Scientific Director - Peptide Process Chemistry – SMDD

Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: June 23, 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. An exciting opportunity is available for a highly skilled and experienced scientist with expertise in peptide process chemistry to join the Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) division at Eli Lilly and Company! You will be part of a dynamic, cross-functional Department focused on sustainable synthetic peptide development and commercialization. In this role, you’ll lead a variety of peptide commercialization projects, collaborate with external partners, and help advance next-generation, sustainable approaches to peptide manufacturing at the commercial scale. We’re looking for an innovative and energetic peptide chemist with a strong leadership background and deep industry knowledge. You’ll work closely with a growing team of chemists, analysts, and engineers to design synthetic routes and optimize commercial peptide processes. Join us to help us deliver the next generation of therapies to patients around the world! In this role you will work in a highly collaborative environment with key partners across the United States, Asia, and Europe, so a demonstrated record of collaborate effectively and communicate clearly is essential. Top candidates for this position will: Demonstrate excellence in multiple modes of peptide synthesis including hybrid SPPS/ LPPS peptide chemistry. Have experience leading a team of scientists developing peptide synthesis routes. Enable the design, development, and implementation of sustainable, innovative processes for the synthesis of complex peptides. Implement green chemistry and engineering solutions as a means of improving the environmental footprint in the synthetic peptide field: Lowering Process Mass Intensity in Peptide Synthesis Have familiarity with chromatography, mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy, and peptide automation. Have strong technical problem-solving ability and have an internal motivation to succeed in team environments. Have a track record of innovative scientific research, as demonstrated by publication in high quality, peer reviewed journals and presentations at external conferences. Position Responsibilities: Lead a team of peptide chemists in designing sustainable synthetic peptide processes. Provide oversight for development of multi-kg synthetic peptide processes at contract manufacturing organizations for peptide products. Educate contract manufacturing organizations in best practices for greener peptide development and manufacture. Engage with Eli Lilly’s Development and Manufacturing organizations to develop a deep understanding of new initiatives and improve existing scientific processes. Present research findings at internal forms as well as external conferences and publish in high quality, peer-reviewed journals. Strong written and verbal communication to speak to both technical and business-related implications of your work. Familiarity with Tag Assisted Liquid Phase Peptide Chemistry. Basic Qualifications: PhD in Chemistry or related field with 7 years of pharmaceutical industry experience or 12 years' experience in related industries or academics. Additional Skills/Preferences: Good interpersonal skills and a sustained tendency for collaboration. Ability to learn and apply technical knowledge to meet changing project needs. Flexibility and ability to prioritize work to meet interpersonal and scientific goals. Demonstrated leadership capabilities especially in a team environment. Ability to balance multiple activities, prioritize and handle ambiguity. Additional Information : Travel: 0 to 10% Position Location: Indianapolis, IN; Lilly Technology Center-North (LTC-N) 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 $144,000 - $250,800 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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