Executive Director, Clinical Development
Centessa Pharmaceuticals
June 27, 2026
Remote
United States
Clinical Research and Development
Description of Role
- Executive Director, Clinical Development will lead Centessa’s late-stage Orexin Receptor 2 Agonist Program (Program 750) for narcolepsy type 1, narcolepsy type 2, and idiopathic hypersomnia.
- Provide strategic and operational execution across late-stage development while staying ready to support earlier-stage/emerging programs.
- Collaborate with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Translational Medicine, Biometrics, Safety, and external stakeholders; provide scientific/medical leadership for clinical study design, execution, data interpretation, and regulatory interactions.
Key Responsibilities
- Author/oversee clinical study protocols; develop integrated clinical development plans from preclinical translation through late-stage trials.
- Partner with Clinical Operations to meet quality, timeline, and budget expectations.
- Provide real-time medical/scientific guidance for trials (data review, safety oversight, development acceleration).
- Support biomarker strategy, dose selection, and indication expansion evaluation.
- Engage investigators/KOLs/external experts; communicate clinical/scientific updates.
- Contribute to regulatory submission clinical sections (INDs, protocol amendments, briefing documents, annual/safety/clinical study reports).
- Oversee safety monitoring, GCP, pharmacovigilance, SOPs, and quality requirements.
- Support regulatory interactions with global health authorities.
Qualifications
- MD in neurology/neuroscience required; board certification required; MD/PhD strongly preferred.
- 10+ years CNS experience (academia/clinical practice/pharma/biotech).
- 5+ years pharma/biotech experience with leadership in clinical development/global trials/clinical science organizations.
- Deep CNS expertise with direct sleep disorder experience.
- People/line management experience; willingness to do project/tactical work.
- Strong knowledge of FDA/EMA regulations, GCP, ICH; inspection experience a plus.
- Experience authoring clinical inputs to regulatory submissions and representing clinical development in agency interactions.
- Strong clinical development strategy, trial design, regulatory pathways, biostatistics; ability to interpret translational/clinical/research data.
- Excellent written/oral communication; collaborative/matrix experience; sound judgment; travel as required.
Compensation & Benefits
- Annual base salary range: $300,000–$375,000; eligible for discretionary bonus and equity program.
- 401(k), medical/dental/vision/life insurance, generous paid time off, health & wellness program.
Work Location
- US-based with occasional travel.
- Executive Director, Clinical Development will lead Centessa’s late-stage Orexin Receptor 2 Agonist Program (Program 750) for narcolepsy type 1, narcolepsy type 2, and idiopathic hypersomnia.
- Provide strategic and operational execution across late-stage development while staying ready to support earlier-stage/emerging programs.
- Collaborate with Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Translational Medicine, Biometrics, Safety, and external stakeholders; provide scientific/medical leadership for clinical study design, execution, data interpretation, and regulatory interactions.
Key Responsibilities
- Author/oversee clinical study protocols; develop integrated clinical development plans from preclinical translation through late-stage trials.
- Partner with Clinical Operations to meet quality, timeline, and budget expectations.
- Provide real-time medical/scientific guidance for trials (data review, safety oversight, development acceleration).
- Support biomarker strategy, dose selection, and indication expansion evaluation.
- Engage investigators/KOLs/external experts; communicate clinical/scientific updates.
- Contribute to regulatory submission clinical sections (INDs, protocol amendments, briefing documents, annual/safety/clinical study reports).
- Oversee safety monitoring, GCP, pharmacovigilance, SOPs, and quality requirements.
- Support regulatory interactions with global health authorities.
Qualifications
- MD in neurology/neuroscience required; board certification required; MD/PhD strongly preferred.
- 10+ years CNS experience (academia/clinical practice/pharma/biotech).
- 5+ years pharma/biotech experience with leadership in clinical development/global trials/clinical science organizations.
- Deep CNS expertise with direct sleep disorder experience.
- People/line management experience; willingness to do project/tactical work.
- Strong knowledge of FDA/EMA regulations, GCP, ICH; inspection experience a plus.
- Experience authoring clinical inputs to regulatory submissions and representing clinical development in agency interactions.
- Strong clinical development strategy, trial design, regulatory pathways, biostatistics; ability to interpret translational/clinical/research data.
- Excellent written/oral communication; collaborative/matrix experience; sound judgment; travel as required.
Compensation & Benefits
- Annual base salary range: $300,000–$375,000; eligible for discretionary bonus and equity program.
- 401(k), medical/dental/vision/life insurance, generous paid time off, health & wellness program.
Work Location
- US-based with occasional travel.