Chief Scientific Officer

Journey is building a new kind of drug company focused on psychedelic mental health therapies. Journey Colab is taking a portfolio of plant inspired psychedelic compounds through FDA for therapeutic use, beginning with mescaline, and seeks to transform mental health care by scaling a company that benefits all stakeholders. We’ve developed an innovative steward ownership structure backed by leading investors, including Sam Altman, to build a professional team while focusing on access, reciprocity, and inclusion.  Journey has been featured in Fierce Biotech, Neo.Life, and The Wall Street Journal.

We’re looking to hire a leader in drug development to build out our FDA submission strategy and team. As a well-funded startup, we’re looking for a proven and experienced leader to build from the ground up a team that is geared to success. 

Journey has identified a subset of compounds that fit our values and business model and has hired experts to develop our IP and exclusivity strategy. Our drug development lead will work remotely and report directly to the CEO. 

The Opportunity:

The Chief Scientific Officer will provide strategic scientific leadership and direction of the research and development and advancement of the company’s portfolio. In addition to developing and driving a comprehensive lifecycle portfolio strategy, the CSO shall be responsible for leading a cross-functional leadership team of both internal and external resources in all aspects of development (pre-IND stage through late stage development), ensuring consistent high-quality output from the team and achievement of program goals and objectives. The CSO will also drive effective execution of such strategies by leading the cross-functional team’s engagement, integration, coordination, and communication across functional lines. Duties for this role also include managing R&D partnerships, helping to build necessary infrastructure for the R&D organization, and working with the rest of the executive leadership team to create an environment that supports rapid and high-quality decision making (both for the portfolio and the organization) and to identify, evaluate, and find solutions for key issues facing the programs on an ongoing basis.

Professional Responsibilities:

• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to drive the development of a comprehensive strategic plan through registration and pre-commercialization preparation, including goals, budget, and risk assessment. Develop program vision, strategy, scope/focus, milestones, risk assessment, and management strategies, as well as project investment requirements
• Lead cross-functional team focused on the development of clinical candidates, from pre-IND through late stage clinical development and FDA submission for multiple indications. 
• Providing effective leadership and direction to a cross-functional team, including scientific and operational oversight of activities, budgeting, and planning
• Partner with executive team to develop operating framework within R&D, to clarify and facilitate decision-making and escalation around strategic direction, resource allocation, etc
• Partner with functional areas to identify and ensure adequate resources for timely completion of goals and objectives. Ensuring team members understand program objectives, specifications, deliverables, timelines, and tasks
• Drive the development and implementation of portfolio strategy 
• Manage and communicate program progress on a continual basis, identifying both cross-program and cross-functional issues, resource issues, timeline issues, and budget issues
• Participate in corporate development of methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for projects, programs, and people
• Ensure budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements
• Anticipate potential roadblocks and issues of conflict and maintain open lines of communication in problem solving and resolving issues and conflict

Education/Experience:

• BS/BA or MS/MA degree in related discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least 10 years of industry experience in drug development, including experience in early phase nonclinical and clinical drug development, regulatory expertise, and pre-commercial market preparation
• Experience working with Schedule 1 drugs preferred
• Extensive Clinical Operations experience in the CRO/pharmaceutical/biotech industry with a proven track record as a leader in clinical trials
• Experience leading programs from IND submission to registrational trials preferred

Professional Requirements:

• Has extensive experience in Pharmaceutical Industry
• Uses broad expertise or unique knowledge and skills to contribute to development of company objectives and principles and to achieve goals in creative and effective ways
• Develops technical and/or business solutions to complex problems
• Identifies and applies advanced practices, technical principles, theories and/or concepts, and contributes to the development of new principles and concepts; has a comprehensive understanding of current approaches in industry and ability to incorporate them into Journey Colab’s programs
• Guides the successful completion of major programs, projects and/or functions. Has extensive experience leading multiple projects involving complex issues and decision-making
• Leads or manages the work of others by providing guidance to subordinates or teams based on organizational goals and company policy, with responsibility for results, including costs, methods and staffing
• Independently interprets, executes, and recommends modifications to companywide policies and/or divisional programs.
• Develops departmental policies and oversees and/or authorizes their implementation.
• Applies strong analytical and business communication skills

Journey Colab is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive and supportive workplace for all employees.