Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)

About the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Geneva, Switzerland

The Wyss Center is an independent, non-profit research and development organization that advances our understanding of the brain to realize therapies and improve lives. The Wyss Center staff, together with the Center’s academic, clinical and industrial collaborators, pursue innovations and new approaches in neurobiology, neuroimaging and neurotechnology.

The Wyss Center advances reveal unique insights into the mechanisms underlying the dynamics of the brain and the treatment of disease to accelerate the development of devices and therapies for unmet medical needs. The Center was established by a generous donation from the Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss in 2014. Additional resources from funding agencies and other sources help the Wyss Center accelerate its mission.

About the Position

We seeking a Chief Scientific Officer to lead the Center’s translational activities in neuroscience and the expansion of Wyss Center’s activities in the area of Neurobiology. Reporting to the CEO, the CSO will be a member of the Center’s leadership team.

Key responsibilities:

The successful candidate will build from the ground up a new function in the Center’s R&D organization needed to support the de-risking of novel ideas and therapeutic approaches in neurobiology. He/she will facilitate and manage the Center’s strategic initiatives and collaborations with academic and industrial groups in this field. Working collaboratively with Wyss Center staff, university faculty, clinicians, start-ups and other scientific leaders and teams in industry, the successful candidate will aim to accelerate the translation of such approaches to the clinic. He/she will play a key role in communicating the Center’s science into understandable concepts for partners, scientific leaders, investors and other stakeholders. He/she will be a leader who motivates the Wyss Center staff and collaborators to execute on the Center mission.

More specifically, the successful candidate will:

• Initiate, develop and execute neuroscience projects at the Center, at various development stages from early ideas to preclinical and early stage clinical.
• Build from the ground up and lead a team of researchers to support an innovative pipeline of neuroscience projects with translational focus.
• Collaborate with external stakeholders to drive therapeutic candidates into the clinic and towards human proof of concept.
• Source and complete strategic partnering deals, assisting in closing funding and winning grants for the Center.
• Develop scientific talent within the Center, providing performance feedback, training, mentorship and exposure to new projects, ideas and disciplines.
• Collaborate with the Center’s Leadership team to set the operational plan, including hiring plan, timeline, forecasts, and budget, needed to execute on the Center’s strategy.
• Identify and lead the advancement of new technologies that position the Wyss Center as a leader in neuroscience.

• PhD in Neuroscience, Neurobiology or Neurochemistry with 10+ years of industry experience in translational neuroscience.
• Strong track record of preclinical/basic science research in neuroscience or neurobiology and its translation to the clinic.
• Experience leading a high-performing division or functional group.
• Experience presenting to diverse audiences, including investors, business development partners, clinical development partners, and/or scientific KOLs.
• Experience using innovative technologies (e.g. enabling platforms or modalities) to advance novel
• Strong record of publications in top peer reviewed journals.
• Appreciation for the design, organization and execution of a successful clinical approach and working knowledge of US/European regulatory, commercial, and business aspects of the pharma/biotech industry.
• A leader who is passionate about mentorship, culture, and nurturing the development of scientific talent.
• Fluent in English, French is a plus.