Director, Translational Pharmacokinetics - DMPK

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Organization and Position Overview

Centessa Pharmaceuticals , a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, is a clinical-stage company developing orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonists as a new class of medicines for the treatment of narcolepsy and potentially other sleep-wake disorders. Centessa’s lead investigational candidate – cleminorexton (formerly ORX
750) – is being developed for narcolepsy type 1, narcolepsy type 2, and idiopathic hypersomnia. Centessa's OX2R agonist portfolio includes additional clinical and preclinical-stage assets with potential utility across a broader range of neurological, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Centessa was recognized as a Great Place to Work® in 2026.

Centessa Pharmaceuticals is seeking an experienced Director, Translational Pharmacokinetics – DMPK to provide pharmacokinetic modeling leadership for early-stage development programs across the company's portfolio.

In this role you will develop and validate physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models to simulate drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and drug-drug interactions (DDI) in the body. Furthermore, you will develop and evolve pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PKPD) models and first-in-human (FIH) dose projections. The responsibilities include analyzing nonclinical and clinical data, preparing simulation reports, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to support drug development processes.

The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in pharmacokinetics, mathematical modeling, and effective communication to accurately predict drug behavior and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams. You will play a critical role in integrating data from in vitro and pharmacokinetic studies to simulate ADME and DDI, which aids in optimizing dosing regimens and supporting regulatory submissions.

Responsibilities

• Model Development

• Design and implement PBPK models that accurately represent drug behavior in biological systems

• Create and/or evolve PKPD models with nonclinical and clinical data

• Support FIH dose projection for selected drug candidates progressing into the clinic

• Data Integration

• Integrate diverse experimental data, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, to enhance model accuracy.

• Regulatory Support

• Provide evidence-based simulations to support regulatory decisions and submissions including INDs, CTAs, IBs, briefing documents, regulatory responses, and health authority meeting materials

• Participate in regulatory interactions and preparation activities

• Collaboration

• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including DMPK, clinical pharmacology, translation sciences, CMC, clinical development, regulatory affairs, and project management, to ensure comprehensive model validation.

• Provide input into the design of in vitro and in vivo studies required for model development

• Scenario Analysis

• Conduct simulations to predict DDI

• Optimize dosing strategies under various physiological conditions.

• Pipeline Progression

• Contribute to candidate selection activities including the…