Senior Clinical Trial Manager

Senior Clinical Trial Manager (Contract)

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.

Description of Role

Centessais seeking a (contract-to-hire) Senior Clinical Trial Manager (Sr. CTM) to lead the execution of global clinical studies from startup through closeout and clinical study report . This role is a temporary position with the potential to convert to a permanent role, accountable for study delivery, including operational strategy, timelines, budget, quality, vendor oversight, risk management, and inspection readiness. This individual in this role will lead cross-functional teams and manage CROs and external vendors to ensure studies are conducted efficiently, compliantly, and in alignment with program objectives .

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, execution, and oversight of global clinical trials from startup through closeout.
• Serve as the primary operational lead for assigned studies, driving cross-functional alignment and execution.
• Develop and manage study timelines, budgets, enrollment forecasts, risk mitigation plans, and key performance metrics.
• Oversee CROs and external vendors to ensure delivery against scope, quality standards, timelines, and budget.
• Drive critical study milestones, including site activation, enrollment, database lock, and study closeout.
• Review and approve study plans, vendor deliverables, and trial documentation to ensure compliance with protocol, GCP, and regulatory requirements.
• Identify operational risks and issues, implement mitigation strategies, and elevate as appropriate.
• Lead study team meetings and provide regular updates to stakeholders and senior management.
• Ensure Trial Master File (TMF) quality, completeness, and inspection readiness throughout the study lifecycle.
• Support regulatory submissions, audits, inspections, and Health Authority interactions.
• Contribute to process improvements and mentor junior clinical operations team members as needed.
• Collaborate effectively with global teams, investigators, CROs, and vendors across multiple regions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific, health-related, or equivalent discipline required.
• 8+ years of clinical research experience, including 5+ years of clinical trial management experience within a sponsor or CRO environment.
  2+ years of managing Phase 1 Healthy Volunteer studies.
• Experience in standard clinical pharmacology package studies such as:
  First in Human, Drug to Drug Interaction, Human Absorption, Metabolism, Excretion and Mass Balance, Relative Bioavailability, Bioequivalence, Organ Impairment, Abuse Liability studies.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading Phase 1 studies, global Phase II and/or Phase III clinical trials.
• Experience managing CROs, CRUs, central vendors, and cross-functional study teams.
• Experience supporting inspection readiness, audits, and regulatory interactions preferred.

Compensation

T he hourly range for this position is $ 70 .00 to $ 100 .00 per hour. Individual compensation within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant…