The Role
Lead the development of multimodal foundation models for health intelligence at WHOOP, guiding technical execution and aligning with company goals.
Summary Generated by Built In
At WHOOP, we are building the future of human performance and healthspan. Our wearable and platform translate continuous physiological data into insights that help millions of members train smarter, recover better, and live longer, healthier lives. As WHOOP enters its next phase of AI-driven innovation, foundation models will sit at the core of how we understand human physiology, personalize guidance, and deliver clinically meaningful insights at scale.
We are seeking a VP, Foundation AI to lead the development of WHOOP’s multimodal foundation models. These systems unify wearable sensor data, language, blood biomarkers, clinical information, and self-reported inputs to power the next generation of health intelligence. This is a rare opportunity to shape foundational technology with direct impact on real-world health outcomes, enabled by one of the world’s richest longitudinal physiological datasets and a clear mandate to deploy AI responsibly in production.
In this role, you will report to the SVP of Research, Algorithms, and Data and serve as WHOOP’s most senior technical leader for in-house foundation model development. You will define modeling and architectural strategy, guide training and scaling decisions, and ensure these models mature into robust, production-grade systems that deliver measurable value to members. Partnering closely with executive leadership, product, engineering, and clinical teams, you will align technical execution with WHOOP’s broader AI strategy and long-term business goals.
The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in large-scale AI with proven experience building and leading high-performing organizations. You bring scientific rigor, strong judgment, and strategic leadership to advance the frontier of applied AI in health while maintaining reliability, integrity, and member trust.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead a world-class team in the design, training, evaluation, and deployment of large-scale multimodal foundation models spanning wearable sensor data, language, blood biomarkers, clinical datasets, and self-reported inputs
- Serve as the senior technical authority on foundation model architecture, representation learning, and training strategy, guiding critical design and investment decisions
- Build, grow, and mentor a high-performing AI organization, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning
- Partner closely with MLOps, data engineering, and software engineering teams to scale and serve foundation models in high-throughput, production environments
- Define and drive WHOOP’s long-term AI strategy, ensuring alignment between foundational research, product innovation, and company goals in health, performance, and longevity
- Establish rigorous standards for model evaluation, validation, and monitoring, with a focus on robustness, generalization, and real-world performance
- Communicate technical vision, milestones, and tradeoffs clearly to executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment and organizational buy-in
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Deep expertise in modern AI and machine learning, demonstrated through significant professional or academic experience building large-scale learning systems deployed in real-world environments
- At least 10 years of experience in AI and machine learning, including a minimum of 5 years leading and scaling high-performing technical teams or organizations
- Proven hands-on experience developing large models from scratch using distributed training frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX, including ownership of data pipelines, training infrastructure, optimization strategies, and evaluation methodologies
- Direct experience designing or leading foundation models or similarly generalizable representation learning systems that support multiple downstream tasks or modalities
- Demonstrated ability to translate cutting-edge research into durable, user-facing products that deliver sustained and measurable real-world value
- Experience working with complex, high-dimensional, and noisy data sources, including time-series sensor data or multimodal datasets
- Strong judgment around model robustness, evaluation, and failure modes, with an understanding of how modeling decisions impact user trust, safety, and outcomes in high-stakes applications
- Experience partnering closely with product, engineering, and infrastructure teams to deliver AI systems that balance scientific ambition with scalability, performance, and maintainability
- Track record of operating effectively in regulated, safety-critical, or trust-sensitive domains, or of applying equivalent rigor in environments where correctness and reliability are essential
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical vision, tradeoffs, and progress to executive leadership and to both technical and non-technical audiences
- A leadership style that combines high technical standards with empathy, clarity, and a strong commitment to developing inclusive teams and future technical leaders
This role is based in the WHOOP office located in Boston, MA. The successful candidate must be prepared to relocate if necessary to work out of the Boston, MA office.
Interested in the role, but don’t meet every qualification? We encourage you to still apply! At WHOOP, we believe there is much more to a candidate than what is written on paper, and we value character as much as experience. As we continue to build a diverse and inclusive environment, we encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply.
WHOOP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
The WHOOP compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values.
For this position at WHOOP, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, yearly bonus, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long-term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of WHOOP and share in the company’s long-term growth and success.
The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $200,000 - $300,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job-related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training.
In addition to the base salary and competitive benefits, given the strategic importance of this leadership role, we anticipate that a substantial share of total compensation will be delivered through a competitive and generous stock option grant, complementing the base salary.
The base salary ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate’s specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role’s requirements.
Learn more about WHOOP.
Top Skills
Jax
PyTorch
What the Team is Saying
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The Company
What We Do
At WHOOP, we’re on a mission to unlock human performance. WHOOP empowers members to perform at a higher level through a deeper understanding of their bodies and daily lives. Our wearable device and performance optimization platform has been adopted by many of the world's greatest athletes and consumers alike.
Why Work With Us
At WHOOP, we’re focused on building an inclusive and equitable team with a strong sense of belonging for everyone—increasing representation in every way as our team grows. We believe that our differences are our source of strength—so much so it’s one of our core values.
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WHOOP Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
4 days a week
