About This Role:
Sport Science sits outside Product, Tech, and Runna, reporting directly to the CEO. The team is responsible for the ongoing scientific validation and safety of Strava's and Runna's fitness products, and for the applied research agenda that pushes forward the science of sport and fitness. As Head of Sport Science, you'll own two things at once: the ongoing scientific validation and safety review of Runna's and Strava's fitness products, and the applied research agenda behind them. You'll manage and grow academic partnerships, define the data and benchmarks needed to make our models' insights scientifically defensible, and grow a team over time. You'll work closely with the coaching team, AI/ML, Data Science, Product, Public Policy, and Legal. We follow a flexible hybrid model that translates to more than half of your time on-site in our San Francisco office, three days per week.
What You'll Do:
Own the ongoing scientific validation and safety review of Runna's and Strava's fitness products, starting with the open items in an active academic audit Manage and grow academic partnerships with Stanford University and Loughborough University, and scope new partnerships as needed Define the data and label strategy, such as perceived exertion, injury history, and sleep, that makes our models' insights scientifically defensible, partnering closely with Data Science and AI/MLPartner with Runna's coaching team on a recurring review cadence, serving as the scientific authority on disputed questions about the application of science in coaching Build out the Sport Science team, plus an external academic advisory council, over time Represent Strava's scientific credibility in external settings, from published research to occasional conference talks. What You'll Bring to the Team: An 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, translating science into product decisions A track record of managing external academic or clinical partnerships, including agreements, multi-institution collaborations, and ethics-related governance Comfort partnering with data science and ML teams to translate research questions into model and data requirements is a plus, though you won't need to write code yourself Experience building a team or function from its first hire is a plus A track record of representing scientific work externally, such as a paper, a conference talk, or a podcast, is a plus Endurance or running-specific research experience is a plus, though not required
