About Ro
Ro is the healthcare technology company building a patient-centric healthcare system. Ro’s vertically-integrated primary care platform powers a personalized, end-to-end healthcare experience from diagnosis, to delivery of medication, to ongoing care. With a nationwide provider network, in-home care API, and proprietary pharmacy distribution centers, Ro is the only company to seamlessly connect telehealth and in-home care, diagnostics, and pharmacy services nationwide to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare without the need for insurance. Since 2017, Ro has facilitated more than six million digital healthcare visits in nearly every county in the United States, including 98% of primary care deserts. Ro also provides its patient-centric solutions including Workpath, its in-home care API, and Kit, its at-home diagnostic testing service, to other healthcare companies. Visit Ro.co for more information.
Ro was named #2 in Wellness on Fast Company’s 2019 list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, listed by Inc. Magazine as a Best Place to Work in 2020 and 2021, and named one of FORTUNE’s 2021 Best Workplaces In Health Care.
As the VP of Innovation R&D, you will be responsible for innovating, designing, and developing the highest quality and safest physical (focus on Consumer Health Goods/non-Rx) products for patients. You will oversee and expand a team of formulation scientists, physical product quality assurance managers, and work with the product development team to ensure that all future Ro products maintain our “created by doctors and backed by science” standard. You will build our real-world evidence team by focusing on clinical, sensory, and regimen studies and oversee the build of an ingredients and clinical claims library. Separately, there is an opportunity to work closely with our clinical research team to build an IRB-approved, peer-reviewed publication process for our manufactured products, in order to prove the efficacy of our products.
Our non-prescription products cover a suite of over-the-counter treatments, dietary supplements, skincare/cosmetic, and personal care products (including medical devices), many of which support and complement prescription therapies on the platform. You will work closely with the General Managers of our Care Verticals (such as Skincare and Men’s health) to identify products that compliment or deepen our offerings for our patients. You will work closely with Legal, Pharmacy, and Regulatory teams to ensure that the products created adhere to our physical product quality, regulatory, and safety standards. Our suite of compounded prescription products is within the Dermatology space and centers on topical prescription skincare products and topical shampoos. We also have a suite of medical devices and personal care products such as condoms, and creating new products in this space will be under your purview as well.
Who are you? That’s a great question. You have a scientific background with an advanced degree in clinical/chemical/physical sciences and have experience overseeing physical product development including research and development, clinical studies for efficacy and tolerability, and physical product quality and safety. You have a proven track record of launching clinically efficacious products and have an intimate understanding of regulatory requirements and specifications for non-prescription products. You have experience across all categories of non-prescription products including dietary supplements, personal care products, skincare, and over-the-counter medications. Your experience spans the entire life cycle- including product conception, development, and release. You have experience working with Marketing, Growth, Legal/Regulatory, Finance, and Operations. You are excited to work at a company that is 100% patient-focused as a tech-enabled platform that provides patients with physician evaluation and prescription and non-prescription products and services.
What You’ll Do:
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- Lead innovation and research and development of physical products including OTC, dietary supplements, skincare and personal care products, and some aspects of compounded prescription medication
- Guide and oversee the research, formulation, quality, and safety of new formulated physical products
- Direct and manage quality assurance activities for existing physical products, including SOP maintenance and development and supplier management (including contract manufacturers) and oversight
- Translate scientific and clinical information (benefits, risks, limitations) into easy to understand concepts and terms
- Work with a cross-functional team to deliver high quality, safe and effective products to our patients
- Work with Regulatory Affairs and Legal to ensure that all physical products are developed, manufactured and dispensed in accordance with all applicable regulations and industry standards
- Work with Strategy to develop a roadmap of product offerings and condition expansion products
- Work with Communications team to build a scientific communications strategy in regards to physical products
- Work closely with Clinical Research to design and launch peer-reviewed studies that support and provide evidence of the effectiveness of our products
- Liaise regularly with leads from Operations, Pharmacy, Medical Practice Quality, and Safety, Growth and Strategy
What You’ll Bring to the Team:
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- Ph.D., MD, DO, PharmD or equivalent plus at least 15+ years of post-graduate training/patient care experience, industry experience, or a combination
- Experience leading innovation and development of high-quality products across the over-the-counter spectrum (medications, dietary supplements, personal care, and cosmetics products) and bonus if you have worked with compounded prescription products
- Strong knowledge and experience in dietary supplements required
- Strong understanding of regulatory requirements across product sectors
- Strong research and communication skills, including writing
- Familiarity with interpreting and applying medical guidelines and understanding risk management concepts
- Strong leadership skills with at least 10 years of managerial and leadership experience
- Ability to disseminate scientific communication about product offerings both internally and externally
- Experience overseeing research and development and product quality and safety
Benefits + Perks:
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- Full medical, dental, and vision insurance + OneMedical membership
- Healthcare and Dependent Care FSA
- 401(k) with company match
- Unlimited PTO
- Wellbeing + Learning & Growth reimbursements
- Paid parental leave + Fertility benefits
- Pet insurance
- Student loan refinancing
- Virtual resources for mindfulness, counseling, fitness, and physical therapy