Strategic Partnerships Manager at Surgical Data Science Collective

Strategic Partnerships Manager

Remote (EST) | Full-Time
Organization: Surgical Data Science Collective (SDSC)

Position Overview:

Surgical Data Science Collective (SDSC) is seeking a Strategic Research

Partnership Manager to lead the expansion of our research and training

collaborations into the field of maternal health. This role is critical to driving growth

and establishing SDSC’s presence within this vital surgical specialty. You will be

responsible for identifying opportunities, cultivating high-impact relationships across

our existing and prospective partner network, and aligning internal capabilities with

the clinical, research, and educational priorities of collaborators in maternal health.

Acting as a key connector between internal teams and external stakeholders, you will

play a central role in shaping SDSC’s strategic growth in this new domain.

This is a strategic role for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments,

understands the academic and clinical landscape, and has experience creating

new initiatives from the ground up. The ideal candidate combines partnership

development skills with strategic thinking and the ability to translate opportunity into

scalable collaboration models.

What you’ll do:

Strategic Domain Expansion: Lead the identification and scoping of a new surgical

domain for SDSC to engage with, aligning internal capabilities with external needs.

Develop a research and training partnership strategy tailored to this specialty.

Research & Training Program Development: Cultivate relationships with key opinion

leaders, departments, and researchers to establish new collaborations.

Cross-functional Program Management: Coordinate with internal teams to scope

research questions, align technology infrastructure, and support onboarding

processes. Track and support research deliverables, training milestones, and partner

satisfaction across the collaboration lifecycle.

Thought Leadership & Evangelism: Represent SDSC in academic and clinical circles

by aending conferences, giving talks, and co-developing public-facing content.

Collaborate with the marketing and communications team to highlight partnership

impact and research outcomes.

What makes you a fit:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Biomedical Engineering, Healthcare Management, Public Health, or Business); PhD or MBA a plus.

• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in strategic partnerships, academic collaborations, or research program development—preferably in the global healthcare, medtech, or health AI sectors.

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with a consultative and strategic mindset.

• Strong knowledge of surgical domains and global academic medical center environments.

• Demonstrated ability to launch new initiatives or programs in partnership with academic or healthcare stakeholders.

• Proficiency with CRM systems, project tracking tools, and collaboration platforms.

Why join SDSC?

• Make it matter. Your work supports research that directly improves surgical techniques and patient outcomes

• Work with top-tier minds. Collaborate with surgeons, scientists, and AI experts in a deeply cross-functional role

• Flex where you work. We’re DC-based, but open to remote for the right EST-aligned candidate

• Grow as we grow. Leadership opportunities and team-building are on the horizon

About us: The Surgical Data Science Collective (SDSC) is a nonprofit on a mission to unlock the power of surgical data. We bring together surgeons, scientists, and engineers to turn surgical videos into searchable, data-rich tools. Using AI, we help uncover insights that improve technique, sharpen decision-making, and elevate patient care. From smarter metrics to secure video libraries, we give surgical teams the tools to ask better questions—and find better answers. Because when surgeons get better, patients do too.