Clinical Research Director Jobs in Scottsdale, AZ

Mayo Clinic is top-ranked in more specialties than any other care provider according to U.S. News & World Report. As we work together to put the needs of the patient first, we are also dedicated to our employees, investing in competitive compensation and comprehensive benefit plans – to take care of you and your family, now and in the future. And with continuing education and advancement opportunities at every turn, you can build a long, successful career with Mayo Clinic.

Benefits Highlights

• Medical: Multiple plan options.
• Dental: Delta Dental or reimbursement account for flexible coverage.
• Vision: Affordable plan with national network.
• Pre-Tax Savings: HSA and FSAs for eligible expenses.
• Retirement: Competitive retirement package to secure your future.

Position Overview

The Department of Radiology and the Arizona Advanced AI & Innovation (A3I) Hub at Mayo Clinic Arizona seek an exceptional early-career scientist for an Associate Career Scientist faculty position. This is a research-intensive appointment designed for individuals with outstanding potential to develop an independent, externally funded research program at the intersection of artificial intelligence, medical imaging, multimodal data science, and clinical translation.

The successful candidate will hold a joint appointment with approximately 50% effort in the Department of Radiology and 50% effort in the A3I Hub. The position offers access to Mayo Clinic's extensive clinical, imaging, genomic, and multimodal datasets, as well as a collaborative environment that integrates physicians, data scientists, engineers, and translational researchers.

Research Focus Areas

Applicants with expertise in one or more of the following areas are encouraged to apply:

• Medical imaging AI and computer vision
• Multimodal foundation models and large language models
• Generative AI and agentic AI systems for healthcare
• Clinical decision support and predictive analytics
• Radiology AI and imaging informatics
• Multimodal data integration (imaging, EHR, pathology, genomics, biosignals)
• Trustworthy, fair, and explainable AI
• Digital twins and precision medicine
• AI-enabled clinical workflow optimization

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Informatics, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Computational Biology, Medical Physics, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of three years of postdoctoral research experience or equivalent research training.
• Demonstrated record of scholarly achievement and scientific innovation.
• Strong publication record in leading journals and conferences relevant to AI, machine learning, biomedical informatics, or medical imaging.
• Evidence of the ability to establish an independent research program and compete successfully for extramural funding.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and validating AI models using large-scale healthcare data.
• Experience with foundation models, multimodal learning, reinforcement learning, or agentic AI frameworks.
• Track record of interdisciplinary collaboration with clinicians and healthcare researchers.
• Prior success in grant writing, fellowship awards, career development awards, or other competitive funding mechanisms.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Develop and lead an innovative independent research program aligned with Mayo Clinic's strategic priorities in AI and healthcare.
• Conduct cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and multimodal biomedical data science.
• Collaborate with investigators across Radiology, Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology, and other clinical departments.
• Publish impactful scientific findings in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and premier conferences.
• Pursue extramural funding from NIH, NSF, ARPA-H, DOD, foundations, and industry partnerships.
• Mentor trainees, including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, residents, and medical students.
• Contribute to the development of next-generation AI platforms and translational solutions that improve patient care.

Appointment Expectations

Consistent with Mayo Clinic criteria for Associate Career Scientist:

• Research effort of 80% or greater.
• Demonstrated trajectory toward research independence.
• Minimum publication expectations:

• At least three peer-reviewed publications, including one first- or senior-author publication.
• Expected progression toward securing independent extramural funding within the initial appointment period.
• Eligibility for appointment at the Assistant Professor rank.

Environment and Resources

The candidate will benefit from:

• Access to Mayo Clinic's enterprise-wide multimodal data ecosystem, including imaging, clinical, pathology, genomic, and wearable data resources.
• State-of-the-art AI computing infrastructure with large-scale GPU clusters.
• Opportunities to collaborate with investigators across Mayo Clinic Arizona, Rochester, and Florida campuses.
• Integration with the Arizona Advanced AI & Innovation Hub, a rapidly growing center focused on developing and translating trustworthy AI technologies for healthcare.
• Strong institutional support for career development, mentorship, and extramural funding success.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit:

• Curriculum vitae
• Research statement (2–3 pages)
• Future funding strategy
• Three representative publications
• Names and contact information for three references

Mayo Clinic is committed to fostering an environment of scientific excellence, innovation, and collaboration. We seek candidates who are passionate about advancing AI-driven healthcare and translating scientific discoveries into clinical impact.