Engineer – Drug Product, Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD)

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: January 31, 2026

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. Overview: At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. Position Summary: Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) is involved in key activities for the development of synthetic active pharmaceutical ingredients from pre-clinical phases through commercialization of drug substances and drug products. Our scientists and engineers develop key technical and business solutions across the portfolio using their deep technical expertise to accelerate testing of the clinical hypothesis and overall drug development. SMDD delivers on these responsibilities by recognizing diverse talent and cultures are necessary to bring the next generation of life changing medicines to patients. SMDD is seeking outstanding engineering candidates to work within the process design and development team. The position presents an opportunity to work side by side with chemists, analytical chemists, engineers, formulation scientists and modelers to develop new technical solutions to accelerate our portfolio. The position will be based in Indianapolis where research is conducted in our development facilities. Responsibilities: Apply engineering fundamentals towards designing and optimizing continuous and batch drug product processes at lab, pilot, and manufacturing scales, including but not limited to powder feeding, powder mixing, wet and dry granulation techniques, encapsulation, tablet compaction, spray dry dispersion, hot melt extrusion, and tablet film coating, to ensure successful scale-up of processes through fundamental engineering principles and equipment knowledge. Design and execute experiments in a laboratory/pilot plant setting and/or leverage scale-up and process control models to ensure robust processes capable of meeting early and late phase demands by planning and managing both short-term and long-term development activities. Develop and review work plans and timelines for project work, recommending resource allocation to accomplish the projects, provide updates, and communicate progress/needs. Help to develop stage-appropriate process control strategies encompassing necessary aspects such as equipment operations, automation systems, PAT, model-based predictions, and methods of data reconciliation and monitoring in real time. Engineers in SMDD will be responsible for overseeing scaleup and technology transfer to manufacturing facilities within and external to Lilly through team meetings, site visits, and process monitoring. Author and maintain documentation such as laboratory notebooks, technical reports, and regulatory submissions dealing with the work performed by the department, including preparation or oversight and review of the appropriate manufacturing and controls portion of regulatory submissions. Stay informed about new technology and best practices. Propose, justify, evaluate, and implement new equipment, processing techniques, and technologies. Utilize technology to improve safety, quality, and productivity, both in development and manufacturing. Foster an inclusive environment by promoting diverse thought and shared experience to deliver innovative solutions that address unmet technical needs. Publish and share original research externally through peer-reviewed articles and conferences. Basic Requirements: B.S (0-12 years industry experience). or M.S. (0-9 years industry experience) in chemical engineering or closely related field. Additional Skills/Preferences: Strong technical skills in drug product development with experience as a hands-on technical contributor in a laboratory/pilot plant environment within pharmaceuticals is desired. Demonstrated problem solving skills, attention to detail and result-orientated behaviors in a fast-paced environment. Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to collaborate in a team environment. Ability to prioritize multiple activities and handle ambiguity. Additional Information Physical Demands/Travel: The physical demands of this job are consistent with a lab environment . Travel: 0 to 10%. The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Work Environment: This position’s work environment is in a laboratory environment. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. *To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the role and responsibilities satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form ( https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation ) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response. Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $66,000 - $149,600 Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees. WeAreLilly

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