Associate Director, Project Management

Centessa; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Generous PTO

Health & wellness program

Job summary

Centessa Pharmaceuticals in Boston area seeks an Associate Director, Project Management for Orexin development programs. You will lead cross-functional teams, manage program schedules, budgets, and risk, and prepare governance materials for regulatory interactions.

This role reports to the Executive Director, Global Team Leader and requires strong communication and strategic influence. The position is US-based with some travel, base salary range $115k–$170k, plus discretionary bonus and

Qualifications

• 8+ years in pharma/biotech R&D with PM experience (BS).
• 4+ years as PM or equivalent in IND-enabling activities.
• Experience with IND submissions and Phase 1 development.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Knowledge of drug development, regulatory interactions, and submissions.
• PM principles and Smartsheet proficiency; PMP desired.

Responsibilities

• Partner with GTL to manage cross-functional matrix development teams.
• Lead detailed cross-functional program Gantt charts with dependencies.
• Identify interdependencies, critical path, and risk management strategies.
• Develop dashboards to communicate status and track progress.
• Manage team meetings, agendas, materials, and action follow-up.
• Maintain issue logs, risks registers, and budget updates with Finance.
• Oversee external vendors and integrate deliverables into the program.
• Support creation of governance and executive presentations.
• Prepare documents for Regulatory/Health Authority submissions.

Skills

PM leadership

IND/pre-IND

Drug development

Communication

Analytical skills

Smartsheet PM

Education

BS in pharma/biotech field

MS/MBA in related field

Tools

Smartsheet

Job description

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

Centessa is seeking a Associate Director, Project Management – Orexin Development Programs . This individual will leverage both project management and drug development experience to manage one or more early-stage global Orexin development programs. This position will report to the Executive Director, Global Team Leader .

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the GTL (Global Team Leader) to project manage a cross-functional matrix development team, and select sub-teams
• Lead the development of and continuously maintain detailed and fully cross-functionally integrated program Gantt chart, incorporating all relevant dependencies, and provide fit-for-purpose summary views for team use and executive management reviews
• Identify and manage interdependencies, critical path and at-risk activities to support program level scenario planning and risk management strategies
• Develop and maintain relevant dashboards to communicate status and track progress
• Manage cross-functional team meetings including scheduling, preparing agendas, presentation materials, and minutes that ensure proper follow up of action items
• Develop and maintain issue logs and risks registers, and ensure team proactively resolve issues in a timely manner and that risks are mitigated as appropriate
• Work with cross-functional team and Finance to develop and update budgets, and manage program spend within approved budget
• Manage select external vendors (timelines, budgets, MSA/SOW documents, etc.) and integrate deliverables into program Gantt
• Support development of Governance and Executive presentations
• Provide support for the planning and preparation of documents to a quality standard required for Regulatory/Health Authority submissions
• Contribute to establishment and refinement of best practices, processes and procedures

Qualifications

• BS plus 8+ years’ experience in pharmaceutical/biotech R&D environment, or MS/MBA plus 6+ years in pharmaceutical/biotech R&D environment, including 4+ years as PM or equivalent
• Experience managing project teams through IND-enabling activities, pre-IND mtgs, IND submissions, and Phase 1 development.
• Proven expertise in drug development and registration, including early and late-stage clinical, nonclinical, CMC development, and regulatory interactions, submissions/reviews globally
• Highly motivated, proactive, detail-oriented and organized self-starter with strong communication, collaboration, interpersonal skills, and influence to accomplish work without formal authority and to ensure optimal team performance
• Excellent analytical skills and expert in facilitating team decision making; competent in the application of decision analysis methodologies and related tools
• Expert knowledge of project management principles and practices with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced dynamic environment (PMP certification is highly desired), and expert in project management software, e.g., Smartsheet

Work Location

The Associate Director, Project Management role is based in the US, with occasional travel .

Compensation

The annual base salary range for the this position is $115,000 -$170,000.

Individual compensation within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge and 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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.