Director of Research

About us 

Founded in 2017, Boulder Care is a digital clinic offering long-term addiction treatment grounded in kindness, respect, and unconditional support. Our program is designed by addiction medicine specialists and people with lived experience of recovery. It is rooted in years of clinical expertise, proven research, and learnings from our participants.

Our mission is to improve the lives of people with substance use disorders. We provide the medication, resources, and support to help our participants succeed on their own terms, wherever they are in their journey.

Boulder Care is in an exciting stage of rapid growth, coming off a recent $35 million Series C round announced in May 2024, bringing total funds raised to roughly $85 million. Investors include Advance Venture Partners, First Round Capital, Laerdal Million Lives Fund, Qiming Venture Partners and Stripes, among others.

About this role

This position will play a pivotal role in directing all research related activities, overseeing strategic research initiatives and driving high-quality research outcomes that benefit Boulder Care patients specifically and the field of addiction care in general. The Director will be a core contributor who creates and steers the company’s research agenda with the goal of innovating and improving care for people seeking treatment for substance use disorders. The Director will be motivated to make a deep impact for Boulder patients and in the emerging telemedicine field broadly. They will be responsible for partnering with clinical and operational leadership to develop research content, securing grant funding, developing and implementing research strategies, and ensuring the timely and compelling delivery of research findings. The Director will collaborate with cross-functional teams, drive innovation, maintain a deep understanding of caregiving trends and emerging technologies, and cultivate and hone external partnerships. 

While this role is new to Boulder Care, the director will benefit significantly from the guidance of the Medical Director of Research, Education and Quality. In addition, we have an exceptional team of clinicians, writers, data and analytics experts, operational leaders and others all eager to support our new director. Lastly, the Director’s work will drive one of Boulder’s core values: “to move the industry forward, follow the data.”

Success in this role 

Content Development and Thought-Partnership - 40%

• Create and lead an expanding research team generating: insights that provoke new developments in the field of addiction medicine; findings that will take the form of peer-reviewed publications in influential journals, presentations, white papers, and reference guides that provide evidence of the efficacy and value of innovative care delivery models; and educational / key industry events throughout the year with a full range of Boulder colleagues who can represent aspects of the research, tailored to the audience and location. 

• Serve as a thought leader who bridges academic research with the broader field of addiction care, presenting findings objectively and credibly while conveying a compelling narrative around our shared work that helps turn key insights into action for addiction medicine providers, policymakers/regulators, patients, advocates, and others.

• Prepare and submit research manuscripts to journals in collaboration with our Medical Directors

• Conduct initial outreach to potential research partners to solicit interest and foster ongoing collaborations

• Manage senior relationships with external research partners

• Conduct literature reviews; flag significant developments of potential interest to key stakeholders

Grant Application - 30%

• Prepare, submit, and help secure grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), other Federal, State, philanthropic and other funding resources (e.g., Opioid Settlement Funds)

• Actively research and pursue prospective public and private funding sources, while developing relationships with potential funders

• Coordinate, develop, and process grant applications from conceptual to submission stage while working closely with staff throughout all phases

• Manage multiple projects and priorities including searching for funding sources, writing proposals, managing existing grants, reporting to stakeholders, and working on special projects

• Prepare and submit progress reports to funding agencies and organizations

Research Portfolio Management - 30%

• Ensure clear prioritization of opportunities and projects across the research portfolio

• Develop and execute comprehensive research plans aligned with organizational goals and objectives

• Direct and coordinate all research related activities (under the supervision of business and clinical leadership), driving high-quality research outcomes

• Foster a collaborative and innovative research environment, encouraging continuous learning and professional growth

• Direct research projects from initiation to completion, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards

• Develop study designs, outlined by the clinical team and others

• Participate in study implementation and assist with development and refinement of research protocols/instruments 

• Develop and administer surveys and manage survey data

• Help to develop training materials and set up staff trainings

• Ensure research outputs meet industry standards, are data-driven, and provide actionable recommendations

• Supervise the Project Manager, Research and Quality role

• Supervise and mentor other Research positions at Boulder as needed, such as Principal Investigators

Requirements for the role 

• Master’s or more advanced degree in Public Health or Social Science discipline required 

• Minimum of 6-8 years of experience in health-related research, ideally with vulnerable populations; 3+ years of leadership experience preferred

• Research in the field of substance use disorder care

• Demonstrated strong independent judgment and expertise in research methodologies

• Proven success in securing grants, including from the National Institutes of Health, through effective writing and proposal submission

• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities, with a track record of producing high-quality research outputs and engaging presentations

• Strong leadership and team management capabilities, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, while managing multiple priorities simultaneously

• Proven ability to work effectively with practicing clinicians and researchers

• Experience with and commitment to patient-centered research

• Biostatistics and/or the ability to collaborate effectively with biostatisticians

• Ability to develop a deep understanding of our unique role within the research landscape, including the rationale for and nuances of our operational and clinical practices

Qualitative Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to link research priorities to the commercial and brand strategy of a mission-driven business, using research to help convey and support our mission and vision

• Passion for advancing health equity within addiction care

• Energized by creative teamwork, generation of new ideas and improving on habitual methods

• Ability to stay focused on priorities in an environment full of new ideas

Work environment

• This is a fully remote role. Travel: >5%

• Changes to working location require pre-approval from People Operations and are not guaranteed.

• Office Requirements: Boulder teammates working with sensitive information must have a dedicated, private workspace with a lockable door and high-speed internet to maintain a secure, distraction-free environment, ensuring compliance with HIPAA and confidentiality standards

• Boulder Care employees are free to use our river-front HQ located in Portland, OR whenever they would like

Expected hours of work

This is a full-time remote position expected to work between Monday-Friday during standard business hours. Team members may work with their managers to adjust work hours to suit the needs of the position. Team members may be asked to work additional days as work demands require.

Hiring process 

• First Interview (45 min video)
• Second Interview (45 min video)
• Third Interview (45 min video)
• Final Interview (1 hour video)
• Anticipated Start Date: February 2025 

Compensation

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $175-200,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave).

Some of Boulder’s amazing benefits for regular, full-time employees

• Contribution to meaningful, life-saving work!
• Health coverage through Cigna. Dental and vision coverage through MetLife
  • Boulder Care pays up to 100% of monthly premiums for individual employee coverage
  • Boulder Care pays 60% of monthly premiums for dependents
• Short-Term Disability
• Mental Health Services including MDLive, Talkspace, and EAP
• 4 weeks of PTO accrued per calendar year with a tenured increase to 5 weeks at 2 years of employment
• Sick leave accrued at 1 hr for every 30 hrs paid
• 9 Paid Holidays per year
• 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child (after 6 months of employment)
• 401(k) retirement savings
• Remote friendly with hardware provided to complete your work duties

Our values

• The people we care for always come first
• Our opportunity is also our duty, in service to others
• Share facts to change minds, instill empathy to change hearts
• Move the industry forward: follow the data
• Strong individuals, stronger together
• Boulder Care recognizes the value that lived experience can provide to our organization, community, and patients. Applicants with lived experience and/or training as a peer recovery specialist are encouraged to apply.

Why work at Boulder?

• Make a difference. The devastating impact of the opioid crisis, “war on drugs,” and care gaps for the underserved are at the forefront now more than any time in US history. By bringing care to more people, we are changing and saving lives. Value-based partnerships help move the industry forward toward a more modern, compassionate, and equitable healthcare system.
• Build your career with talented peers. Boulder brings together a diverse team of expert clinicians, technologists, researchers, and business strategists aligned under a common mission. Boulder’s clinical teams are the leading voices in addiction medicine and industry transformation. Our technology leadership has built products and services that scaled to hundreds of employees and hundreds of millions of end-users. Our team is wholly driven by mission, recognizing that our immense opportunity is also our duty to serve others.
• Grow with us. Boulder is a Series-C-stage, venture-funded company supported by a world-class investor group. Together, we're building a breakthrough business through social impact. According to White House estimates, the annual societal cost due to opioid addiction is $1.5 trillion. A member with untreated opioid use disorder (OUD) drives 620% greater healthcare costs to payers than the average member (Optum analysis, 2017). Boulder partners with leading commercial and Medicaid health plans to bring better experiences and effective services to their members, significantly reducing costs and sharing in the economic savings we create.

Boulder Care believes the people who manage our product and team should be representative of those who use the platform. This includes people from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in the industry. We celebrate differences and are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. If you are a qualified person with a passion for what we do, please apply!

 

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Last updated on Nov 1, 2024