Chief Science Officer – Antiviral Drug Development

About the role

Kimer Med is seeking an experienced Chief Science Officer to lead the scientific and development strategy for a new class of broad‑spectrum antiviral drugs. This senior leadership position combines strategic oversight with hands‑on involvement in research, pre‑clinical development, and scale‑up.

Key responsibilities

• Define and execute the R&D strategy across discovery, lead optimisation and pre‑clinical development.
• Provide day‑to‑day scientific leadership to multidisciplinary teams (virology, cell biology, protein work, assay development, process and scale‑up).
• Design go/no‑go decision points for candidate selection with clear data standards.
• Lead pre‑clinical package strategy (efficacy, PK/PD, safety/toxicology) aligned with regulatory expectations.
• Oversee external partners (CROs, academic collaborators, manufacturing) – scope, protocol review, timelines, data quality and reporting.
• Coordinate with process development and pilot manufacturing to ensure reproducible material supply and CMC alignment.
• Promote scientific rigor, experimental design, repeatability, documentation standards and biosafety.
• Support IP strategy, investor diligence and scientific risk governance.

Required profile

• PhD, MD, DVM or equivalent in virology, biochemistry, pharmacology, medicine or related life‑science field.
• Significant drug development experience (pre‑clinical candidate selection, IND‑enabling studies or early clinical support).
• Fluent written and spoken English with strong communication skills.
• Proven leadership ability to set direction, prioritize, coach and hold teams accountable.
• Highly organised, detail‑oriented and experienced working in a PC‑2 environment.
• Ability to solve problems and deliver results in a fast‑moving startup.

Required skills

• Virology
• Cell biology
• Protein engineering / work
• Assay development
• Process development and scale‑up
• Pre‑clinical pharmacokinetics / pharmacodynamics (PK/PD)
• Toxicology and safety assessment
• Chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC)
• Biosafety and PC‑2 compliance