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OPPORTUNITY
Radicle Science is a pioneering healthtech Public Benefit Corporation, named Fast Company “World Changing Idea” for creating the future of proven, precision wellness. Since launching in 2021, Radicle has become the #1 U.S. leader in rigorous clinical evidence generation for wellness, running placebo-controlled trials on more Americans annually than all FDA drug-approval trials combined. You can learn more about Radicle Science at the bottom of this page.
Since launch, most of our research funding has come from prominent food, beverage, supplement, and wellness companies who engaged us to study their products. Lately we started to apply for grants, and recently won an ARPA-H grant to conduct U.S history’s largest placebo-controlled mental health trial–clinically testing 19 supplement formulas against placebo across 6,000 diverse Americans across the U.S., collecting survey, microbiome, blood, and wearable data directly from participants in their own home. We are also partnered with the public 501(c)3 nonprofit Wholistic Research & Education Foundation to serve as our fiscal sponsor for grants when needed. And through our membership in ecosystems like OneMind, Lake Nona Impact Forum, TED, Fast Company Impact Council, and YPO, we have access to every major foundation that funds health work.
We’re seeking a Director of Grant Strategy & Development who is eager to help unlock the next frontier of non-dilutive capital for Radicle— someone who doesn’t just write grants, but builds a winning funding strategy that fuels Radicle’s mission and growth to drive innovation, trusted health evidence, and meaningful real-world health impact.
ROLE OVERVIEW
NOTE: This is NOT your typical grants role….this is Radicle Science and “in the box” thinkers need not apply!
This is a rare opportunity to build and own Radicle’s entire grants function — from strategy and prospecting through writing, submission, and post-award administration. You will identify the highest-value funding opportunities across U.S. government agencies (NIH, ARPA-H, BARDA, NSF, CMS, DOD, and others) and private foundations, then craft compelling, scientifically rigorous proposals that convert.
You will work closely with the CEO, COO, and scientific leadership team to translate Radicle’s platform capabilities and research agenda into winning grant narratives. You’ll own the pipeline, manage the calendar, write the proposals, and shepherd awards through reporting and compliance — all while helping build the systems and processes that scale this function over time.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Grant Strategy
- Build and maintain a rolling pipeline of high-potential grant opportunities across federal agencies and health-focused foundations
- Develop and evolve Radicle’s overall grant funding strategy in alignment with company priorities and scientific roadmap
- Assess fit, competitiveness, and ROI for each opportunity before committing resources to a submission
- Stay ahead of funding trends, agency priorities, and new mechanisms relevant to decentralized trials, wellness, and precision health
Grant Writing & Submission
- Oversee the writing, editing, and submission of all grant applications — from SBIRs and cooperative agreements to foundation RFPs
- Translate complex scientific and technical concepts into clear, compelling narratives for diverse review audiences
- Coordinate grant writing and input from Radicle’s scientific, clinical, operations, and finance teams to produce complete, high-quality submissions on time
- Maintain institutional knowledge of submission requirements across agencies and funders (Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, FastLane, foundation portals, etc.)
Post-Award Administration & Reporting
- Serve as the primary point of contact for grant administration once awards are received
- Manage grant compliance, milestone tracking, reporting deadlines, and funder communications
- Coordinate with finance and operations to ensure proper fund management and documentation
- Support renewal applications and no-cost extension requests as needed
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with CEO, COO, and scientific leadership to shape the narrative and positioning of each submission
- Collaborate with our technology, data, and research operations teams to accurately represent Radicle’s capabilities and outcomes in proposals
- Help build the internal infrastructure — tracking systems, templates, SOPs — that supports a scalable grants function
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree or higher in a health, life science, public health, or related field
- Demonstrated track record of successfully winning grants from U.S. federal agencies (NIH, ARPA-H, BARDA, NSF, CMS, DOD, or similar)
- Demonstrated track record of successfully winning grants from U.S. health-focused foundations
- 7+ years of grant writing and development experience
- Experience with post-award grant administration and reporting
- Experience working in or consulting for for-profit companies or startups (in addition to academic or nonprofit environments)
- Strong understanding of clinical research, health interventions, or life sciences
- U.S.-based, willing to travel ~4–6x/year for team gatherings, conferences, and partner meetings
- Native, or near-native/mastery proficiency in English
REQUIRED SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES
- Exceptional writer — able to craft rigorous, persuasive grant narratives under tight deadlines
- Strategic thinker who can identify and prioritize the highest-leverage funding opportunities
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and deadline-driven
- Comfortable operating independently and owning an entire function
- Able to translate complex science and technology for non-specialist review panels
- Collaborative and low-ego — able to rapidly synthesize input from scientists, operators, and executives
- Comfortable in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving startup environment where priorities shift and resourcefulness matters
- GSD mentality — you own outcomes, not just activities
BONUS POINTS
- Experience with SBIR/STTR mechanisms
- Familiarity with the supplement, functional food, or wellness industry
- High proficiency with AI tools for research and writing
- Based in Southern California
COMPENSATION
- Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
- Performance-based commission on successfully awarded grants — this role has meaningful upside tied directly to wins
- Benefits package including health, dental, vision, and flexible PTO
WHY JOIN RADICLE SCIENCE
- Own and build the grants function of one of the most innovative companies in health tech and wellness
- Work at the intersection of science, technology, and real-world health impact
- Help unlock the non-dilutive capital that funds the future of proven, precision wellness
ABOUT RADICLE SCIENCE
Radicle Science is a healthtech pioneer, named Fast Company “World Changing Idea” for creating the future of proven, precision wellness. Since launching in 2021, Radicle has become the #1 global leader in rigorous clinical evidence generation for wellness, running placebo-controlled trials on more Americans annually than all FDA drug-approval trials combined. We fuse AI, consumer science & decentralized trials to generate never-before-seen health data at unprecedented speed, scale & precision across food, beverage, supplement, consumer devices, and digital wellness apps.
Our fully automated, vertically integrated platform is enabling our clients to scalably build the first portfolios of patentable, proven, precision wellness solutions—tailored to each health area and population, able to make compliant claims, and trusted by consumers, retailers, regulators, healthcare providers, and AI models.
Our 10 year Vision is a world where 1 billion people dramatically improve their health every day with precision wellness solutions proven by Radicle Science –you can learn more about it here in our mainstage talk at the annual TED Conference.
CULTURE
We are a fast growing healthtech pioneer seeking Rebels With a Cause — team members who are not only a skill fit, but a values fit. Our core values show up in how we operate every day:
- Rebel with a Cause: You challenge the status quo—anchored in mission and integrity.
- Audacious (without the ego): You swing big, iterate fast, and don’t wait for perfect.
- GSD (Get Sh#*t Done): You take ownership, follow through, and deliver reliably.
- Evidence-Driven: You love data—testing, measuring, learning, improving.
- Grounded Brilliance: You’re sharp and humble—curious, respectful, and collaborative.
- Transparent: You communicate clearly and candidly—internally and externally—so trust stays high.
Our company is virtual but most employees are based in Southern California. While preference is given to SoCal residents, remote employees from other US-based geographies will be considered if you can work times that align with team needs and come in person to our twice a year retreats in So Cal. Change is CONSTANT in this work environment, and everyone pitches in to get the work completed. We work and play hard together virtually, and also in person during our bi-annual in-person retreats. The hours are unconventional and flexible to accommodate collaboration across time zones, so if you are looking for a set schedule of 8 am – 5 pm; Monday through Friday, this is probably NOT a fit for you. The upside is you’ll get to work with some of the brightest, most creative and passionate people you’ll ever meet. Don’t just take our word for it, Radicle also topped Fast Company’s list of “Most Innovative Workplaces”.
TEAM
Radicle is a team of over 35 Rebels with a cause, and was cofounded in 2020 by Pelin Thorogood, M.Eng/MBA (tech founder, Trustee & Vice Chair of UCSD Foundation, INC 200 Female Founder) and Dr. Jeff Chen, MD/MBA (physician-scientist, founded and led UCLA natural products research center). Advisors include Peter Diamandis (“50 Greatest World Leaders” by Fortune), Dr. Jonathan Fielding (Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA, White House Advisor), and Pamela Harbour (former Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission).
