Staff Scientist - Real World Evidence

Abbott • Santa Clara, CA

1d • $114,000 - $228,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Abbott’s Global Data Science & Analytics team within the Medical Device Division is seeking a Staff Clinical Research Scientist to provide scientific and technical leadership for real-world evidence (RWE) studies across Abbott’s Vascular portfolio. The work supports post-market regulatory requirements, reimbursement, market development, and pre-market submissions. The position is based on-site in Santa Clara, California, and involves designing, executing, and disseminating observational studies using large-scale real-world data, including electronic health records, insurance claims, hospital administrative and billing databases, imaging data, and device-generated data. The scientist will collaborate with internal and external thought leaders and communicate findings to the research community.

The role defines and executes RWE strategies in collaboration with clinical, regulatory, medical affairs, and market access stakeholders. It leads studies in RWE, health economics, and digital health; supports data science initiatives using machine learning, predictive modeling, and advanced phenotyping; and performs hands-on analysis and programming. Responsibilities also include overseeing protocols, analysis plans, reports, regulatory deliverables, presentations, and manuscripts; communicating with regulatory and reimbursement agencies; mentoring scientists; developing clinical understanding of coronary and peripheral vascular conditions; and contributing RWE expertise to cross-functional teams.

Requirements

• Master’s degree.
• Minimum 9 years of related work experience with a complete understanding of the specified functional area.
• Comprehensive knowledge and application of business concepts, procedures, and practices, including knowledge of business-unit functions and cross-group dependencies and relationships.
• Recognized as an expert in the work group; able to perform in a quality-system environment where inadequate performance may result in noncompliance with governmental regulations.
• Ability to work on complex problems requiring in-depth evaluation of multiple factors and exercise judgment within broadly defined practices and policies.
• Broad knowledge of technical alternatives and their potential business impact.

Nice To Haves

• PhD, DrPH, MS, or equivalent advanced degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical research, public health, outcomes research, biomedical engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience in real-world evidence, observational research, outcomes research, or related analytical research roles in industry, academia, consulting, or government.
• Hands-on experience with real-world data sources such as electronic health records, administrative claims, hospital billing data, registries, or similar large healthcare datasets.
• Deep knowledge of observational study design and epidemiologic methods, including cohort studies, exposure and outcome definition, confounding considerations, and sensitivity analyses.
• Experience developing RWE study protocols, analysis plans, or study reports; exposure to regulatory or post-market evidence needs is a plus.
• Practical data analysis and programming experience using SQL, R, SAS, Python, or similar languages.
• Experience collaborating with data analysts to validate analytical datasets, programs, and study outputs.
• Experience developing study reports, abstracts, slide decks, and manuscripts, with mentorship as needed.
• Familiarity with regulatory or methodological guidance relevant to RWE or observational studies and ability to apply guidance under supervision.
• Background or interest in coronary or peripheral vascular medicine or a related cardiovascular therapeutic area, with willingness and ability to build domain expertise.
• Ability to manage multiple projects or workstreams, prioritize tasks, and deliver high-quality work to timelines with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain analytical concepts and results clearly to cross-functional partners.
• Proven ability to publish scientific manuscripts.
• Experience working in cross-functional teams, including collaboration with clinical, regulatory, medical affairs, or health economics.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute long-term RWE strategies across the Abbott Vascular portfolio with clinical, regulatory, medical affairs, and market access stakeholders.
• Translate clinical and economic evidence gaps into actionable strategies aligned with business priorities.
• Lead the design and execution of RWE, health economics, and digital health studies involving Abbott medical devices and complex healthcare data sources.
• Support data science initiatives that transform healthcare data into clinically actionable insights using machine learning, predictive modeling, and advanced phenotyping.
• Lead analytic strategy and perform hands-on programming for RWE studies using SQL, R, SAS, Python, or similar languages.
• Evaluate and mitigate technical risks in study designs.
• Manage data preparation, cohort construction, variable derivation, and analyses across diverse data types while adhering to data governance standards and privacy requirements.
• Provide technical oversight of programming logic and validation, partnering with data analysts and data engineers to support accuracy, reproducibility, and regulatory readiness.
• Lead and oversee the development of study protocols and reports, regulatory deliverables, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts.
• Communicate with regulatory and reimbursement agencies about study design and results, translating analytical methods into clear, clinically meaningful narratives.
• Mentor other scientists on dataset selection, study design, and presentation of results.
• Maintain current knowledge of the coronary and peripheral vascular clinical landscape.
• Monitor emerging evidence, clinical guidelines, competitive technologies, and unmet clinical needs to inform study design, endpoint selection, and evidence-generation strategy.
• Apply clinical context to interpret real-world data, assess relevance to intended-use populations, and support regulatory and clinical decision-making.
• Collaborate with biostatistics, clinical affairs, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, health economics, and R&D colleagues.
• Represent RWE and observational research perspectives in cross-functional project teams and strategy discussions.
• Cultivate relationships with industry key opinion leaders, including academic researchers, data vendors, and clinical experts, as appropriate.

Benefits

• Career development opportunities with an international company.
• Employees may qualify for free medical coverage in the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• Retirement savings plan with high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Freedom 2 Save student debt program.
• FreeU education benefit, an affordable and convenient path to earning a bachelor’s degree.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior