Chief Development Officer in London

Our mission: We're powering biology's century with radically faster, more reliable clinical trials. Every new treatment needs clinical trials to prove safety and efficacy, but today's infrastructure is stuck in the past, driving up cost, causing delays and ultimately meaning new treatments don’t get to patients. We're fundamentally changing that, not just being a "better CRO," but transforming how people think about developing new treatments, so patients can access breakthrough treatments faster. Our impact speaks for itself: Since March 2021, we've powered 100+ clinical trials involving tens of thousands of patients. We recently raised a $55M Series B from Balderton Capital, alongside backing from Creandum, Firstminute, Seedcamp, and Visionaries.

What's it like to work here? When you join us, you’ll experience:

• High-Impact, Mission-Driven Work: Lindus is disrupting an outdated industry, giving you the chance to directly improve patients’ lives and see tangible results from your work.
• Fast-Paced Growth & Ownership: We recognise hard work and outcomes over anything else. You’ll take on real responsibility, work across different areas, and actively shape the company’s success.
• Collaborative, No-Ego Culture: Work with smart, driven people in a supportive and informal environment. At Lindus we break down silos, fun is a core value, and creativity is encouraged.

Ready to power biology's century? We'd love to hear from you.

About the Role: As Chief Development Officer, you will own development across the Lindus Therapeutics portfolio: we are in the process of building out a first tranche of 4-5 in-licensed assets, with trials starting in 2027. You report to our CEO and will lead the Lindus Tx team, managing our VP Corp Dev and asset leads, and join the company executive team. You’re the senior development voice on every asset: whether it can be advanced quickly and capital‑efficiently to a proof‑of‑concept readout that a specialty pharma or strategic buyer will pay for, and how.

This is a hands‑on builder’s role. You won’t run a large internal department; you’ll assemble and direct a lean development organisation of fractional and consultant CMC, regulatory, pharmacology and clinical experts, with a development lead on each programme reporting to you. Knowing how to find the right person for each function, and on the right terms, matters as much here as the development science itself. You’ll have real ownership: the call on whether an asset is developable and worth pursuing sits with you. This role can be based in the US or UK.

About You:

• A senior drug development leader. You’ve taken multiple assets through clinical development, across more than one therapeutic area, from FIH and into Phase 2 or Phase 3. You’ve inputted into regulatory strategy and FDA interactions, ideally EMA as well, and are able to have full visibility on what the FDA and EMA will be looking for as part of a data package. Experience taking a drug all the way to approval is a plus; what matters most is your judgement on how to reach the data that creates value.
• Experience with in‑licensed and partnered assets, and a range of TAs. You know how to pick up an asset that came in through business development and build a plan a future partner or acquirer will pay for, and you’ve sat on at least one side of a licensing or M&A deal.
• You design around the exit. You know what a partner needs to see in the clinical and CMC package at proof‑of‑concept, and you build the programme to get there without gold‑plating it.
• Experience with a portfolio of assets. You have experience overseeing a portfolio of assets (vs single asset company profiles) and are comfortable ruthlessly prioritising between programs.
• Ability to run lean in a biotech setting. You’ve delivered strong data on tight budgets and timelines, and you’d rather run development through a small core team and a network of specialists than a large internal department.
• A network to draw on. You can stand up the regulatory, CMC, pharmacology and clinical capability each asset needs, bringing in the right people on the right terms.
• Comfortable with AI tools. You use them across research, planning and analysis, with a clear sense of where they help and where human judgement is needed.

What You’ll Focus On:

• Owning development strategy across the LTx portfolio, and deciding how each asset reaches a value‑generating proof‑of‑concept readout quickly and efficiently.
• Designing proof‑of‑concept studies, run on our clinical trial platform, and building the regulatory and CMC plans behind them.
• Leading scientific, clinical and regulatory diligence on shortlisted assets alongside the deal team and external experts, and making the developability call.
• Building and directing a virtual development organisation: recruiting and managing fractional and consultant CMC, regulatory, pharmacology and clinical talent, and the development lead on each programme.
• Designing each programme backward from the exit, so the data and CMC package is built for what a strategic or specialty pharma buyer will pay for.
• Partnering with the VP Corporate Development on asset evaluation, deal structuring and negotiation, providing the development view into diligence.
• Managing interactions with the FDA, EMA and other regulators across the portfolio.
• Representing LTx’s development thesis with investors, partners and the board.

What We Offer: We believe in rewarding the people who are building the future of clinical research.

• Financial & Growth: Competitive salary plus meaningful equity, you’ll own a piece of what we’re building; £1,000 annual Learning & Development budget for courses, certifications, and conferences; 39 days annual leave (UK: 30 days PTO + 8 bank holidays + 1 James Lind Day).
• Health & Wellbeing: $800 monthly employer contribution toward insurance for US team members (via TriNet PEO); £60 / $40 monthly wellness allowance with flexibility on how to spend it, including company private health insurance or a Wellhub membership; Access to gym and retail discounts through Happl.
• Culture & Connection: Regular company events and team gatherings (both virtual and in‑person); Charity partnerships and volunteering opportunities with Forward Trust; Work with a team that’s changing healthcare for the better.

Our Hiring Process: We believe hiring should be transparent, respectful of your time, and give you a real feel for what Lindus Health is like. Here’s what to expect:

• Initial conversation with Meri Beckwith (Co-CEO) (30 mins): Get to know each other, discuss the role, and answer any questions about Lindus and LTx.
• Second conversation with Michael Young (Co-CEO) (30 mins): Get to know each other, discuss the role, and answer any questions about Lindus and LTx.
• Development and strategy interview with Meri plus our CMO or VP Corp Dev (60 mins): A prepared presentation: take a sample Phase 1-complete asset and outline how you’d advance it to a value‑generating proof‑of‑concept readout, including the regulatory, CMC and exit path.
• Values interview with a co‑founder and another member of the wider team (30 mins): A chance to explore how our values align.
• Reference checks: Quick conversations with previous colleagues.

We’ll arrange at least one interview in‑person at our office so you can meet more of the team and get a feel for our environment. We will only contact you from lindushealth.com email addresses. Please check the spelling of emails which appear to come from Lindus carefully before responding. We will never ask for your financial information over email.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We evaluate all candidates based solely on their skills, experience, and qualifications relevant to the role. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.