Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology

Centessa Pharmaceuticals, LLC•Boston, MA

5h•Remote

About The Position

Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: CNTA) is a new kind of pharmaceutical company with a deconstructed R&D environment that prioritizes data driven decision making led by subject matter experts. Centessa is advancing a portfolio of high conviction programs with strong biological validation. Their asset-centric model offers a unique R&D logic that has been applied by single asset companies to improve productivity, featuring minimal centralized infrastructure, reduced hierarchy, and an exclusive focus on data driven capital allocation. Teams are uniquely incentivized to expeditiously interrogate key scientific hypotheses, believing this model can lead to improved success rates for programs with greater speed and modest costs. Centessa is seeking an experienced Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacology to provide scientific and strategic leadership for 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 represents clinical pharmacology in regulatory interactions to enable efficient, data-driven advancement of therapies across the neuroscience portfolio.

Requirements

PhD, PharmD, or MD in Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related discipline
8–12+ years of experience in clinical pharmacology within biopharma, with demonstrated impact in clinical drug development
Extensive experience developing and executing clinical pharmacology strategies for early‑ through late‑stage programs, including registrational support
Strong expertise in PK, PD, PK/PD integration, exposure–response analyses, and drug–drug interaction assessment
Demonstrated experience applying quantitative clinical pharmacology 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

Responsibilities

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
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
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