Chief Scientific Officer (portfolio company)

The global cost of mental health issues is rising and will reach $6 trillion per year by 2030, with 12 billion working days lost per year due to mental illness. However, pharmaceutical industry R&D on mental health and central nervous system (CNS) disorders has fallen by 70% in the last 10 years.

Psychoactive plants and their related compounds offer a truly ‘disruptive technology’ to treat many of society’s greatest unmet medical and mental health needs. Psychedelic medicine offers higher efficacy rates, minimal toxicity, lower treatment costs and customized solutions to those suffering from medical and mental health disorders.

Noetic Psychedelic Fund (“Noetic Fund”) is the leading venture fund in the space, with 18 portfolio companies across the value chain. With opportunities abound to invest in and partner with medical and academic researchers, entrepreneurs, nascent pharmaceutical companies and other thought leaders, the fund is well positioned to create exceptional enterprise value as the first and most well positioned startup foundry in the psychedelic medicine space. We already has a strong set of opportunities in its pipeline, which need to be shepherded by the right Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).

The CSO will be responsible for defining our R&D strategy and leading its pre-clinical and clinical-stage drug development efforts. The CSO will provide the experience, network and commercial focus necessary to ensure effective drug discovery, drive strong decision-making and contribute to the successful development of new medicines. The ideal CSO will have a doctoral degree, have experience building a strong scientific team and will have extensive experience in preclinical and early drug development, including successful experience at the startup level as well as in larger pharmaceutical companies.

Roles and responsibilities 

• Develop and lead the drug discovery and development strategy of the organization
• Provide scientific input into potential internal projects and potential acquisitions based on the commercial strategy of the organization
• Initiate compelling ventures and ensure refinement and ongoing development for the success of the business 
• Ensure a scientifically rigorous and independent review of the company’s projects, from inception to commercialization 
• Build a world-class scientific team to support the development of a world-class foundry of leading biotech companies
• Engage with important stakeholders – academic researchers, industry experts, investors and partner organizations – as required to advance the interests of the business

Ideal candidate profile 

• PhD in neuroscience, chemistry, pharmacology or a related field
• Significant experience designing, developing and organizing a drug development process and and a track record of success leading multiple programs from discovery to clinical development
• Experience leading a high-performing team  
• Experience engaging with diverse sets of stakeholders, such as investors, business development partners, and clinical development partner 
• Experience using innovative technologies to advance novel drug candidates
• Working knowledge of the regulatory, commercial, and business aspects of the biotech industry
• A leader who is passionate about mentorship and development of scientific talent
• Strong track record of preclinical/basic science research in neuroscience or neurobiology strongly preferred