Director of Scientific Affairs
Needham, MA - USA
Job Summary
About XRHealth
XRHealth is at the vanguard of revolutionizing healthcare. We deliver clinicallyvalidatedvirtual and extended reality therapies to thousands of patients across mental health chronic pain and physical and neurorehabilitation. As we scale we are generating an unprecedented volume of longitudinal clinicaldataand we need a scientific leader to turn that data into the evidence that will define the future of XR-powered healthcare.
Role Overview
Reporting directly to the Chief Clinical Officer the Director of Scientific Affairs will be the driving force behind executingXRHealthsclinical evidence strategy. You will lead our grant writing initiatives oversee clinical trials (including RCTs) and manage academic collaborations. Working under the strategic direction of Dr. Robinson you will help build and execute a cohesive non-dilutive funding strategy generate evidence that advances the business increase our competitiveness for grants and translate our vast data sets into peer-reviewed publicationssolidifying XRHealth as the gold standard in medical Extended Reality (XR). Beyond research execution you will contribute to business strategy byidentifyinghigh-value grant opportunities that align with company growth priorities and by engaging with strategic partners academic institutions and key opinion leaders to expandXRHealthsreach and credibility.
This role uniquely combines rigorous clinical research withcutting-edgetechnology. You willleverageAI-powered tools and agent platforms to accelerate research workflows automate data analysis pipelines and build intelligent systems that scale scientific operations across the company. XRHealth is a fast-growing startup and this role is designed to be flexiblewe are looking for the right candidate who can wear multiple hats adapt quickly and help shape the direction of our scientific efforts as we scale. If you are a researcher who is excited about the intersection of clinical science data analytics and AIand who thrives in a dynamic entrepreneurial environmentthis is the role for you.
Key Responsibilities
Grant Writing & Funding Strategy
Lead the end-to-end process of identifying writing andsubmittingfederal state and foundation grant applications (NIH NSF DOD VA and major foundations) to secure non-dilutive funding for XRHealth research initiatives.
Develop andmaintaina strategic grant pipeline aligned withXRHealthsclinical priorities and businessobjectives.
Cultivate relationships with funding agencies and stay current on funding opportunities in digital health XR and rehabilitation science.
Business Strategy & Partnerships
Contribute to business strategy by evaluating grant opportunities through both a scientific and commercial lensidentifyingfunding paths that accelerateXRHealthsgrowth priorities.
Engage with strategic partners academic institutions healthcare systems and key opinion leaders to build collaborative research relationships that expandXRHealthsnetwork and credibility.
Participate in leadership discussions around product direction clinical program design and market positioning informed by research insights and competitive intelligence.
Research & Clinical Trial Oversight
Design and oversee Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and other prospective clinical studies ensuring strict adherence to ethical regulatory and methodological standards.
Manage IRB submissions study protocols and regulatory compliance across multiple study sites.
Coordinate with academic collaborators clinical partners and CROs to execute research programs on time and within budget.
Data Analysis & Evidence Generation
Conduct hands-on statistical analysis of longitudinal clinical data from thousands of patients including Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) Clinician Reported Outcomes and objective digital biomarkers.
Query and analyze data fromXRHealthscentralized cloud-based Data Lake to evaluate treatment efficacyutilizationtrends and clinical outcomes across therapeutic areas (depression anxiety chronic pain physical and neurorehabilitation).
Develop andmaintainreproducibleanalysispipelines using Python or R for ongoing outcomes reporting and internal decision-making.
Produce internal dashboards reports and presentations that translate clinical data into actionable insights for clinical operations and executive leadership.
AI-Powered Research Operations
Design and deploy AI agents and automated workflows (using platforms such as Claude and similar tools) to accelerate literature reviews data cleaning statistical analysis and report generation.
Collaborate with engineering and product teams to integrate AI capabilities intoXRHealthsresearch infrastructure contributing to company-wide operational efficiency.
Scientific Publication & Thought Leadership
Author and co-authormanuscripts white papers and abstracts for peer-reviewed medical and digital health journals.
Present findings at major conferences and represent XRHealth in academic and clinical communities.
Build and maintainXRHealthsreputation as the evidence leader in medical XR through strategic publication planning.
Required Qualifications
Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in Clinical Psychology Neuroscience Public Health Biostatistics ora relatedfield.
Proventrack recordof successfully writing and securing significant research grants (e.g. NIH NSF DOD or major foundations).
Extensive experience designing and managing complex clinical research projects specifically Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs).
A robust portfolio of first-author or co-authored peer-reviewed publications.
Proficiencyin statistical analysis software and programming languages (Python and/or R) for clinical data analysis.
Experience working with SQL and cloud-based data warehouses to query and analyze large-scale clinical datasets.
Excellent ability to bridge the gap between rigorous academic research and fast-paced health-tech operations.
What Sets You Apart
The following are notrequiredbut may strengthen your candidacy:
Area | WhatWereLooking For |
Quantitative & Statistical Depth | Advanced training in biostatistics psychometrics or quantitative methods. Familiarity with mixed-effects models for longitudinal data Bayesian approaches survival analysis or item response theory (IRT) for PRO validation. |
Machine Learning & Predictive Analytics | Experience applying machine learning techniques to clinical data for predictive modeling patient stratification or outcome prediction. |
AI Fluency | Hands-on experience using AI tools and agent platforms (e.g. Claude ChatGPT custom LLM workflows) to accelerate research workflows automate analysis or build operational agents. |
Health Economics & Outcomes Research (HEOR) | Background in cost-effectiveness analysis or health economics to support value-based care arguments in grant applications and publications. |
Domain Expertise | Prior research experience in one or more ofXRHealthscore therapeutic areas: depression anxiety chronic pain physical rehabilitation or neurorehabilitation. |
Digital Health / XR Experience | Familiarity with digital therapeutics medical devices or extended reality (VR/AR/MR) in clinical contexts. |
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive base salarycommensuratewith experience meaningful equity in a high-growth health-tech company and performance-based bonuses tied to grant funding success and research milestones.
- Health dental and vision benefits 401K
- 15 days PTO on year one
- Opportunity to grow within a fast-scaling healthcare company
Why XRHealth
Data from Day One:Access thousands of patients worth of existing longitudinal clinical data across depression anxiety chronic pain and rehabilitationready for analysis and publication.
AI-Forward Culture:Work at a company that actively integrates AI into its operations giving youcutting-edgetools to amplify your research productivity.
Mission-Driven Impact:Help build the clinical evidence base for XR therapies thatare improvinglives for veterans chronic pain patients and people living with anxiety and depression.
Fully Remote Flexibility:Work from anywhere while collaborating with a global team of clinicians engineers and researchers.
Publication Opportunities:A rich pipeline of novel data sets and clinical questions in an emerging field with high publication potential.
How to Apply
Required Experience:
Director
About Company
Discover how this innovative technique helps both professionals and patients. ▶️Find relief from anxiety, phobias or PTSD with Virtual Reality Therapy.