Job Code:
Location: Mid-West

The Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of the Obesity "Drug Hunting Team" (DHT) is the most senior leader that has scientific and administrative oversight for our obesity discovery research. The CSO’s team will deliver novel clinical candidates to treat obesity and related co-morbid conditions.

Primary Position Responsibilities: The Obesity CSO has line management responsibility for approximately 40 highly qualified FTE scientists and has access to additional resources in chemistry, animal pharmacology, biotechnology and other core support areas. In addition, the Obesity DHT has a broad network of external partners, and the CSO helps identify and leverage these crucial collaborations. A key component of the evolving obesity strategy is to expand further our external research portfolio to include: academic-based drug discovery partnerships, outsourced of biology and chemistry efforts, partnerships with biotechnology companies, “shared risk” discovery and clinical partnerships with companies in India-China. The CSO plays a pivotal role in overseeing a large budget allocated to these external opportunities.

As the owner of the obesity portfolio, the CSO is responsible for: identification of novel therapeutic targets, validation of new approaches, initiation of screening, optimization of leads, determination of biomarker strategies, selection of therapeutic indications, and contribution to clinical trial design. Mentoring of junior scientists and managing budget and headcount are also important functions.

Requirements: PhD and / or MD. Strong scientific credentials with expertise in one or more of the following fields: obesity, eating disorders, neuroendocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, behavioral neuroscience. Strong leadership skills and fluency in English are required.