Head of Research

LifeStance Health

. Develop and lead the enterprise research strategy, including annual research priorities, publication roadmap, governance processes, and ethical and compliant research standards .

Posted 9/29/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesLead💰 $210,000 - $225,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in developing and leading enterprise research strategies, overseeing clinical and operational data analyses, and ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory standards. Proven ability to translate research insights into actionable clinical quality improvement recommendations and manage cross-functional collaborations.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Doctoral Degree in Relevant Field10+ Years in Clinical Research5+ Years of Leadership ExperienceExpertise in Research Strategy and Study DesignHuman Subjects Research Training

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Clinical ResearchData AnalyticsOutcomes ResearchStudy DesignData InterpretationPublication DevelopmentQuality ImprovementMeasurement-Based CareEvidence GenerationResearch Compliance

Soft Skills

Executive CommunicationStakeholder InfluenceCross-Functional Leadership

Certifications & Qualifications

Human Subjects Research TrainingIRB Familiarity

Industry Keywords

Behavioral HealthHealth Services ResearchClinical EffectivenessPatient OutcomesEthical StandardsRegulatory ComplianceEHR-Derived DataReal-World DataQuality ImprovementData Integrity

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop and lead the enterprise research strategy, including annual research priorities, publication roadmap, governance processes, and ethical and compliant research standards
Oversee analyses of clinical, operational, and measurement-based care data to generate actionable insights on access, engagement, quality, safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient outcomes
Establish publication standards and oversee manuscripts, white papers, conference abstracts, annual outcomes reporting, and external-facing research narratives
Build scalable research operations, including project intake, prioritization, study design support, documentation, data request workflows, IRB and regulatory coordination, and reporting cadence
Partner with Clinical Excellence, Quality, Legal/Compliance, Privacy, Data Insights, Informatics, Practice Operations, Strategy, and Finance
Develop and manage collaborations with academic institutions, health systems, professional organizations, vendors, and external experts
Translate research insights into clinical quality improvement priorities, measurement frameworks, and evidence-based recommendations
Lead and develop research staff, consultants, and matrixed contributors
Ensure compliance with laws, regulations, privacy requirements, ethical standards, IRB expectations, and company policies
Prepare executive-ready updates, dashboards, recommendations, and presentations
Supervise research staff and/or contractors and provide functional leadership to matrixed contributors
Own enterprise-level research initiatives, publication timelines, outcomes reporting, external collaborations, governance, and scalable process implementation
Set research priorities, determine study design recommendations, shape publication strategy, and translate data into research deliverables
Travel periodically for enterprise meetings, research collaborations, conferences, leadership discussions, or operational engagement

Requirements

What you’ll need

Doctoral degree such as PhD, PsyD, MD, DrPH, ScD, or equivalent terminal degree in psychology, psychiatry, behavioral health, public health, health services research, statistics, data science, epidemiology, or a related field; a Master’s degree with significant equivalent research leadership experience may be considered
10+ years of progressive experience in clinical research, behavioral health research, health services research, outcomes research, quality improvement, data analytics, or a related healthcare research function
5+ years of leadership experience managing research teams, cross-functional research programs, external collaborators, or complex multi-stakeholder research initiatives
Demonstrated experience designing, analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating clinical or healthcare outcomes research using real-world data, EHR-derived data, claims data, survey data, or measurement-based care data
Experience developing manuscripts, conference submissions, white papers, executive research summaries, or external publications
Human subjects research training, IRB familiarity, or equivalent research compliance training required or completed upon hire
Expertise in research strategy, study design, outcomes methodology, data interpretation, and evidence generation
Strong understanding of behavioral health care delivery, measurement-based care, quality improvement, and clinical governance
Ability to translate complex data and research findings into clear, actionable recommendations for clinical, operational, and executive audiences
Executive communication, publication development, stakeholder influence, and cross-functional leadership skills
High standards for research ethics, data integrity, privacy, equity, and compliance
Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States
Reliable internet access and a quiet, distraction-free, dedicated HIPAA-compliant workspace
Ability to sit, stand, bend, talk, hear, walk, and lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds
Required vision abilities include close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth perception, and ability to adjust focus

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
AD&D insurance
Short- and long-term disability insurance
Life insurance
401k retirement savings with employer match
Paid parental leave
Paid time off
Holiday pay
Employee Assistance Program
Competitive bonus plan
Equity potential
Reasonable accommodation for applicants and employees with disabilities