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 Director, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) to lead the development and execution of HEOR strategies across the central disorders of hypersomnia portfolio. In this role you will lead robust evidence generation strategies that to deliver global and regional evidence to support regulatory requirements, HTA dossiers, and payer negotiations, for Centessa’s Orexin Franchise. Reporting to the Executive Director, HEOR, the, you will partner extensively with Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Market Access, Commercial, Legal, Regulatory, and external research partners to translate strategic objectives into actionable, well-governed research plans throughout the product lifecycle — from early pipeline evidence generation and launch readiness through post-launch value demonstration.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Evidence Planning
- Lead the development of comprehensive HEOR strategies and operational plans for the assigned asset, establishing an early value proposition and sustaining value demonstration.
- Identify and address unmet medical needs, access barriers, and value gaps in collaboration with cross-functional teams to inform evidence and value narratives.
- Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to identify evidence needs and translate strategic objectives into actionable, accountable research plans.
- Design and incorporate PRO strategies into clinical development plans and support early market access planning.
- Maintain current knowledge of the regulatory, payer, and policy landscape relevant to PRO use, and assess implications for evidence generation.
Evidence Generation & Study Execution
- Lead and manage HEOR studies, including retrospective and prospective observational studies, database analyses (claims, EHR, registries), and innovative designs such as external control arms to contextualize single-arm trial data.
- Support the development of health economic models, AMCP dossiers, value communication materials, and literature reviews to support launch readiness and ongoing value demonstration.
- Ensure all research initiatives adhere to internal study governance and scientific/ethical standards, including securing necessary approvals and cross-functional alignment.
- Manage external vendors, consultants, CROs, and research partners to ensure high-quality, on-time study execution and appropriate budget management.
- Measure and track the impact of generated evidence, translating research outputs into practical tools (e.g., value decks, field materials) in partnership with scientific communications and patient advocacy team members.
Collaboration & Communication
- Communicate study findings, evidence strategy, and strategic impact to internal stakeholders, including Medical Affairs and functional leadership, and contribute to training and education efforts.
- Support the development of scientific publications, congress presentations, and other scientific communications for technical and non-technical audiences.
- Represent Centessa at scientific meetings, conferences, and professional forums as appropriate.
- Ability to navigate a global organization, to ensure regional evidence strategies align with global value narratives.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, or Master's) in health economics and outcomes research, pharmacoepidemiology, epidemiology, public health, health services research, health policy, pharmacy, or a related field.
- 10+ years of relevant experience in health economics, outcomes research, epidemiology, or related disciplines within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, academic, or consulting sectors.
- Experience designing and conducting studies using healthcare databases and other real-world data sources (claims, EHR, registries).
- Experience developing PRO strategies and/or RWE designs such as external or synthetic control arms.
- Strong knowledge of the regulatory and payer landscape, including experience designing evidence strategies that meet payer and regulatory requirements for novel therapies.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a matrixed organization.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience contributing to scientific publications and presentations for varied audiences.
- Experience working effectively across cross-functional teams and with external vendors, research partners, and thought leaders.
- Collaborative working style with strong emotional intelligence, able to influence and build consensus across teams, functions, and geographies.
- Relevant Neuroscience and Sleep area experience preferred but not required.
Compensation
The annual base salary range for this position is $180,000 to $260,000. 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.
Work Location
The Director, HEOR – Orexin Franchise role is a based in the US, with occasional travel.
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.
Skills Required
- Advanced degree such as PhD, PharmD, or Master's in health economics and outcomes research, pharmacoepidemiology, epidemiology, public health, health services research, health policy, pharmacy, or a related field
- 10+ years of relevant experience in health economics, outcomes research, epidemiology, or related disciplines
- Experience designing and conducting studies using healthcare databases and real-world data sources, including claims, EHR, and registries
- Experience developing patient-reported outcome strategies and/or real-world evidence designs such as external or synthetic control arms
- Strong knowledge of regulatory and payer landscapes and evidence strategies for novel therapies
- Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects in a matrixed organization
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including scientific publications and presentations
- Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams and with external vendors, research partners, and thought leaders
- Collaborative working style with strong emotional intelligence and ability to influence and build consensus across teams, functions, and geographies
- Relevant neuroscience and sleep area experience
What We Do
Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company with a Research & Development innovation engine that aims to discover, develop and ultimately deliver impactful medicines to patients. Our programs span discovery-stage to late-stage development and cover a range of high-value indications in rare diseases and immuno-oncology. We are led by a management team with extensive R&D experience, providing direct guidance to our program teams to rapidly advance our candidates from research through all stages of development. We are headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts
