Director, Expert Insights and Delphi Methodology

RTI International; United States; Remote; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

RTI Health Solutions, a part of RTI International, seeks a Director to join the Expert Insights team within Medical Communications. You will provide senior methodological leadership across Delphi studies and other consensus-development activities, translating stakeholder input into actionable, scientifically rigorous deliverables for medical affairs and market access.

The role is flexible in location with remote options, preferably on the East Coast, and requires strong leadership of

Qualifications

• Advanced degree and at least 5 years of experience in medical communications or related field.
• Extensive hands-on experience independently designing and leading Delphi studies.
• Ability to lead virtual and in-person advisory boards and expert panels.
• Experience with qualitative research methods and stakeholder interviews.
• Proven track record of senior methodological and strategic counsel to clients.
• Experience with publication planning and scientific reporting.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead Delphi studies from protocol to final reporting.
• Define consensus criteria and integrate quantitative and qualitative results.
• Lead advisory boards, steering committees, and expert panels.
• Moderate discussions with clinicians, payers, patients, and HTA stakeholders.
• Develop study protocols, data collection tools, and reporting materials.
• Translate insights into strategic recommendations for medical affairs and market access.
• Oversee multi-disciplinary projects within scope, budget, and timelines.
• Coach colleagues and contribute to business development and thought leadership.

Skills

Delphi methodology leadership

Project leadership

Qualitative research design

Scientific writing

Client engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Advanced degree (PhD/MD/MPH etc.)

Job description

About the Hiring Group

RTI Health Solutions (RTI-HS), a wholly owned subsidiary of RTI International, is an independent and internationally recognized research organization. With offices in the US, UK, Spain, France, and Sweden, we provide healthcare consulting and research expertise to optimize decision making for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device products across the development and marketing lifecycle. Clients rely on our expertise, quality standards, and integrity to guide their product development and regulatory and market access strategies. Our various practice areas include Value, Access, and HEOR; Patient-Centered and Outcomes Research; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Medical Communications; Global Business Operations; and Strategic Consulting and Growth.

We are seeking a Director to join our Expert Insights team within Medical Communications. As Director, Expert Insights and Delphi Methodology, you will join an experienced, collaborative team that helps clients obtain, interpret, and communicate insights from clinicians, payers, HTA experts, patients, and other stakeholders. You will provide senior methodological and project leadership across Delphi and other consensus-development studies, advisory boards, steering committees, expert panels, and qualitative research. You will translate complex stakeholder input into clear findings, implications, recommendations, and scientifically rigorous deliverables that support medical affairs, clinical development, evidence communication, market access, and related business decisions. This role is suited to an experienced leader who can quickly take ownership of active Delphi work and provide expert leadership across ongoing projects.

This role's location is flexible, and remote working options are available, with a preference for candidates located on the East Coast.

What You'll Do

In this role, you will:

• Independently design and lead modified and classic Delphi studies and other expert elicitation of consensus exercises from protocol development through expert recruitment, questionnaire development, iterative rounds, analysis, consensus interpretation, and final reporting
• Define and apply appropriate consensus criteria, stopping rules, analytical approaches, and methods for integrating quantitative results with qualitative rationale
• Design and lead virtual and in-person advisory boards, steering committees, expert panels, and other structured expert-engagement activities
• Facilitate or moderate discussions with clinicians, payers, patients, caregivers, health technology assessment stakeholders, and other experts
• Conduct and analyze qualitative interviews using rigorous, fit-for-purpose methods
• Advise clients and internal teams on the most appropriate methodology for insight‑generation and consensus‑development that is tailored to intended audiences
• Develop study protocols, analysis plans, interview and discussion guides, questionnaires, moderator materials, and other data‑collection tools
• Translate stakeholder input and study findings into clear conclusions, implications, recommendations, and strategic narratives
• Develop and review scientifically accurate, audience‑appropriate reports, executive summaries, manuscripts, abstracts, posters, congress materials, and client presentations
• Identify implications of expert insights for medical strategy, evidence communication, publication planning, stakeholder engagement, and market access
• Apply appropriate standards for scientific rigor, publication ethics, authorship, transparency, data integrity, and project documentation
• Manage complex, multidisciplinary projects to agreed scope, quality, timelines, and budgets, including development of work‑plans, cost estimates, and risk‑mitigation approaches
• Serve as a senior client contact, build trusted relationships, anticipate needs, and provide clear methodological and strategic guidance
• Scope opportunities and develop proposals that align the research question, methodology, deliverables, schedule, and budget
• Contribute to business development through capabilities presentations, solution development, thought leadership, and expansion of client relationships
• Collaborate effectively with medical writers, scientific strategists, editors, project managers, analysts, and other cross‑functional partners
• Build the team's scientific profile through publication and presentation of work

What You'll Need

• Advanced degree and at least 5 years of experience in medical communications, clinical research, epidemiology, public health, outcomes research, health services research, health policy, qualitative research, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related scientific discipline
• Extensive, recent, hands‑on experience independently designing and leading modified or classic Delphi studies, including protocol development, expert selection and recruitment, round development, analysis, consensus interpretation, and reporting all in adherence to current methodological guidelines
• Demonstrated ability to assume leadership of active Delphi projects with limited methodological oversight or onboarding
• Experience leading virtual and in‑person advisory boards, steering committees, expert panels, or comparable structured expert‑engagement programs
• Experience designing, conducting, and analyzing qualitative research, including development of protocols, analysis plans, interview guides, questionnaires, and reports
• Strong scientific writing, synthesis, and data‑interpretation skills, with the ability to convert complex evidence and stakeholder input into concise, actionable communications
• Experience developing publication‑quality reports, manuscripts, abstracts, posters, or presentations and familiarity with relevant ethical and reporting standards
• Experience working directly with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare clients and providing senior‑level methodological and strategic counsel
• Demonstrated success managing complex projects, budgets, timelines, risks, and cross‑functional teams
• Experience scoping opportunities, writing proposals, and presenting capabilities or recommended approaches to clients
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to meet deadlines in a fast‑paced, multitasking environment
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, collaborate across disciplines, and coach or mentor colleagues
• A record of peer‑reviewed publication, conference presentation, or other relevant scientific thought leadership

Desirable, but not essential:

• Experience engaging a range of stakeholder types, including clinicians, payers, patients, caregivers, and health technology assessment representatives
• Knowledge of US or international healthcare, health technology assessment, pricing, reimbursement, or market access environments
• Experience connecting expert insights to Medical Affairs strategy, integrated evidence communication, publication planning, or stakeholder‑engagement planning
• Experience using virtual engagement platforms, digital collaboration tools, and emerging technologies to support expert panels, qualitative research, insight analysis, and scientific communication
• Experience supporting health technology assessment, reimbursement, regulatory, or evidence‑submission activities
• Experience with additional research approaches, such as literature reviews, observational or retrospective analyses, patient‑reported outcomes, utility assessment, or quality‑of‑life research

EEO & Pay Equity Statements

For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is availablehere.

RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

For Applicants in Massachusetts Only:It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short‑term and long‑term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work‑life balance.

Equal Pay Act Minimum/Range

$100.000K - $130.000K