Director of Scientific Affairs

About XRHealth

XRHealth is at the vanguard of revolutionizing healthcare. We deliver clinically validated virtual 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 clinical data and 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 executing XRHealth's clinical 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 publications-solidifying XRHealth as the gold standard in medical Extended Reality (XR). Beyond research execution, you will contribute to business strategy by identifying high-value grant opportunities that align with company growth priorities, and by engaging with strategic partners, academic institutions, and key opinion leaders to expand XRHealth's reach and credibility.


This role uniquely combines rigorous clinical research with cutting-edge technology. You will leverage AI-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 flexible-we 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 AI-and who thrives in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment-this is the role for you.


Key Responsibilities

Grant Writing & Funding Strategy

• Lead the end-to-end process of identifying, writing, and submitting federal, state, and foundation grant applications (NIH, NSF, DOD, VA, and major foundations) to secure non-dilutive funding for XRHealth research initiatives.

• Develop and maintain a strategic grant pipeline aligned with XRHealth's clinical priorities and business objectives.

• 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 lens, identifying funding paths that accelerate XRHealth's growth priorities.

• Engage with strategic partners, academic institutions, healthcare systems, and key opinion leaders to build collaborative research relationships that expand XRHealth's network 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 from XRHealth's centralized cloud-based Data Lake to evaluate treatment efficacy, utilization trends, and clinical outcomes across therapeutic areas (depression, anxiety, chronic pain, physical and neurorehabilitation).

• Develop and maintain reproducible analysis pipelines 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 into XRHealth's research infrastructure, contributing to company-wide operational efficiency.

Scientific Publication & Thought Leadership

• Author and co-author manuscripts, 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 maintain XRHealth's reputation 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, or a related field.

• Proven track record of 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.

• Proficiency in 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 not required but may strengthen your candidacy:


Area


What We're Looking 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 of XRHealth's core 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 salary commensurate with 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 rehabilitation-ready for analysis and publication.

• AI-Forward Culture: Work at a company that actively integrates AI into its operations, giving you cutting-edge tools to amplify your research productivity.

• Mission-Driven Impact: Help build the clinical evidence base for XR therapies that are improving lives 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

Please apply here: