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Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company is advancing a portfolio of high conviction programs with strong biological validation. Our asset-centric model offers a unique R&D logic that has been applied by single asset companies to improve productivity. This operating model has minimal centralized infrastructure, reduced hierarchy, and exclusive focus on data driven capital allocation. Our teams are uniquely incentivized to expeditiously interrogate key scientific hypotheses. We believe the asset-centric model can lead to improved success rates for programs with greater speed and modest costs.
of Role
Centessa is seeking an experienced Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology to provide scientific and strategic leadership for translational clinical pharmacology across a diverse pipeline spanning early development through late‑stage and registrational programs. Reporting to the Executive Director, Clinical Pharmacology, this position is accountable for developing and executing clinical pharmacology strategies that address the unique challenges of neuroscience drug development, including CNS exposure, dose optimization, and translational relevance. The Senior Director partners closely with cross‑functional teams, and cross-program teams to achieve broader translational understanding of our assets, and application of that knowledge to development programs. Additionally, they will represent clinical pharmacology in regulatory interactions to enable efficient, data‑driven advancement of therapies across our neuroscience portfolio.
Key Responsibilities
Lead strategy for collection and interpretation of information across in vitro, in vivo, literature of competitive sources, and clinical data to develop a translational knowledge base to Centessa assets
Drive dose selection and optimization by integrating PK, PD, safety, efficacy, and CNS‑specific biomarkers
Lead model‑informed drug development, including population PK, PK/PD, and exposure–response analyses relevant to CNS targets and clinical safety
Assess and guide strategies for CNS exposure, brain penetration, target engagement, and translational biomarkers
Lead clinical pharmacology strategy for CNS and neuroscience programs from first‑in‑human through registrational and post‑marketing stages
Design, execute, and interpret clinical pharmacology studies, including FIH, multiple‑ascending dose, DDI, biopharmaceutics, and patient studies
Serve as the clinical pharmacology lead on program teams, clinical sub‑teams, and trial working groups
Author and oversee clinical pharmacology sections of regulatory documents (e.g., INDs, CTAs, IBs, NDAs)
Represent clinical pharmacology in interactions with FDA and other global health authorities, supporting dose justification and labeling discussions
Partner closely with DMPK, Translational Sciences, Clinical Development, Biomarkers, Biostatistics, CMC, and Regulatory Affairs
Oversee CROs and external vendors conducting clinical pharmacology and modeling activities
Ensure timely communication and clear interpretation of clinical pharmacology results to internal stakeholders
Contribute to portfolio strategy, program prioritization, risk mitigation, and long‑range clinical development planning for CNS assets
Serve as a subject‑matter expert on clinical pharmacology
Mentor and develop clinical pharmacology talent as the pipeline and organization grow
Ensure high‑quality, submission‑ready documentation aligned with global regulatory standards
Qualifications
PhD, PharmD, or MD in Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related discipline
10+ years of experience in clinical pharmacology within biopharma, with demonstrated impact in translational science in drug development
Strong expertise in PK, PD, PK/PD integration, exposure–response analyses, and drug–drug interaction assessment
Extensive experience developing and executing clinical pharmacology strategies for early‑ through late‑stage programs, including registrational support
Demonstrated experience applying quantitative clinical pharmacology and translational approaches (e.g., population PK, mechanistic PK/PD modeling) to inform CNS dose selection and optimization
Proficiency with clinical pharmacology tools and platforms such as NONMEM, R, Phoenix WinNonlin, SimCyp, or equivalent
Experience authoring and delivering clinical pharmacology components of regulatory submissions (e.g., INDs, CTAs, NDAs) and interacting with global health authorities
Strong understanding of translational PK, CNS exposure considerations, and biomarker integration in neuroscience drug development
Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills with the ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, matrixed environment
Work Location
The Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology role is based in the US, with occasional travel
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Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is
$177,000 - $338,800
Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
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