Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: CNTA) new kind of pharmaceutical company with a deconstructed R&D environment that prioritizes data driven decision making led by subject matter experts. Centessa is advancing a portfolio of high conviction programs with strong biological validation.
Our asset-centric model offers a unique R&D logic that has been applied by single asset companies to improve productivity. This operating model has minimal centralized infrastructure, reduced hierarchy, and exclusive focus on data driven capital allocation. Our teams are uniquely incentivized to expeditiously interrogate key scientific hypotheses. We believe the asset-centric model can lead to improved success rates for programs with greater speed and modest costs.
Description of Role
The (contract) Senior Scientist for Study Operations, Pharmacology will oversee day-to-day operations of in vitro and in vivo pharmacology studies conducted remotely at specialized CRO’s including study forecasting, budgeting, planning, execution, data management, quality assurance, communications, and collaboration across a portfolio of Orexin agonist programs. This role requires a strong background in pharmacology, a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, and the ability to identify and resolve issues that arise during study execution. It will support pharmacology activities that are conducted in a matrix fashion to support all research and clinical development programs.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate outsourcing with responsibility for planning, execution, and oversight of pharmacology studies, ensuring robust methodology and alignment with program goals
- Oversee multiple parallel in vitro screening efforts to ensure efficient and timely progression of compounds through GPCR functional and binding assays
- Coordinate with internal teams and CRO partners to guide study execution, troubleshoot issues, and uphold scientific and operational rigor
- Manage end-to-end data flow between external CROs and internal teams—from assay/study initiation through analysis and reporting—ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with study objectives
- Coordinate internal review and approval of CRO study contracts and track to full execution to ensure timely study initiation at the CRO
- Initiate and manage multiple in vitro and in vivo study agreements in collaboration with legal and finance, and coordinate compound shipments with CMC.
- Coordinate finalization of protocols for pharmacology studies, working with DMPK, bioanalytical, and CMC team members
- Attend project meetings to stay informed and expedite studies as needed, and provide updates to project teams upon request
- Track study deliverables and communicate study progress to relevant team members and management; maintain an integrated calendar to track in vitro assay set-up, in progress screening, and downtime, forecasting pharmacology study deliverables across the entire portfolio for efficient planning of resources; Gantt chart for planned and ongoing in vivo studies
Education and Qualifications:
- Advanced degree (bachelor's or above) in pharmacology or related scientific field.
- Minimum 7 years of pharmacology experience in a contract research laboratory, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology company
- Strong understanding of pharmacology, biological sciences, and nonclinical research methodologies
- Demonstrated competency with one or more of the following techniques: Radioligand binding, FLIPR calcium mobilization, cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation, inositol phosphate (IP) turnover, arrestin (beta-arrestin/beta-arrestin recruitment)
- Highly organized, with proven ability to manage multiple simultaneous pharmacology studies, timelines, and data deliverables
- Proficient in scientific data analysis software packages, databases, and data management systems, with the ability to quickly learn and adapt to new software tools
- Must have excellent oral and written communication, active listening, negotiation, and interpersonal relationship skills
Other Information:
- Contract Duration: 6-9 months
- Work Authorization: Green Card, US Citizen
- Travel Required: No travel required
EEOC Statement: Centessa Pharmaceuticals 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. Centessa Pharmaceuticals 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.
Top Skills
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
