Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs

Centessa Pharmaceuticals•Boston, MA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage company developing orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonists for sleep-wake disorders, is seeking a Senior Director, Global Medical Affairs. This role will lead the global medical strategy for the lead orexin receptor 2 agonist program, cleminorexton, focusing on launch readiness, scientific leadership, evidence generation, external engagement, and cross-functional collaboration. The individual will be the medical voice for the asset, ensuring scientific evidence, stakeholder insights, and patient needs inform business decisions. This position reports to the Head of Medical Affairs and collaborates with senior leadership.

Requirements

Advanced scientific or clinical degree (MD, PharmD, or PhD)
Minimum 10 years of Medical Affairs leadership experience
5 years global experience preferred
Experience in neuroscience, sleep medicine, neurology, psychiatry, or rare disease
Demonstrated experience leading at least one successful global product launch (North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific markets highly preferred)
Experience serving as a global medical lead for late-stage development or commercial products
Strong understanding of global medical affairs, evidence generation, payer evidence requirements, and commercialization readiness
Proven ability to drive strategy in a matrix environment
Proven track record of collaborating closely with commercial, market access, HEOR, regulatory affairs, and clinical development organizations
Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills

Responsibilities

Lead the global medical affairs strategy and tactical execution plan for cleminorexton.
Serve as the Global Medical Affairs Lead and core member of the cross-functional asset team.
Ensure alignment of medical strategy with corporate objectives, clinical development milestones, and commercialization plans.
Establish long-range medical affairs planning to support regulatory approvals, launch readiness, and lifecycle management.
Identify emerging scientific opportunities, evidence gaps, and stakeholder needs to inform future development.
Lead medical launch preparedness activities across major global markets.
Partner with commercial, market access, HEOR, regulatory affairs, and regional medical teams to develop integrated launch strategies.
Collaborate with medical affairs colleagues to ensure deliverables are aligned with strategy and launch timelines, including scientific platforms, training content, medical information resources, publications, congress activities, and insights generation.
Support pre-launch and launch planning activities, including collaborating with HEOR and market access for global payer engagement strategies and value communication.
Build and maintain relationships with global key opinion leaders, investigators, professional societies, and patient advocacy organizations.
Lead scientific advisory boards, expert consultations, and other insight-gathering initiatives.
Represent Centessa at major scientific congresses and industry meetings.
Serve as a credible scientific ambassador and subject matter expert for orexin biology and sleep-wake disorders.
Act as a strategic partner to commercial, market access, HEOR, regulatory, clinical development, patient advocacy, and corporate affairs.
Contribute medical expertise to brand strategy, payer engagement, disease-state education, and scientific communication initiatives.
Provide strategic partnership for the development of scientific platforms, publication strategies, educational programs, and medical training.
Provide medical review and guidance for externally facing scientific materials in compliance with applicable regulations and company policies.