Director, Research

GoodRx•Santa Monica, CA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

GoodRx is seeking a Director, Research to lead our research function and team. This is a balanced player/coach role: you will set the function’s strategy and operating rhythm, develop and support a high-performing team, and personally lead important research projects from question definition through publication and impact measurement. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in health economics, drug pricing, and quantitative research; sound judgment about how to answer complex and ambiguous questions; and the ability to explain rigorous methods and nuanced findings clearly to non-technical audiences. You will partner with team leads across the company to identify the questions that matter most, translate company priorities into a focused research roadmap, and ensure that our work informs decisions across GoodRx and beyond.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in research, health economics, analytics, data science, or a closely related field with a Master’s degree, 8+ years with a Ph.D., or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Graduate training in economics, health economics, statistics, public health, data science, or another quantitative field; a Ph.D. is preferred.
4+ years of experience directly managing and developing people, with a track record of building high-performing teams.
Strong knowledge of the U.S. healthcare system, prescription drug markets, medication access, or drug pricing.
Proficiency with quantitative tools such as R, SQL, and/or Python, and the ability to complete and evaluate analytical work for methodological soundness.
Demonstrated ability to turn complex data into credible insights, research products, and recommendations.
Excellent writing and presentation skills, including the ability to explain research methods, assumptions, limitations, and conclusions to non-expert and non-technical audiences.
Strong judgment about research design, prioritization, data quality, and the tradeoffs between speed and rigor.
Experience creating clear and compelling data visualizations; proficiency with Excel is required, and experience with Looker, Tableau, or an equivalent tool is a plus.
Strong cross-functional communication and stakeholder-management skills, including the ability to align diverse perspectives and influence without authority.
Comfort representing research externally, or the willingness and ability to develop that skill.
Curiosity, intellectual honesty, attention to detail, and a passion for using evidence to improve people’s health and financial outcomes.

Nice To Haves

LA preferred; remote also considered.

Responsibilities

Set the vision, strategy, and quarterly roadmap for the Research function, translating GoodRx priorities and external developments into a focused portfolio of high-impact work. This research will include both consumers as well as healthcare professionals.
Lead, coach, and develop the Research team, including setting expectations, supporting performance and growth, and building the capabilities needed for the function’s next stage.
Establish team goals, KPIs, and operating processes that make progress, quality, and impact visible to cross-functional partners and leaders across the company.
Serve as a hands-on research leader by owning some high priority projects end-to-end, from framing the question and designing the methodology to analyzing data, communicating findings, and measuring impact.
Apply health economics, statistical, and data science methods to investigate issues and trends in healthcare, medication access, and drug pricing.
Use internal and external data sources to develop analyses, models, visualizations, and research products that are accurate, useful, and compelling.
Define research scope, methods, and standards; make sound tradeoffs among rigor, speed, and relevance.
Identify opportunities to improve existing datasets, partnering with cross-functional teams or with external vendors/partners.
Translate complex findings into clear narratives, including articles, blog posts, recurring reports, white papers, briefings, and other content for technical and non-technical audiences.
Partner effectively with PR, Editorial, Marketing, Government Affairs, Strategy, Sales, B2B Marketing, Product, and other teams to identify priority Research opportunities and extend impact.
Advise senior leaders on research findings, implications, limitations, and recommended actions.
Represent GoodRx externally with journalists, academic collaborators, industry stakeholders, and other audiences; build credibility through transparent methods and thoughtful communication.
Manage the Research budget, vendors, contracts, and renewals, allocating resources to maximize the function’s impact.
Help quantify GoodRx’s impact and relevance through credible research and clear measurement.