Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Magdalena Biosciences
Location: Remote, anywhere in USA
Company Stage: Seed Stage (Preparing for Series A)
Reports To: Board of Directors
About Magdalena Biosciences
Magdalena Biosciences is a pioneering joint venture formed by Jaguar Health and Filament Health, with foundational funding from One Small Planet. Our mission is to develop novel, plant-derived, pharmaceutical-grade prescription medicines for mental health disorders.
Initially focusing on adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, and anxiety, Magdalena leverages Jaguar’s proprietary library of 2,300 highly characterized medicinal plants and Filament’s advanced drug development technology. We are uniquely positioned to build revolutionary drugs from whole-extract coca leaf, offering safe, novel mechanisms of action compared to chemically synthesized small-molecule drugs.
Position Overview
Magdalena Biosciences is seeking a highly entrepreneurial and visionary Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the company through its seed expansion, drive early pipeline development, and secure a successful Series A financing round.
The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of FDA botanical drug guidance, Central Nervous System (CNS) indications, and early-stage biotech operations. Operating in a lean, resource-constrained environment, you will drive strategic clarity from ambiguity, turning raw botanical innovation into a validated, commercializable clinical pipeline.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership & Pipeline Development
- Define Strategy: Refine the company’s scientific and corporate trajectory, ensuring an efficient path from preclinical study initiation to validated programs.
- Prioritize Indications: Establish milestone-driven development plans for high-value targets (adult ADHD, depression, and anxiety) optimized for a capital-efficient seed-to-Series-A timeline.
- Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify and derisk scientific, regulatory, and operational assumptions early in the development lifecycle.
2. Fundraising & Investor Relations
- Capital Acquisition: Lead all financing activities, maximizing seed expansion and driving the strategy for a successful Series A raise.
- Relationship Management: Build and maintain high-trust relationships with venture capitalists, impact investors, and strategic partners.
- Corporate Narrative: Craft and articulate a compelling, scientifically credible company narrative to external stakeholders.
3. Team Building & Culture
- Recruitment: Build and lead a lean, elite, cross-functional team across R&D, clinical operations, and program management.
- Culture Champion: Foster a hands-on, data-driven, and execution-focused culture that rewards smart risk-taking and rapid learning.
- Advisory Governance: Engage and manage scientific founders, advisors, and the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to maximize platform development.
4. Partnerships & Business Development
- Alliances: Identify, negotiate, and execute strategic partnerships with academic institutions, biotechnology startups, and large pharmaceutical companies.
- Vendor Operations: Oversee relationships with contract service providers, specialized funding bodies, and CROs to ensure disciplined, externalized execution.
Qualifications & Requirements
Professional Experience
- Biotech Leadership: Proven track record as a Founder, CEO, CRO, COO, CSO, Head of R&D, or senior Business Development executive within an early-stage biotechnology startup.
- Capital Raising: Demonstrated success raising capital, building investor trust, and securing venture financing.
- Domain Expertise: Direct experience in botanical drug development, appetite suppression, or neuropsychiatric/CNS drug pipelines.
- Resource Management: Proven capability to execute disciplined prioritization and achieve results within resource-constrained environments.
Skills & Attributes
- Scientific Fluency: Ability to speak the language of science fluently and engage meaningfully with researchers, clinicians, and technical partners.
- Strategic Agility: A strategic thinker who thrives in ambiguity and can make highly informed, actionable decisions using incomplete data.
- Communication: Exceptional emotional intelligence, with the ability to deliver scientifically credible and commercially sharp communications.
Education
- Required: Advanced background in medicine or life sciences (PhD or MD highly preferred; equivalent industry tenure considered).
- Preferred: MBA or equivalent business credential.
Why Join Us?
- Ground-Floor Impact: Lead the creation of a revolutionary botanical drug asset from raw extract through data generation to FDA approval.
- Autonomy & Ownership: Shape the company culture, scientific strategy, and pipeline architecture from day one with true autonomy.
- Elite Network: Work directly alongside visionary founders, leading institutional investors, and world-class scientific advisors.
- Clinical Meaning: Transform the landscape of mental health care by delivering a safer, natural class of prescription medicines to patients in need.
Compensation Package – Competitive with an early-stage CEO pay package including base salary, bonus and equity
** Business travel required