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Chief Development Officer

💼 Full-time🗓 2026-07-24

Core

Own development strategy for a portfolio of in-licensed biopharma assets, designing clinical programs to reach Phase 2 proof-of-concept for potential acquisition.

Role type

Chief Development Officer (CDO)

Builds

Clinical development plans and regulatory pathways for 4-5 in-licensed assets

Domain

Biotechnology / Clinical Development / Pharma

Deliverable

production ML models | product features | dashboards & analysis | research | client delivery | infrastructure | physical/clinical work

Required skills

Clinical program leadership (Phase 1-2), In-licensed asset development, Regulatory strategy (FDA/EMA), Portfolio prioritization, Virtual team management, Exit strategy design

Preferred skills

AI tool usage for research and planning

Technologies

AI tools

Responsibilities

Design Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies including endpoints and biomarker strategy; Lead scientific diligence on shortlisted assets and make developability calls; Build and direct a virtual development organization of fractional experts; Represent development thesis with investors and the board; Partner on deal structuring and negotiation; Lead regulatory interactions with agencies.

Seniority

Executive, C-suite

Rewrite
## About the Company Our mission is to power biology's century with radically faster, more reliable clinical trials. Every new treatment needs clinical trials to prove safety and efficacy, but today's infrastructure is stuck in the past- driving up cost, causing delays and ultimately meaning new treatments don't get to patients. We're fundamentally changing that- not just being a "better CRO," but transforming how people think about developing new treatments, so patients can access breakthrough treatments faster. Our impact speaks for itself: Since March 2021, we've powered 100+ clinical trials involving tens of thousands of patients. We recently raised a $55M Series B from Balderton Capital, alongside backing from Creandum, Firstminute, Seedcamp, and Visionaries. ## What's it like to work here? When you join us, you'll experience: - High-Impact, Mission-Driven Work: Lindus is disrupting an outdated industry, giving you the chance to directly improve patients' lives and see tangible results from your work. - Fast-Paced Growth & Ownership: We recognise hard work and outcomes over anything else. You'll take on real responsibility, work across different areas, and actively shape the company's success. - Collaborative, No-Ego Culture: Work with smart, driven people in a supportive and informal environment. At Lindus we break down silos, fun is a core value, and creativity is encouraged. Ready to power biology's century? We'd love to hear from you. ## About the Role As Chief Development Officer, you will own development strategy across the Lindus Therapeutics portfolio. We are building out a first tranche of 4 to 5 in-licensed assets, with trials starting in 2027. You report to our CEO, lead the Lindus Tx team, manage our VP Corporate Development and asset leads, and sit on the company executive committee. You are the senior development voice on every asset: you determine whether and how each can be advanced quickly and capital-efficiently to a Phase 2 proof-of-concept readout that an acquirer will pay for. You set the development strategy, design the clinical studies, define the target product profile, and drive the regulatory path behind each program. This is a hands-on builder's role. You won't run a large internal department: you'll assemble and direct a lean organization of fractional and consultant CMC, regulatory, pharmacology and clinical experts, with a development lead on each program reporting to you. Knowing how to find the right expert for each function matters as much here as the development science itself. You'll have real ownership: the call on whether an asset is developable and worth pursuing sits with you. ## About You - A senior clinical development leader. You have led clinical programs through Phase 1 and Phase 2 at pharma or biotech companies across more than one non-oncology therapeutic area. You've designed Phase 2 proof-of-concept studies, and you understand what it takes to generate a clean, interpretable signal in each. You've engaged with the FDA and ideally the EMA on IND strategy and early development interactions, and you know what the agencies will want to see at each stage. - Experience with in-licensed and partnered assets. You have experience developing assets that originated from 3rd parties can build a development plan around it, based on gaps in the dataset and what a future partner or acquirer might want to see. - You design around the exit. You understand what a partner needs to see in the clinical and regulatory package at Phase 2 proof-of-concept, including the endpoints, the dose selection rationale and the biomarker strategy, and you build the program to get there without gold-plating it. - Portfolio experience. You've led or overseen multiple programs simultaneously and are comfortable making hard prioritization calls between assets. - Able to run lean in a biotech setting. You've delivered strong Phase 1 and Phase 2 data within tight constraints and you'd rather build development capability through a small core team and a network of specialists than a large internal department. - A network to draw on. You can stand up regulatory, CMC, pharmacology and clinical capabilities as each asset needs them, bringing in the right people on the right terms. - Comfortable with AI tools. You use them across research, planning and analysis, with a clear sense of where they help and where scientific judgment is needed. ## What You'll Focus On - Owning clinical development strategy across the LTx portfolio, determining how each asset reaches a value-generating Phase 2 proof-of-concept readout quickly and capital-efficiently. - Designing Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies, including FIH and dose-escalation strategy, endpoints, patient population, biomarker approach and go/no-go criteria, and building the regulatory and CMC plans behind them. - Leading scientific and clinical diligence on shortlisted assets alongside the deal team and external experts, and making the developability call. - Building and directing a virtual development organization: recruiting and managing fractional and consultant CMC, regulatory, pharmacology and clinical talent, and the development lead on each program. - Designing each program backward from the exit, ensuring the Phase 2 clinical and CMC package is built for what a strategic or specialty pharma buyer will pay for. - Partnering with the VP Corporate Development on asset evaluation, deal structuring and negotiation, providing the development view into diligence. - Leading regulatory interactions with the FDA, EMA and other agencies, including pre-IND meetings, Type B interactions and scientific advice procedures. - Representing LTx's development thesis with investors, partners and the board. ## What We Offer We believe in rewarding the people who are building the future of clinical research. Financial & Growth: - Competitive salary plus meaningful equity - you'll own a piece of what we're building - £1,000 annual Learning & Development budget for courses, certifications, and conferences
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