VP of Research and Scientific Communication

Strategic Responsibilities

• Commercial Growth & New Business: Partner directly with the Chief Commercial Officer and Sales leadership to leverage RWE as a primary closer for large-scale health plan and employer contracts.
• Brand & Public Representation: Serve as a lead spokesperson for Virta’s science at global conferences, in top-tier media outlets, and during high-stakes presentations with prospective Fortune 50 clients.
• Cross-Functional Product Innovation: Drive the integration of clinical evidence into the core product roadmap, ensuring that RWE insights directly inform coaching protocols and technological iterations.
• Marketplace Transformation: Lead the development of a long-term scientific strategy that moves the industry from traditional treatment paradigms to a focus on long-term health outcomes and economic impact.
• KOL & Ecosystem Leadership: Orchestrate a global network of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and academic partners to validate Virta’s care model and accelerate its adoption across the healthcare ecosystem.

Key Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Executive Leadership: Lead and mentor a high-performing team of doctoral-level investigators, fostering a culture of technical excellence and career advancement.
• Evidence-Based Marketing: Collaborate with the Marketing team to translate complex clinical data into compelling narratives that resonate with both scientific audiences and commercial buyers.
• Strategic Clinical Initiatives: Sit on the Virta Medical Group leadership team to lead evidence-based initiatives that improve the quality and efficiency of care for thousands of patients.
• RWE Oversight: Oversee the generation of economic and clinical outcomes data from diverse sources, including internal registries, claims sets, and external health plan data warehouses.
• Build a Network: Build a network of key investigators who are interested in collaborating with Virta researchers on trials that extend the impact of the Virta program.
• Align Scientific Work: Strategically align Virta’s scientific work with key national and international conferences, meetings, and symposia.
• Represent Science: Represent Virta’s science on the podium at scientific meetings, in calls and presentations with Virta’s clients and sales prospects, and at internal meetings.
• Lead Evidence-Based Initiatives: Participate as an active member of the Virta Medical Group leadership team, representing the scientific point of view and leading/collaborating on evidence-based clinical initiatives that advance the quality and efficiency of the care Virta provides to thousands of patients.

Qualifications

• Advanced Academic Credential: A PhD, MD, or equivalent research doctorate in HEOR, Epidemiology, Health Economics, or a related quantitative health discipline.
• Extensive Leadership Experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience (with at least 5+ in a senior leadership capacity) building and scaling research teams in high-growth, start-up, or health-tech environments.
• Proven Commercial Impact: Demonstrated track record of using clinical research and RWE to directly influence and close significant business deals.
• Communication Fluency: A strong point of view on how to communicate science to different audiences outside of the typical presentation/publication pathway.
• KOL Maven: Experience developing and executing KOL engagement strategies, including formal KOL mapping, identification and prioritization of key stakeholders, advisory board planning, scientific communications, and ongoing external relationship management.
• Elite Publication Record: Extensive experience as a senior author on peer-reviewed publications, with a focus on clinical and economic outcomes.
• Metabolic Expertise: Deep subject matter expertise in metabolic health and behavior change is essential.
• Technical Proficiency: While an executive role, you must possess the technical depth to guide SQL-based data strategies and rigorous trial designs.
• Executive Presence: Exceptional "poise" and the ability to command authority on a podium or in a boardroom.