Scientific Director, Biotherapeutics Design & Optimization

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: June 1, 2025

Job Description:

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We're looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.Actual compensation will depend on a candidate's education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $144,000 - $250,800.Organization Overview:Lilly's Biotechnology Discovery Research (BioTDR) organization has a track record of discovering, optimizing, and delivering novel biotherapeutic medicines to the clinical for the treatment of unmet medical needs in diabetes, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Scientific Director to join our Biotherapeutic Lead Optimization team. The ideal candidate will have extensive background in biotherapeutic design, engineering, and experience with various modalities including mAbs, bsAbs and other proteins as well as small molecule, oligonucleotide, and peptide bioconjugates. This role requires an extensive understanding of the large molecule drug discovery and development process, as well as a broad comprehension of disease biology. Are you eager to drive innovation in a fast-paced, collaborative environment? Our commitment to our employees, patients, and communities is unmatched, and we want you to be a part of our Team.Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage biotherapeutic design and engineering projects from concept through to clinical development.
• Oversee the development of mAbs, bsAbs, proteins, and bioconjugates and ensure the integration of innovative approaches.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive large molecule drug discovery and development.
• Provide scientific expertise and influence project and portfolio strategy.
• Mentor and develop junior scientists and contribute to the growth of the team.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in biologics and bioconjugates.
• Represent the company at scientific conferences and build external collaborations.Basic Requirements:
  • PhD in Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Molecular Biology, or related fields with 7+ years of relevant experience in biotherapeutics R&D.
  • Proven track record in lead discovery and optimization (antibodies, bi/multispecifics, fusion proteins, bioconjugates and alternative biologics formats) for optimal therapeutic performance.
  • Demonstrated success in delivering clinical candidates across diverse therapeutic areas.
  • In-depth understanding of large molecule drug discovery and development processes.
  • Expertise in understanding of protein design, protein-protein interactions, structure-function relationship, biophysical characterization and optimization using developability assessment methods (stability, solubility, manufacturability, formulation impacts).
  • Supervisory experience and talent management experience.Additional Skills/Preferences:
    • Experience in collaborating with computational and discovery groups to design, develop, and optimize biologics for a variety of indications and target classes.
    • Experience with automation and HTP workflows.
    • Familiarity with protein structure analysis (Pymol, Chimera, MOE).
    • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
    • Excellent time management and organizational skills with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines.
    • Working effectively across organizational boundaries to navigate complex business and technical issues.Additional Information:
      • Location: Indianapolis, Indiana.
      • Travel: 0-10%.
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