Senior Director of Data Science, Clinical Performance

The Opportunity

As the Senior Director of Data Science for Clinical Performance, you will step into a pivotal leadership role at the heart of Pearl Health’s mission. Reporting directly to the Chief Data Science Officer, you will serve as the primary quantitative architect of the systems that power and measure our clinical impact by defining the rigorous frameworks that prove the transformative value of Pearl’s enablement of patient care.

This is a rare opportunity to own and execute a multi-year research roadmap for a high-growth startup that is actively reshaping how healthcare is delivered and compensated. You won't just be managing a team; you will be establishing the technical "source of truth,” the definitive narrative on how clinical interventions translate into population health outcomes and financial sustainability. This intelligence will guide our company strategy, shape our product evolution, and serve as the cornerstone of our relationships with health systems and physician-led networks across the country.

We are seeking a visionary leader who thrives at the intersection of deep technical expertise and executive influence. You are as comfortable leading a team through the nuances of a complex causal inference study or risk-adjustment model as you are standing before our C-suite to translate those findings into a compelling strategic vision. If you are passionate about using data to fix a broken healthcare system and have the grit to build scalable, automated intelligence from the ground up, this is your chance to leave a lasting legacy on the future of primary care.

Who We Are

Pearl Health is dedicated to empowering primary care providers, health systems, and physician-led networks to succeed in the shift to value-based care. Our platform delivers the technology, financial tools, and expert services that enable practices to provide more proactive, effective care to their Medicare patients, ultimately lowering costs and improving health outcomes.

Founded in 2020, we are a team of healthcare and technology innovators backed by premier investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Viking Global Investors, and AlleyCorp. We partner with thousands of providers across 44 states to build a more sustainable future for American healthcare.

What You'll Do

As a Senior Director of Data Science, you will lead an elite team of data scientists to build scalable, automated intelligence that empowers providers to succeed in value-based care and support Pearl’s clinical performance strategy.

• Own the Scientific Methodology: Define and direct the research frameworks and model architectures for clinical risk identification and value attribution. You will be responsible for establishing the technical systems that rigorously calculate Pearl’s clinical impact.

• Strategic Roadmap & Long-term Planning: Architect a multi-year roadmap for research into clinical performance that anticipates the evolving needs of value-based care and Medicare Advantage.

• Executive Partnership & Influence: Act as a primary consultant for a majority of the management team, using data-driven insights to influence product direction, operational strategy, and enterprise-level decision making.

• Narrative Building & Publishing: Translate complex technical study designs and statistical findings into clear, compelling strategic narratives for the management team. You will also represent Pearl Health’s scientific leadership by presenting at industry conferences and authoring peer-reviewed journal publications.

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Grow and empower an elite team of data scientists, fostering a culture of high trust, continuous feedback, and technical excellence.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Drive the enhancement of Pearl’s predictive product capabilities, significantly increasing the precision and explainability of our clinical models to provide deeper, more actionable insights for our users.

What You’ll Bring

Must-haves:

• Quantitative Scientific Leadership: 10+ years of experience in Data Science, Health Economics, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Public Health, or a related quantitative field, including 4+ years of experience managing teams of data scientists or quantitative researchers. You have a proven track record of solving complex clinical problems using advanced statistical methods.

• Healthcare Domain Mastery: Deep expertise in value-based care, population health, or clinical risk adjustment, with a nuanced understanding of healthcare data (claims, EHR, social determinants of health).

• Senior Leadership Scope: A proven ability to lead a large function or complex subject matter with significant autonomy; you are a builder of systems and frameworks, not just a manager of tasks.

• The "Pragmatic Visionary" Lens: The rare ability to bridge the gap between a p-value and a P&L statement, making technical concepts accessible and actionable for non-technical stakeholders.

• Technical & Architectural Literacy: Sufficient technical depth to guide architectural decisions, provide meaningful code reviews, and ensure scientific rigor within a modern data stack (Python, SQL, SageMaker, dbt).

• The Mentor Mindset: A commitment to empowering others, with experience developing senior individual contributors into future leaders within a high-growth environment.

• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with experience navigating and influencing a cross-functional management team.

Nice-to-haves:

• Advanced Credentials: PhD in a quantitative field such as Epidemiology, Public Health, or Biostatistics.

• Thought Leadership: A portfolio of peer-reviewed publications or experience as a featured speaker at healthcare and technology conferences.

• Startup Agility: Experience in high-growth environments, specifically scaling data products from manual research to automated features.

This role might not be for you if:

• Corporate Preference: You prefer a highly structured, top-down environment where methodologies are already established and legacy systems are the norm.

• Research Focus: You find more fulfillment in heads-down individual research than in cross-functional executive influence and narrative building.

• Management Style: You prefer managing project timelines over building automated systems; this role requires a "builder" who scales through technology, not just people.

Our Values

🤝 Collaborate to Innovate: We believe the best solutions arise from intelligent teamwork. We trust the expertise of our teammates and pursue opportunities to learn and grow from each other. By embracing diverse perspectives and encouraging authenticity, we create and evangelize groundbreaking health solutions.

🗣️ Trust Through Transparency: We prioritize transparency in all our interactions, ensuring that employees, patients, clinicians and partners have access to the information they need to make informed decisions. Integrity is at the core of how we operate, from building products to fostering relationships, and is crucial to our ability to communicate openly and gain trust.

❤️ Serious Impact, Big Heart: We go above and beyond with our efforts to empower proactive, patient-centered care — and we celebrate every step forward. Humor and positivity fuel our creativity, strengthen relationships, and remind us to acknowledge the journey as much as the destination.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer on a mission to improve lives. Our strength comes from the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our team. We welcome all candidates and are committed to a fair, inclusive hiring process free from discrimination.

What We Offer

The expected offer for this role includes the following components:

• Base Salary Range: $210,000 - $250,000 per year.

• Additional Compensation: This role is eligible for a discretionary performance bonus and equity options.

• Benefits: We offer a competitive benefits package. More on our careers page.

Final compensation for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including a candidate's relevant skills, experience, labor market conditions, and location.

Agency Submissions

We are not currently working with contingency search firms. If a resume is submitted to any Pearl Health employee by a third party without a valid written and signed search agreement, it will become the property of Pearl Health and no fee will be paid, irrespective of whether the candidate is hired.

The Interview Process

While steps may vary by role, you can typically expect:

1. Recruiter Screen: An intro call to discuss your background and motivations.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper-dive conversation with your potential manager.

3. Panel Interview: A round of meetings with teammates and cross-functional partners.

4. Case Assignment/Presentation: A practical exercise inviting you to solve a real-world problem or relevant challenge.

5. Executive Interview: Final conversation(s) with 1-2 of our leaders.