Director, Medicinal Chemistry

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 ORX750) – 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

We are seeking a Director, Medicinal Chemistry who will lead the medicinal chemistry component of a multi-disciplinary team within a CNS GPCR drug discovery program. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for guiding a virtual, geographically distributed organization — including internal chemistry staff (some based at remote sites), a CRO-based synthetic chemistry team, consultants, and partners — through the identification and progression of small-molecule and other modality candidates from hit-to-lead through IND-ready status. Success in this role requires strong scientific leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to build effective working relationships across a geographically dispersed team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage internal chemistry resources — including staff based at remote sites — alongside dedicated synthetic chemistry teams within CROs, setting priorities, resolving synthetic challenges, and directing the groups toward IND-ready candidate molecules.
• Serve as the chemistry leader within the broader multi-disciplinary project team, building strong working relationships and effective communication with colleagues, partners, consultants, and CROs to jointly identify the best path forward.
• Use all available resources to creatively design new molecules which address the target product profile, establish new intellectual property, and progress the project toward time-based goals
• Make substantial contributions to the development of a chemistry strategy that secures a robust intellectual property position for the company in each area of work
• Analyse SAR within weekly pharmacology & ADME data to identify opportunities for improved molecules, and translate these into tractable designs for molecules with drug-like properties
• Maintain awareness of competitor activities and current medicinal chemistry developments, and use this effectively to advance internal programs
• Communicate regularly with synthetic team, maintain awareness of all ongoing chemistry and look for opportunities to maximise throughput of test compounds
• Effectively utilise in-house structure-based drug design knowledge
• Use compound property computational predictive tools to refine designs
• Present data and clearly articulate ideas for next steps at both chemistry-focused and cross-functional TCs, and at ad hoc F2F meetings
• Use evidence from SAR and literature precedent to defend proposed designs, and also be receptive to alternative suggestions
• Express ideas clearly and professionally in written and verbal interactions within the context of project teams and senior management

Qualifications

• BS/MS Chemistry.  PhD Strongly preferred.
• 10+ years designing small molecules as a medicinal chemistry team leader within a biotech and/or pharmaceutical company
• Expert, enthusiastic command of synthetic chemistry and medicinal chemistry principles, combined with solid working knowledge of pharmacology, ADME, pharmaceutical sciences, IP protection, and candidate selection criteria
• Experience of working on CNS targets, and across all stages of discovery (hit-to-lead & lead optimisation into IND-ready candidates)
• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams — including remote and virtual teams — toward aggressive timelines, balancing independent scientific judgment with strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Experience of managing outsourced chemistry teams
• Adaptive problem solver - turn issues into opportunities and translates ideas into solutions, even when the path isn’t clear.
• Leverage technical depth and a growth mindset to make impact; imagine what’s possible and pursue it with intention and energy.
• Demonstrate curiosity and drive self-identified innovation, especially in the exploration of artificial intelligence and digital tools.

Work Location

The Director, Medicinal Chemistry role is a remote based role with occasional travel. 

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $150,000.00 to $210,000.00. Individual compensation within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge an location.

In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus. The Company also offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a 401(k) plan, company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, generous paid time off, and a health and wellness program.

POSITION: Full-Time, Exempt

EEOC Statement: Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subdisary of Eli Lilly and Company believes in a diverse environment and is committed to equal employment opportunity for all its employees and qualified applicants. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Please note: We will not assign referral rights for any unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies.