Chief Science Officer - Antiviral Drug Development

About Kimer Med

Kimer Med is a Nelson-based biotechnology company focused on pioneering a novel category of broad-spectrum antiviral medications with the goal of alleviating the global burden of viral diseases.

Role Overview

We seek a seasoned Chief Science Officer (CSO) to steer our scientific and development roadmap as we transition from lead optimization to preclinical development and scale-up phases. This position balances strategic leadership with active scientific engagement, requiring collaboration with our internal research team and external stakeholders including CROs, academic partners, and manufacturing collaborators.

Key Responsibilities

• Shaping and implementing R&D strategy spanning discovery, lead optimization, and preclinical stages.
• Leading daily scientific management of a multidisciplinary team covering virology, cell biology, protein science, assay development, and process scale-up.
• Establishing rigorous go/no-go evaluation criteria for candidate progression based on clear data benchmarks.
• Formulating and supervising preclinical study strategies (efficacy, PK/PD, toxicology) aligning to regulatory expectations.
• Managing external partners by overseeing scopes, protocols, timelines, data integrity, interpretation, and reporting.
• Collaborating closely with process development and pilot manufacturing to guarantee consistent material supply and integration of CMC considerations with development goals.
• Fostering a culture of scientific excellence emphasizing strong experimental design, reproducibility, thorough documentation, and biosafety compliance.
• Supporting intellectual property management alongside patent counsel through invention documentation and strategic prioritization.
• Contributing to investor and partner engagements by preparing scientific content, data rooms, handling technical queries, and delivering presentations.
• Ensuring robust scientific governance involving risk management and quality assurance in conjunction with QA and CMC teams.

Candidate Requirements

• Doctorate-level qualification (PhD, MD, DVM, or equivalent) in virology, biochemistry, pharmacology, medicine, or a related life sciences discipline.
• Extensive experience in drug development, notably in areas such as preclinical candidate selection, IND-enabling studies, or early clinical development support.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English, capable of clear communication with scientific peers, investors, and collaborators.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to define direction, prioritize initiatives, mentor team members, and maintain a respectful, cooperative work environment.
• Strong organizational aptitude, precision, and detail orientation particularly in documentation and decision-making processes.
• Experience working within PC-2 laboratory environments.
• Competent at problem solving and delivering impactful outcomes within a fast-paced startup setting.
• Willingness to travel periodically for meetings with partners, collaborators, and investors.

Preferred Expertise

• Background in broad-spectrum antiviral drug discovery and development.
• Experience interacting with regulatory agencies such as FDA, TGA, or Medsafe and translating science into regulatory-compliant plans.
• Knowledgeable in managing outsourcing relationships including CRO selection, vendor management, and data quality assurance.
• Understanding of CMC processes including scale-up, formulation, process development, and quality systems, even if not a specialist.
• Prior involvement in biotech startups or compact teams with high accountability.
• Demonstrated capacity to implement comprehensive experimental standards and meticulous documentation practices (including ELN and reporting).
• Experience compiling scientific materials for investor and partner due diligence processes.

Additional Information

Shortlisted candidates will be subject to a pre-employment drug screening and police check. The role is based at Kimer Med's facilities in Annesbrook, Nelson, New Zealand. Applications must include a cover letter along with a CV.