support for private healthcare

Employee initiatives for climate and diversity

Job summary

A nonprofit organization focused on health research is seeking a Scientific Lead to drive its applied research agenda. This leadership role involves managing a team of data scientists, translating scientific opportunities into product initiatives, and ensuring alignment with strategic goals. The ideal candidate should have a PhD in a related field, proven team leadership experience, and the ability to communicate effectively with senior stakeholders. This role offers a chance to contribute to meaningful digital health solutions in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to connect scientific work to product strategy.
• Experience working in industry, startup, or applied research environments.
• Proven experience leading teams in an organisational setting.
• Hands-on expertise with RWD/RWE.
• Track record of translating research into real-world impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a team of data scientists and researchers.
• Translate scientific opportunities into product-relevant use cases.
• Ensure research initiatives align with strategic priorities.
• Manage multiple concurrent initiatives across teams.
• Communicate scientific strategy and results to stakeholders.

Skills

Connecting scientific work to product strategy

Leading teams

Communicating with senior stakeholders

RWD/RWE expertise

Skills in R and Python

Knowledge of ETL processes

Translating research into real-world impact

Education

PhD in Data Science or related discipline

Tools

PostgreSQL

AI/ML visualization tools

Job description

Scientific Lead - Health Data Research (f/m/x)

Permanent employee, Full-time • Berlin, Potsdam

German

Hi there!

Are you eager to learn new things and implement your own ideas while working with an international and passionate team of professionals? Would you like to contribute to digital research solutions that have a meaningful impact on healthcare and science?

As our Scientific Lead - Health Data Research, you will own and drive D4L’s applied research agenda at the intersection of science, product, and strategy.

You will be accountable for translating scientific opportunities into product-relevant initiatives, leading a multidisciplinary team, and ensuring that research outcomes create measurable value for our partners, products, and mission.

This is a leadership role with responsibility for people, project portfolio, and cross-functional alignment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and grow a team of data scientists and researchers, including goal setting, performance management, and hiring
• Provide clear direction and prioritisation across projects, enabling the team to operate effectively in a fast-paced, product-oriented environment
• Translate scientific opportunities into product-relevant use cases, and actively shape the product roadmap together with Product and Engineering
• Ensure that research initiatives are aligned with D4L’s strategic priorities and partner needs, including external stakeholders such as the Hasso Plattner Foundation
• Own and prioritise a portfolio of applied research projects, balancing scientific impact, product relevance, and resource constraints
• Manage multiple concurrent initiatives across teams, ensuring timely delivery and scientific quality
• Communicate scientific strategy and results to senior stakeholders, including management and external partners, in a clear and actionable way
• Lead cross-functional initiatives involving Product, Engineering, and Business Development, without direct authority over all contributors
• Contribute to grant proposals, ethics applications, and scientific evaluations (e.g., D4L Impact Program)

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to connect scientific work to product strategy, organisational goals, or business impact
• Experience working in industry, startup, or applied research environments, not only academia
• Proven experience leading teams in an organisational setting, including direct reports and/or cross‑functional teams
• Experience managing performance, priorities, and delivery in a non-academic environment
• Experience communicating with senior stakeholders (e.g., leadership teams, partners, funders) and influencing decisions
• Hands‑on expertise with RWD/RWE, solid skills in R, Python and AI/ML visualization, knowledge regarding FHIR, OMOP and OHDSI tools
• Knowledge of ETL processes, SQL databases (PostgreSQL), deidentification, and handling unstructured data
• Track record of translating research into real‑world impact (e.g., product features, policy influence, partnerships, or deployed solutions)
• PhD (or MD/MS or equivalent) in Data Science, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, or a related discipline with profound publishing activities

Benefits

• Nonprofit work with a clear purpose: Make the world a healthier place. With us, you will find a fulfilling and meaningful task in a nonprofit environment that will advance our society.
• A diverse and international team of professionals working together at 3 locations (Potsdam, Berlin and Singapore).
• Real work life balance with flexible working hours, 30 days of paid vacation, and the possibility for mobile work.
• The option to work abroad remotely up to 2 months per year from various countries, depending on your role and responsibilities.
• Support in the areas of private healthcare and sustainable mobility.
• Employee driven initiatives like the climate initiative and the DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) initiative.

Good to know

• We especially welcome applicants from the LGBTQI+ community, people with a migration background, people of color, and individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses to the team.
• If you need support or special assistance during the application or interview process due to a disability, please feel free to let us know and we are happy to accommodate you as much as possible.
• This position offers an unlimited contract.
• In this position you will be working from our Berlin/Potsdam office.
• Please enclose your complete documents (CV, letter of motivation, references, salary expectations and earliest possible starting date) with your application.

About us

Data4Life is a nonprofit organization with the vision of making the world a healthier place. With an international team, we work together on the mission to digitize health research. By linking technology and research, we make health data available to research in a comprehensive, digital and secure way. Our interdisciplinary team in Potsdam, Berlin and Singapore brings together experts from fields such as product development, digital engineering, data security and science. Data4Life was founded in 2017 and is funded by the Hasso Plattner Foundation.

We care about Diversity: Many different lives, careers, and development paths lead to Data4Life. We welcome experts from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to our international team, offering everyone equal opportunities to be themselves and develop to the best of their abilities. Diversity, equality, and inclusion are not just nice words at Data4Life - we put them into practice in all of our activities and projects, striving to incorporate them in our everyday lives. For this reason, we signed the Charta der Vielfalt (Diversity Charter) in 2022.