Clinical Database, SME - Strategy (CDI Specialist)

About AKASA

AKASA is building the future of healthcare by developing AI-native solutions for some of healthcare’s most complex, consequential work. Our customers include the most innovative health systems in the country, like Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, NewYork-Presbyterian, Duke, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins. Our customer base represents 1 in 10 inpatient discharges across the United States and more than $180B+ in net patient revenue.

Our products help health systems comprehensively capture and communicate the full patient clinical journey. By empowering health systems to streamline their operations, they can focus on what matters most - delivering quality patient care.

We train internal models and build domain-specific harnesses to power our products and best capture clinical nuance for each customer. We hire people with high agency and good judgment. Everyone here is an owner and builder who is looking to help solve high stakes challenges every day.

We have raised over $250M in funding from investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, BOND, and Coatue. Our deployments have been recognized nationally as "one of the most comprehensive real-world uses of GenAI in healthcare finance to date" (link https://hitconsultant.net/2025/10/13/cleveland-clinic-deploys-genai-for-coding-and-cdi-across-enterprise-powered-by-akasa/).

Some of our recent recognitions include being named one of America's Top Startup Employers 2026 by Forbes, a Top Healthcare Technology Company of 2026 by Healthcare Technology Report, the #1 most promising healthcare RCM startup of 2025 by Black Book Market Research, and we have been certified as a “Great Place to Work” for the past 6 years in a row.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role is the clinical translation layer between AKASA’s product and the engineering team building it. As a subject matter expert, you’ll take complex, often ambiguous clinical scenarios, and translate them into clear, clinically grounded input that engineering and product can build against. Cross-functional in nature, this role not only interfaces regularly with R&D, it also sits in front of customers to help translate local clinical practices back to the team so the product fits the way the customer’s clinicians actually work. This role reports directly to our VP of Clinical Strategy.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a subject matter expert with a bedside clinical background alongside knowledge of CDI end to end - from frontline documentation to backoffice billing codes. This person should be fluent in clinical concepts and be able to translate them with a scientific mindset. Experience with Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) process improvement cycles or nursing informatics research is a strong plus as this role involves designing and conducting digital experiments. The ideal candidate is an independent thinker and is comfortable brainstorming in a group and ideating aloud. You are confident interacting with internal and client professionals including physicians, nurses, and administrators.

AKASA is based in South San Francisco. As a company, we embraced remote work before COVID-19. We consider ourselves experts in working collaboratively wherever our team members happen to reside within the US.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Work cross-functionally across strategy, engineering, and marketing to appraise and optimize clinical foundations within the company

- Independently analyze clinical cases and simultaneously think about clinical databases. The role is an independent contributor role, and has future managerial growth opportunities, if desired.

- Design and test digital experiments alongside an engineering team

- Work with and develop internal tooling to solve problems

- Develop Revenue Cycle training specification documents for internal and customer-facing arenas

- Work with Product Managers to develop and execute against timelines and deliverables

- Refine product development both with internal teams and client partners

- Interface with the RCO team to complete client Proof of Concept exercises, Spec Validations

- Manage resources assigned for project-related work

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in nursing

- Must have an RN and CCDS

- Business, Management or similar field and/or relevant experience is preferred

- 5+ years experience as a leader in Coding and/ CDI departments within the revenue cycle or worked in a consulting or project management capacity

- Concurrent and retrospective CDI review experience and experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings required

- QA / documentation/training experience

- Strong analytical, research/data science, and project management skills

- Current credentials from AHIMA, AAPC, or ACDIS

WHAT WE OFFER

- Flexible paid time off (PTO)

- Expansive coverage for health, dental, and vision

- Employer contribution to Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

- Generous parental leave policy

- Full employee coverage for life insurance

- Home office stipend

- Cell phone/internet reimbursement

- Company-paid holidays

- 401(K) plan

COMPENSATION

- Based on market data and other factors, the salary range for this position is $130,000-$165,000 + Equity. However, a salary higher or lower than this range may be appropriate for a candidate whose qualifications differ meaningfully from those listed in the job description.

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors

We’re committed to doing the best work of our lives, together. Come see if we're the right team for you.

AKASA is a proud equal opportunity employer and we believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is an imperative. We welcome people of different backgrounds, genders, races, ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientations, and perspectives, just to name a few. We do not discriminate based upon any protected class and we encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply. AKASA considers qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. http://sfgsa.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=11600

AKASA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at recruiting@akasa.com.