Magdalena Biosciences is building something genuinely rare in the biotech world. This seed-stage company, formed as a joint venture between Jaguar Health and Filament Health, is developing plant-derived, pharmaceutical-grade prescription medicines for mental health disorders. The Chief Executive Officer role at Magdalena Biosciences is not a traditional corporate position. It demands a founder's mindset inside a scientifically complex, regulatory-heavy environment.
The company is based remotely, open to candidates anywhere in the United States. Landing this role requires more than a strong resume. It requires knowing exactly what this company needs and proving you can deliver it.
What Magdalena Biosciences Is Actually Building
Understanding the company's mission is step one. Magdalena is developing whole-extract coca leaf medicines targeting adult ADHD, depression, and anxiety. This is not a conventional small-molecule drug program. The science draws from Jaguar's proprietary library of 2,300 characterized medicinal plants and Filament Health's advanced drug development technology.
The company is currently at seed stage, preparing for a Series A financing round. That context matters enormously. The CEO they hire must be comfortable operating in lean, resource-constrained conditions while steering toward a fully validated clinical pipeline.
One Small Planet provides foundational funding. The CEO reports directly to the Board of Directors. That reporting structure signals high accountability from day one.
What the Company Looks for in a CEO Candidate
Magdalena Biosciences is not searching for a traditional executive. The job posting uses the words "entrepreneurial" and "visionary" deliberately. The ideal candidate combines deep scientific credibility with genuine fundraising experience in early-stage biotech.
Several qualities appear consistently in what this role demands:
- Deep knowledge of FDA botanical drug guidance
- Experience with Central Nervous System (CNS) indications
- Proven success in early-stage biotech operations
- Ability to drive strategic clarity from ambiguity
- Track record of securing Series A or equivalent financing rounds
- Comfort working in lean, resource-limited environments
The company explicitly needs someone who can turn raw botanical innovation into a commercializable clinical pipeline. That is a very specific skill set. Candidates without direct CNS or botanical drug experience will face an uphill challenge.
Key Responsibilities You Must Be Ready to Own
The CEO's scope at Magdalena covers multiple critical functions simultaneously. This is not a role where you delegate early priorities. You lead them directly.
Strategic Leadership and Pipeline Development
You will define and refine the company's scientific and corporate trajectory. That means building milestone-driven development plans for ADHD, depression, and anxiety programs. Capital efficiency is a core requirement, not a bonus skill.
Fundraising and Investor Relations
Securing the Series A financing round is a central deliverable. You will manage relationships with existing investors and build new ones. Investor storytelling in biotech requires translating complex science into compelling financial narratives.
Regulatory Strategy
Navigating FDA botanical drug pathways is genuinely specialized work. The CEO must proactively identify and de-risk scientific and regulatory obstacles early. Mistakes at this stage delay programs and burn limited capital.
Team and Partnership Building
In a seed-stage company, the CEO often serves as chief recruiter. Building the right scientific advisory board, contracting key vendors, and managing joint venture relationships with Jaguar and Filament will all fall within your scope.
The Hiring Process at This Stage
Seed-stage biotech companies typically run lean, fast hiring processes for CEO roles. The Board of Directors will drive this search, likely with support from an executive search firm or a trusted recruiter in the biotech space. Expect several stages of evaluation.
The process will likely include:
- Initial screening call with a board member or recruiter to assess background fit
- Deep-dive interview with two or more board members covering strategy, fundraising, and regulatory knowledge
- Presentation or case exercise asking you to outline a Series A fundraising strategy or pipeline prioritization approach
- Reference checks focused heavily on past investor and scientific leadership experience
- Final board panel interview before an offer is extended
Because this company reports directly to a Board of Directors, expect board members to be deeply involved throughout. Prepare for rigorous, detailed conversations about your past decisions and outcomes.
Skills That Separate Strong Candidates
Several technical and leadership skills will define who stands out in this search. The strongest candidates will demonstrate all of them, not just a few.
Regulatory fluency is non-negotiable. You must understand FDA's botanical drug guidance documents and know how they apply to whole-plant extract programs. Candidates who speak in generalities about regulation will not compete well.
CNS drug development experience adds credibility quickly. ADHD, depression, and anxiety are the initial target indications. Knowing the clinical trial landscape, patient population challenges, and competitive dynamics in CNS makes your pitch to investors far stronger.
Beyond science, financial fluency at the early stage matters enormously. Series A investors in biotech ask hard questions about burn rates, milestone structures, and valuation logic. You need precise, confident answers.
Additional skills that strengthen your candidacy include:
- Experience managing joint ventures or multi-partner corporate structures
- Ability to build and manage scientific advisory boards
- Strong public-facing communication skills for investor presentations
- Prior experience at a company that successfully transitioned from seed to Series A
Interview Tips Specific to This Role
Preparing for a CEO interview at a seed-stage biotech requires a different approach than preparing for a senior executive role at a large company. The board wants to assess judgment, not just credentials.
Come prepared with a clear point of view on how to prioritize Magdalena's three target indications. Demonstrating that you have thought through ADHD vs. depression vs. anxiety pipeline sequencing shows strategic depth immediately.
Know the FDA's botanical drug guidance inside out. Referencing specific guidance documents and explaining how they shape your development strategy will set you apart from candidates with only general regulatory knowledge.
Prepare a concise narrative about a time you led a company or program through a major financing event. Be specific about the obstacles, the decisions you made, and the outcome. Vague success stories do not resonate with seed-stage boards.
Ask sharp questions about the board's Series A timeline expectations and their risk tolerance on the regulatory pathway. Asking good questions signals that you understand the complexity of what you are walking into.
How to Stand Out as an Applicant
The candidate pool for a CEO role at a company working with coca leaf botanical medicines will be naturally small. That is both an advantage and a challenge. The board will look for genuine alignment with the mission, not just a polished executive bio.
Tailor your application materials to reflect direct experience with plant-derived or botanical drug programs if you have it. If you don't, highlight your CNS development track record and your understanding of novel mechanism-of-action compounds.
Your cover letter or introductory materials should address the seed-to-Series-A challenge directly. Show that you understand the capital constraints and that you have a realistic, specific approach to solving them. Generic executive cover letters will not succeed here.
Demonstrate that you have studied the Jaguar Health and Filament Health partnership structure. Understanding how the joint venture was formed, and articulating how you would manage that relationship, signals serious preparation that most applicants skip entirely.
The role is remote and open to candidates across the United States. Candidates who can demonstrate prior success leading distributed, early-stage scientific teams will address one of the board's likely concerns about operational execution without a physical headquarters. Apply directly through the official listing at https://remoteOK.com/remote-jobs/remote-chief-executive-officer-magdalena-biosciences-1132997.
