Remote Director, CNS Medicinal Chemistry

Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Generous paid time off

Wellness program

Job summary

Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, seeks a Director, Medicinal Chemistry to lead a CNS drug discovery program across distributed teams, guiding small-molecule candidate design from hit-to-lead through IND readiness.

This hands-on leadership role requires scientific rigor, collaboration with CROs and consultants, and the ability to deliver IND-ready molecules while protecting IP and aligning with project timelines.

Qualifications

• 10+ years designing small molecules as a medicinal chemistry leader within biotech/pharma
• Experience with CNS targets and hit-to-lead to IND-ready candidates
• Proven ability to lead remote and outsourced teams toward aggressive timelines

Responsibilities

• Lead internal chemistry resources across remote sites and CROs to IND-ready candidates
• Serve as chemistry lead within the multi-disciplinary project team with partners and consultants
• Design new molecules addressing target product profile and IP opportunities
• Develop chemistry strategy to secure a robust IP position for the company
• Analyse SAR with weekly pharmacology/ADME data to guide designs
• Monitor competitor activities to advance internal programs
• Communicate with synthesis teams to maximize throughput of test compounds
• Leverage in-house structure-based drug design knowledge
• Use predictive tools to refine designs of compounds with drug-like properties
• Present data and propose next steps at chemistry-focused and cross-functional meetings
• Defend designs with SAR and literature precedent while remaining open to alternatives
• Communicate clearly in written and verbal interactions within project teams and senior management

Skills

Medicinal chemistry leadership

Small molecule design

Remote team leadership

CNS targets

outsourced chemistry management

AI in drug discovery

Education

BS/MS Chemistry

PhD strongly preferred

Job description

Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, seeks a Director, Medicinal Chemistry to lead a CNS drug discovery program across distributed teams, guiding small-molecule candidate design from hit-to-lead through IND readiness.

This hands-on leadership role requires scientific rigor, collaboration with CROs and consultants, and the ability to deliver IND-ready molecules while protecting IP and aligning with project timelines.