Medical Director Clinical Design - $290K Digital Health in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This is a high-impact senior leadership role at the intersection of clinical medicine and health technology — a rare combination that commands premium compensation. The $250,000–$290,000 base plus a 15% bonus (up to ~$333,500 total) is competitive for a Medical Director in digital health, where market benchmarks typically range from $220,000–$320,000 depending on scope.
Career development opportunities are significant:
- Ownership of enterprise-scale clinical protocols positions you as a thought leader in virtual care design.
- Deep exposure to AI integration in clinical QA is a rapidly growing and highly differentiated skill set.
- Cross-functional work with product and engineering teams builds rare "clinician-technologist" credibility.
- Outcomes framework development translates directly to CMO or Chief Clinical Officer roles at later-stage health tech companies.
Culture signals: Wheel appears to be a growth-stage startup (Series B/C range based on their market positioning). The language is fast-moving and product-centric, with explicit AI adoption — a green flag for physicians who want to shape the future of care delivery rather than just practice within existing constraints.
Green flags: Flexible PTO, stock options, inclusive hiring language, and no requirement to relocate. Watch for: the role carries patient safety escalation accountability, which can mean unpredictable demands. Clarifying on-call expectations during the interview is essential. Overall, this is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious physician ready to transition from pure clinical practice into strategic health tech leadership.
Job Title: Medical Director, Clinical Program Design
Job Location: Remote, USA
About the Company
Wheel is evolving the traditional care ecosystem by equipping the nation's most innovative companies with a premier platform to deliver high-quality virtual care at scale. We offer proven strategies and cutting-edge technologies to foster consumer engagement, build brand loyalty, and maximize return on investment. Wheel solutions include configurable virtual care programs, an intuitive consumer interface, and access to a nationwide network of board-certified clinicians. Discover how Wheel is transforming the future of healthcare by visiting www.wheel.com.
About the Role
We're hiring a Medical Director to own the protocols driving our virtual on-demand, urgent, and convenience care lines. You'll also lead and scale the QA program that measures their success. It's fast-moving work inside a practice built with modern, AI-powered tools.
What You'll Do
Care Protocols. Write, update, and refine the clinical protocols behind Wheel's care programs. Integrate them across all our partners, scale them effectively, and translate them into the logic our platform runs on.
Quality Assurance. Lead Wheel's clinical QA program. Integrate AI to enable further scale, and turn its findings into feedback the network can act on.
Outcomes and Iteration. Develop the frameworks and procedures that track patient and clinical outcomes across these care programs, and use that data to improve care over time.
Patient Safety. Manage clinical patient-safety escalation protocols and active escalations, keeping Wheel's clinical standards consistent and on target.
Who You Are
MD or DO from an accredited institution, board-certified in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Emergency Medicine. Primary care experience preferred.
Substantial clinical practice experience, including virtual care or telemedicine.
Prior clinical leadership experience managing teams directly in telehealth, digital health, or a high-volume virtual practice.
Hands-on experience with clinical quality assurance — building, running, or auditing a QA program.
Experience authoring and maintaining clinical protocols.
Basic proficiency with AI tools & software.
Energized by where medicine is heading — new evidence, new modalities, new models of care — and you want to help build the next version of it.
Comfortable working closely with product and engineering as clinical tooling gets built.
Data-driven: at home reasoning from dashboards, cohorts, and outcomes — you'd rather measure than guess.
Active medical license in good standing in one or more states.
Able to pass NCQA credentialing and Wheel's standardized background checks.
Nice to Have
Don't let these stand in your way — they're just added bonuses! If you meet most of the core requirements, we encourage you to apply.
Experience integrating AI or automation into clinical quality or protocol workflows.
Comfort with EHR configuration, clinical decision support, or point-of-care tooling.
Multi-state licensure.
ABOM Certification or expertise in cardio-metabolic conditions.
Salary and Perks
Pay Range: $250,000 – $290,000 plus a 15% bonus.
Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, the selected candidate's work experience, education and training, the work location, as well as market and business considerations.
Wheel is unable to consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization for this position.
As an employee of Wheel, you'll enjoy our Total Rewards Program to help secure your financial future and preserve your health and well-being, including:
Medical, Dental and Vision
Ancillary: Life, Short and Long Term Disability
401K match
Flexible PTO
Parental Leave
Stock options
Additional programs and perks
Wheel is committed to equal employment opportunities for all team members. Every decision we make regarding employment is solely based on merit, competence, and performance. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
Research shows that underrepresented groups typically apply only if they meet 100% of the criteria listed. At Wheel, we encourage women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ job seekers to apply for positions even if they don't check every box for the role.
Frequently Asked Questions
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