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Science Director Research Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Director, Research - AI Evals

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$182K - $224K/yr

The Figma Research team is hiring an Director, Research - AI Evals to own how we measure the ... Partnering with Product, Design, Engineering, and Data Science, you'll sit upstream of nearly every ...

Research Scientist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $325K/yr

Direct research efforts with the goal of publishing in top journals. * Partner with industrial ... PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field, with publications at top ...

Showing results 21-40

Science Director Research information

What is the difference between Science Director Research vs Research Scientist?

AspectScience Director ResearchResearch Scientist
Required CredentialsAdvanced degrees (PhD), leadership experienceMaster's or PhD, specialized research skills
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles, strategic planning, overseeing teamsHands-on research, data analysis, experimentation
Employer & Industry UsageResearch institutions, biotech, pharma, corporate R&DUniversities, research labs, industry R&D

The main difference is that a Science Director Research typically holds a leadership position, overseeing research projects and teams, while a Research Scientist focuses on conducting experiments and data analysis. Both roles require advanced degrees, but the director role emphasizes strategic planning and management.

What cities in California are hiring for Science Director Research jobs?

Cities in California with the most Science Director Research job openings:

Infographic showing various Science Director Research job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 15% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution.

Director/Senior Director, Clinical Research

BioTalent

Fremont, CA • On-site

Other

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

We're looking for a Director/Senior Director of Clinical Research to own our clinical research organization — the data collection and scientific backbone of the company. You'll lead a team of 10+ research associates, data scientists, and data engineers, and serve as the senior physiological authority across every human research study powering our hardware, sensing, and AI/ML teams.


You'll also own program management across the clinical team's full breadth — hardware studies, AI/ML development studies, and women's sleep studies — while acting as our public-facing voice, from peer-reviewed publications to press and podcast appearances.


This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll be as comfortable defining statistical criteria and reviewing raw data as you are managing people, budgets, and cross-functional stakeholders.


What You'll Do

  • Own the clinical research & science organization — lead, mentor, and grow a team of 10+ spanning clinical operations, data engineering, and data science
  • Direct all human research studies supporting Hardware, Sensing, and AI/ML teams, from protocol development and study ideation through IRB submission, data collection, analysis, and reporting
  • Uphold scientific validation standards by applying rigorous statistical and testing criteria (e.g., MAE, TOST equivalence testing, Bland-Altman analysis) to evaluate hardware and algorithm performance before launch
  • Translate research into product features by partnering with Product, Growth, Design, and Engineering teams on science-backed features
  • Provide scientific input on marketing claims, press releases, and journalist articles, ensuring every public-facing claim is backed by data
  • Lead scientific communications — author and direct blog posts, white papers, and peer-reviewed publications, and represent the company in press interviews, podcasts, and conference talks
  • Manage team growth and performance, including hiring, compensation strategy, mentorship, and formal performance management
  • Drive new research exploration, identifying and pursuing external collaborations and new areas of sleep science
  • Own budget and vendor management for clinical studies


What You Bring

  • PhD in physiology, neuroscience, sleep science, or a related field
  • 10+ years of human research experience, including at least 5 years at high-growth startups or consumer health/hardware technology companies
  • 5+ years of people management experience, including hiring, compensation decisions, and formal performance management
  • Experience with biosensing devices or consumer health technology pursuing clinical validation
  • Strong record of peer-reviewed publications; experience as author or Principal Investigator on IRB-approved clinical studies
  • Advanced statistical fluency — able to define statistical criteria, run power calculations, and work directly with raw data alongside data scientists and biostatisticians
  • Experience managing cross-functional programs spanning hardware validation, sensing, AI/ML, product, and marketing
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills across scientific and consumer audiences
  • Hands-on, execution-oriented mindset, comfortable owning studies end-to-end in a fast-moving environment