Head of Sport Science

The role

You will own the scientific validation and safety review of Runna's and Strava's fitness products. You will also manage the applied research agenda and grow academic partnerships and a team over time.

What you will do

• Own the ongoing scientific validation and safety review of Runna's and Strava's fitness products.
• Manage and grow academic partnerships with Stanford University and Loughborough University.
• Define the data and label strategy to make model insights scientifically defensible.
• Partner with Runna's coaching team on a recurring review cadence.
• Build out the Sport Science team and an external academic advisory council.
• Represent Strava's scientific credibility in external settings like published research and conference talks.

Required qualifications

• MD, PhD, or equivalent applied track record in exercise physiology, sports science, biomechanics, sports medicine, or a closely related field
• Substantial experience combining peer-reviewed research with applied work in industry, elite sport, or a research-focused sports medicine setting
• A track record of managing external academic or clinical partnerships, including agreements, multi-institution collaborations, and ethics-related governance

Nice to have

• Comfort partnering with data science and ML teams to translate research questions into model and data requirements
• Experience building a team or function from its first hire
• A track record of representing scientific work externally, such as a paper, a conference talk, or a podcast
• Endurance or running-specific research experience

About the company

Strava is the app for active people with over 200 million athletes in more than 185 countries. Its mission is to motivate people to live their best active lives.