Director, Data Abstraction and Operations

The leader of Data Abstraction and Operations is a key strategic role responsible for overseeing the strategy, execution, and quality of clinical data abstraction processes. This role ensures that high-quality, structured clinical data is accurately captured and made actionable for downstream applications, including billing optimization, reimbursement strategy, and product innovation.

As a strategic partner across commercial operations, revenue cycle, and product development, the individual drives continuous improvement in abstraction workflows, integrates AI-enabled solutions, and ensures regulatory and clinical integrity. The ideal candidate brings an advanced clinical background, operational leadership experience, and a passion for using data and technology to transform healthcare.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY:

• Lead the clinical data abstraction team, setting clear goals, performance metrics, and strategic direction.
   

• Develop and implement scalable abstraction workflows aligned with clinical quality standards, billing accuracy, and product development needs.
   

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Clinical, Revenue Cycle, Data Science, Engineering, and Product teams to align abstraction strategies with organizational objectives.
   

AI INTEGRATION & INNOVATION:

• Partner with data science and engineering teams to evaluate and implement AI-assisted abstraction tools, leveraging large language models and workflow automation tools. 
   

• Ensure AI models align with clinical logic, billing integrity, and data reliability.
   

• Maintain continuous feedback loops with our AI/ML engineering teams to improve AI performance, reduce manual abstraction burden, and make product UI improvements.  Leverage a growth mindset to continue improving the workflows to reduce time/case and cost/case, while incorporating data into new product opportunities.  

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT:

• Oversee daily operations related to data abstraction, quality assurance (potentially leveraging AI to support), and team KPI performance.
   

• Design and refine SOPs, protocols, and escalation pathways to ensure consistency and operational excellence, incorporating guidelines and best practices such as the FDA guidance for use of RWE. 
   

• Monitor productivity, turnaround times (TAT), and abstraction accuracy across multiple products with varying goals.
   

DATA USABILITY:

• Collaborate with revenue cycle teams to ensure abstracted clinical data supports accurate coding, billing, and claims submissions.  Ensure headcount and demand planning is aligned with timelines required by payors. 
   

• Incorporate the data needs of other teams into the teams deliverables to reduce redundancy and ensure data usability across the organization.  

PRODUCT SUPPORT & INSIGHTS:

• Provide high-quality, abstracted data to inform the development and improvement of clinical and digital health products.
   

• Partner with product managers and clinical strategy teams to ensure data abstractions support evidence generation, feature design, and customer outcomes.
   

• Translate abstracted clinical insights into scalable datasets that support real-world evidence and product differentiation.
   

QUALITY, COMPLIANCE, & TRAINING:

• Ensure all abstraction processes comply with HIPAA, CAP, CLIA, CMS, AJCC staging guidelines, and payer-specific guidelines.
   

• Lead quality control programs and audits to maintain the highest standards of data accuracy and regulatory alignment.
   

• Oversee onboarding and continuous training of abstraction staff with a focus on clinical depth, documentation accuracy, and billing awareness.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: Minimum 10 years of relevant healthcare experience, with at least 5 years in data abstraction, clinical/commercial operations, or health informatics.  At least 5 years in a leadership role. 
   

• Education: Advanced clinical degree (e.g., MD, PhD, PA, MSN, NP, etc…) required; additional degrees in Health Informatics, Data Science, or related fields strongly preferred.
   

• AI & Technology: Experience with AI/ML applications in clinical workflows, including natural language processing (NLP) and clinical decision support systems.  Familiarity with coding languages (SQL / python / data programming languages). 
   

• Leadership: Proven success leading high-performing teams and managing complex and cross functional operational programs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Deep understanding of clinical documentation, medical terminology, and coding systems (ICD, CPT, SNOMED).
   

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with ability to connect clinical workflows to business goals.
   

• Excellent communication, leadership, and change management skills.
   

• Ability to navigate ambiguity, drive innovation, and scale operations in a fast-paced environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Remote or hybrid work environment, with occasional travel to internal sites and partner institutions.
   

• Standard business hours with flexibility to meet team and operational needs across time zones.

OUR OPPORTUNITY

Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. Our aim is to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health and enable earlier and more targeted interventions that lead to longer, healthier lives.

The Natera team consists of highly dedicated statisticians, geneticists, doctors, laboratory scientists, business professionals, software engineers and many other professionals from world-class institutions, who care deeply for our work and each other. When you join Natera, you’ll work hard and grow quickly. Working alongside the elite of the industry, you’ll be stretched and challenged, and take pride in being part of a company that is changing the landscape of genetic disease management.

WHAT WE OFFER

Competitive Benefits - Employee benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents. Additionally, Natera employees and their immediate families receive free testing in addition to fertility care benefits. Other benefits include pregnancy and baby bonding leave, 401k benefits, commuter benefits and much more. We also offer a generous employee referral program!

For more information, visit www.natera.com.

Natera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. Inclusive collaboration benefits our employees, our community and our patients, and is critical to our mission of changing the management of disease worldwide.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable laws.

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents. 

Link: https://www.natera.com/notice-of-data-collection-california-residents/

Please be advised that Natera will reach out to candidates with a @natera.com email domain ONLY. Email communications from all other domain names are not from Natera or its employees and are fraudulent. Natera does not request interviews via text messages and does not ask for personal information until a candidate has engaged with the company and has spoken to a recruiter and the hiring team. Natera takes cyber crimes seriously, and will collaborate with law enforcement authorities to prosecute any related cyber crimes.

For more information:
- BBB announcement on job scams 
- FBI Cyber Crime resource page