Director of Research

Evolve is building a neurotechnology platform to better measure and understand human performance and health. We are seeking an experienced Research Manager to lead the research and evidence strategy behind the platform.

This role is designed for someone who has built research programs inside a commercial organization and knows how to connect scientific rigor with business priorities. You will own Evolve’s research roadmap, prioritize the studies that matter most, manage external research partners, and help turn evidence into product claims, customer confidence, and long-term strategic value.

You will work closely with Evolve’s leadership, lead neuroscientist, Product, and Business Development team and scientific advisors. The strongest candidates will have experience taking an emerging product or platform from promising science to a credible evidence base, with a clear understanding of what needs to be studied, validated, and proven in the market.

• Own Evolve’s company-wide research roadmap, prioritizing work based on commercial value, product needs, and scientific gaps.
• Translate input from Product, Business Development, Marketing, and Science into clear research priorities.
• Sequence studies so near-term work supports active pilots and commercial priorities while longer-term work builds durable evidence.
• Decide which work should be run internally versus with external partners and allocate research resources accordingly.
• Own the active study portfolio and drive each program to a clear readout and usable outcome.

• Define the validation pathway across the Evolve platform, from headset performance and signal quality to the cognitive performance assessment, core metrics, and models.
• Partner with Science, ML, Product, and Engineering to connect Evolve’s measures and interventions to meaningful real-world outcomes and use cases.
• Establish what Evolve can credibly claim today and what additional evidence is needed to support stronger claims over time.
• Develop the economic evidence and ROI analysis that connects Evolve’s outcomes to customer value, including productivity, readiness, performance, cost savings, or other operational impact.
• Ensure the evidence generated supports product development, commercial adoption, and long-term strategic value.

• Build a portfolio of university, clinical, government, CRO, and other research partners that strengthen Evolve’s evidence base and strategic position.
• Structure studies with clear objectives, timelines, budgets, deliverables, data rights, and publication plans.
• Manage partnerships from concept through readout and ensure they deliver against agreed goals.
• Build an institutional publication strategy that strengthens Evolve’s scientific credibility and supports priority claims
• Build and manage Evolve’s Scientific Advisory Board, identifying the right experts across neuroscience, human performance, and priority use cases

• Identify grant and non-dilutive funding opportunities aligned with Evolve’s research priorities.
• Develop research concepts and partner teams that position Evolve competitively for priority opportunities.
• Lead submissions end to end, coordinating scientific, technical, partnership, and budget materials.

• A prioritized roadmap tied to product and commercial milestones, adopted by leadership
• Defined validation standards for core metrics, with studies underway against each
• Active pilots and research brought to readouts that support investor and customer conversations
• Competitive grant submissions with strong partner teams

• 8+ years of…