Protocol Specialist

Hike Medical • San Francisco, CA

1d • $150,000 - $210,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Hike Medical is building the defining company in musculoskeletal care, operating at the intersection of AI, robotics, and healthcare. The company has three product lines: a proprietary AI-vision platform for custom 3D-printed orthotics, an AI agent platform for automating the DME workflow, and SoleForge, a vertically integrated 3D-printing factory for custom medical devices. Hike Medical aims to scale the production of orthotic and prosthetic devices, with a long-term vision of bionics. The company has raised $22M and operates with a fast, results-first, high-ownership culture from its SF Rincon Hill office.

The Center of Excellence is Hike Medical's intelligence engine, responsible for the clinical and coding knowledge that powers its AI agents. This includes producing agent guides, setting evaluation standards, informing compliance policies, and managing the human-in-the-loop team. Roles within the CoE are high-leverage positions, as the documents and workflows developed directly impact the company's expansion into new device categories.

The Protocol Specialist role translates orthotic and prosthetic clinical experience into the structured decision logic for the AI platform. This position acts as a bridge between clinical knowledge and system requirements, mapping clinical evaluation findings to medical necessity criteria, defining device selection logic, and ensuring protocols are defensible against payer scrutiny.

Requirements

• Licensed clinician (ABC/BOC certified orthotist/prosthetist, PT, OT, or equivalent) OR deep clinical policy experience (5+ years in utilization management, medical policy, or clinical documentation for DMEPOS).
• Direct knowledge of AFO and lower-extremity orthotic indications (rigid/solid, articulated, carbon fiber, spiral, floor reaction, SMO, KAFO), including appropriate use and documentation.
• Familiarity with CMS LCD L33686 and Policy Article A52457; working knowledge of the five-criterion custom fabrication rule.
• Ability to write precise structured protocols, not just clinical notes.
• Experience at an O&P practice, health system, or payer (medical policy team at a major insurer also strong).

Responsibilities

• Develop clinical protocols for each device category, including required evaluation, documentation criteria, medically appropriate devices, and work order contents.
• Map clinical evaluation form fields to medical necessity criteria from LCDs and policy articles to ensure completed evaluations satisfy documentation requirements.
• Define structured evaluation modules for Hike Clinical, specifying questions, sequence, and the implications of answers for device selection and coding.
• Collaborate with the Clinical Intelligence Lead to ensure evaluations automatically generate correct L-codes and auth packets.
• Review and approve agent guide content for clinical accuracy.
• Stay current with clinical evidence, outcomes research, and guideline changes in O&P and relevant DME categories.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed