Director of Clinical Research & Data Science

Society of Professional Journalists; Santa Rosa (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Society of Professional Journalists seeks a Director/Senior Director of Clinical Research to lead the clinical research organization, guiding data collection and the scientific backbone of the company. You will manage a 10+ person team across clinical operations, data science, and data engineering, serving as the senior physiological authority for studies powering hardware, sensing, and AI/ML initiatives.

The role blends hands-on statistics with people and budget management, and includes

Qualifications

• PhD in physiology, neuroscience, sleep science, or a related field.
• 10+ years of human research experience, including at least 5 years at high-growth startups or consumer health/hardware technology companies.
• 5+ years of people management experience.
• Experience with biosensing devices or consumer health technology pursuing clinical validation.
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications; experience as author or Principal Investigator on IRB-approved clinical studies.
• Advanced statistical fluency - able to define statistical criteria, run power calculations, and work directly with raw data alongside data scientists and biostatisticians.

Responsibilities

• Own the clinical research & science organization - lead, mentor, and grow a team of 10+ spanning clinical operations, data engineering, and data science.
• Direct all human research studies supporting Hardware, Sensing, and AI/ML teams, from protocol development and study ideation through IRB submission, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Uphold scientific validation standards by applying rigorous statistical and testing criteria (e.g., MAE, TOST equivalence testing, Bland-Altman analysis) to evaluate hardware and algorithm performance before launch.
• Translate research into product features by partnering with Product, Growth, Design, and Engineering teams on science-backed features.
• Provide scientific input on marketing claims, press releases, and journalist articles, ensuring every public-facing claim is backed by data.
• Lead scientific communications - author and direct blog posts, white papers, and peer-reviewed publications, and represent the company in press interviews, podcasts, and conference talks.
• Manage team growth and performance, including hiring, compensation strategy, mentorship and formal performance management.
• Drive new research exploration, identifying and pursuing external collaborations and new areas of sleep science.
• Own budget and vendor management for clinical studies.

Job description

Society of Professional Journalists seeks a Director/Senior Director of Clinical Research to lead the clinical research organization, guiding data collection and the scientific backbone of the company. You will manage a 10+ person team across clinical operations, data science, and data engineering, serving as the senior physiological authority for studies powering hardware, sensing, and AI/ML initiatives.

The role blends hands-on statistics with people and budget management, and includes