Head of Epidemiology (Remote - US or UK)

Fortrea; United States; On-site; USD 200,000 - 245,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortrea Consulting is seeking an Executive Director Epidemiologist to lead the epidemiology capability and govern complex programs. You will shape strategy, guide methods, and mentor senior epidemiology talent while aligning with RWE and consulting priorities.

You will partner with Fortrea leaders on strategic client pursuits, establish governance for scientific standards, and influence external scientific voices through thought leadership and high-stakes advisory work.

Qualifications

• Doctoral-level degree in epidemiology or related field, or MS/MPH with relevant experience.
• Strong leadership in epidemiology and RWE including governance and capability development.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and strategic client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Contributes to growth strategy and leads priorities in alignment with Fortrea Consulting strategy.
• Shapes scientific direction and governance within epidemiology and RWE.
• Advise senior stakeholders on epidemiology and regulatory implications for programs.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Doctoral-level degree in epidemiology/public health

MS/MPH with relevant experience

Job description

Job Overview

The Executive Director Epidemiologist within Fortrea Consulting is a senior leader for the epidemiology capability. The role provides scientific governance for the most complex or high-risk epidemiology programs, supports selected strategic client relationships and pursuits, develops senior epidemiology leaders, and guides methods, quality, talent, and service offering priorities within epidemiology. The Executive Director Epidemiologist partners with leaders across Fortrea Consulting and the enterprise on initiatives across epidemiology, RWE, and Consulting.

Job Overview

The Executive Director Epidemiologist within Fortrea Consulting is a senior leader for the epidemiology capability. The role provides scientific governance for the most complex or high-risk epidemiology programs, supports selected strategic client relationships and pursuits, develops senior epidemiology leaders, and guides methods, quality, talent, and service offering priorities within epidemiology. The Executive Director Epidemiologist partners with leaders across Fortrea Consulting and the enterprise on initiatives across epidemiology, RWE, and Consulting.

Summary Of Responsibilities

Business Development

• Significantly contributes to epidemiology growth strategy and leads selected priorities in alignment with broader Fortrea Consulting strategy.
• Sponsors or provides senior scientific approval for selected high-value epidemiology pursuits and client relationships, partnering with commercial and Consulting leaders.
• Provides epidemiology input to commercial priorities, opportunity-pipeline reviews, and selected key-account opportunities.
• Builds selected external scientific relationships and alliances that strengthen Fortrea’s epidemiology credibility and differentiation.

Practice & Company Initiatives

• Shapes scientific direction and the capability roadmap for epidemiology in alignment with broader RWE and Fortrea Consulting strategy.
• Recommends and leads selected priorities for epidemiology methods, technology, data partnerships, talent, quality, and scalable delivery with relevant functional leaders.
• Establishes governance within epidemiology for scientific standards, review, risk escalation, reproducibility, transparency, and regulatory readiness.
• Shapes Fortrea’s external scientific voice through thought leadership, professional engagement, and representation with senior stakeholders.
• Partners with other capability leaders to contribute epidemiology expertise to integrated evidence strategies and delivery models.

Client Delivery

• Serves as senior scientific sponsor for selected complex or high-risk epidemiology programs.
• Ensures epidemiology strategies and deliverables across the portfolio meet Fortrea’s standards for credibility, relevance, transparency, and defensibility.
• Connects client needs and market signals to epidemiology capability priorities and cross-functional evidence solutions.
• Advises senior client stakeholders on epidemiology and RWE strategy, evidence gaps, and regulatory, payer, or HTA implications within selected programs.
• Provides senior epidemiology escalation and decision support for material scientific and quality risks and partners with accountable business leaders on delivery, financial, or relationship risks.
• Ensures understanding and appropriate application of epidemiologic and causal-inference methods, complex applications (natural history, ECA, TTE), regulatory frameworks and guidance.

People

• Develops epidemiology leaders and establishes expectations for scientific, commercial, operational, and people leadership.
• Leads senior epidemiology leaders and is accountable for leadership development, succession, and organizational effectiveness within epidemiology.
• Provides a resource to leadership for cross-functional team challenged on strategic client engagements.
• Leads workforce planning, senior hiring, promotion, performance, and deployment decisions within epidemiology, in partnership with broader consulting leadership.
• Builds an inclusive, accountable epidemiology culture that attracts, develops, and retains talent and collaborates across Fortrea Consulting.
• Models Fortrea culture, business ethics, scientific integrity, and responsible decision‑making.
• And all other duties as needed or assigned.

Qualifications (Minimum Required)

• Doctoral-level degree in a discipline-relevant area (eg, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, public health, or related quantitative health science); Fortrea may consider a graduate-level degree (eg, MS/MPH) with relevant and equivalent experience and successful project outcomes in lieu of educational requirements.
• Recognized scientific and strategic leadership in epidemiology and RWE, including advanced methodology, regulatory-grade evidence, program governance, and capability development.
• Demonstrated success strengthening an epidemiology capability, complex program portfolio, or strategic client relationship while sustaining scientific quality and client trust.
• Demonstrated success developing senior scientific leaders and leading multidisciplinary teams through growth and change.
• Exceptional senior-level communication, judgment, influence, and relationship-building skills across scientific, commercial, and client stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of epidemiological guidelines (eg, STROBE/RECORD, ISPE/ENCePP), and major regulatory RWE principles (eg, FDA RWE Framework, ICH E6(R3), ICH M14).

Experience (Minimum Required)

• 15 years of relevant experience (or doctoral-level degree with at least 12 years), including extensive leadership of complex portfolios, major client relationships, business growth, scientific strategy, and senior leaders.
• 10 years of experience leading cross‑functional teams and developing staff.

Preferred Qualifications Include

• Doctoral-level degree with scientific or technical expertise aligned with client expectations.
• Applied use of secondary real‑world data sources (eg, claims, EHR, registries).
• Experience representing an epidemiology or RWE capability with senior client, regulatory, payer, HTA, industry, and scientific stakeholders.
• Successful experience with external control arms/synthetic controls, natural history studies, and HEOR deliverables (eg, comparative-effectiveness studies, payer evidence, indirect treatment comparisons).
• Demonstrated success originating or expanding strategic client relationships and multidisciplinary programs.
• Track record of building new offerings, markets, partnerships, or delivery models with measurable organizational impact.
• Experience shaping strategy for an epidemiology or RWE capability and integrating scientific, commercial, people, technology, quality, and delivery priorities.
• Recognized external influence through scientific leadership, professional organizations, guidance development, publications, or senior advisory roles.
• Ability to challenge conventional thinking to solve client issues and develop solutions.

Physical Demands / Work Environment

Home-Base

Work Environment

• Occasional drives to site locations with occasional domestic and international travel.

Physical Demands

• Frequently stationary for 6-8 hours per day.
• Repetitive hand movement of both hands with the ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Occasional crouching, stooping, with frequent bending and twisting of upper body and neck.
• Ability to access and use a variety of computer software developed both in‑house and off‑the‑shelf.
• Light to moderate lifting and carrying, or moving of objects, including luggage and laptop computer with a maximum lift of 15-20 lbs.
• Regular and consistent attendance.
• Varied hours may be required.
• Travel internationally to support the business, as needed.

Pay Range: $200,000-$245,000 (The range does not include benefits, and if applicable, bonus, commission, or equity)

Benefits:

All job offers will be based on a candidate’s skills and prior relevant experience, applicable degrees/certifications, as well as internal equity and market data. Regular, full‑time or part‑time employees working 20 or more hours per week are eligible for comprehensive benefits including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, STD/LTD, 401(K), ESPP, Paid time off (PTO) or Flexible time off (FTO), and Company bonus where applicable.

Application deadline:

October 30, 2026