Scientist - Development Pilot Line

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: February 11, 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. Job Position Overview: This role is part of the Upstream Pilot Line, which operates within the Bioprocess Research & Development (BR&D) organization. The BR&D Development Pilot Line executes pilot scale material generation campaigns and provides comprehensive technical and operations support to various development teams across the organization. The Pilot Line Scientist collaborates closely with BR&D scientists and the Pilot Line operations team to deliver essential assistance in multifaceted laboratory settings, contributing to the advancement and characterization of fermentation and cell culture-based bioprocesses. Additionally, this position includes laboratory administrative responsibilities such as inventory management, lab organization, procurement of supplies, materials information tracking, data entry, and other related tasks. Responsibilities: The Pilot Line Scientist is expected to exemplify and uphold a strong dedication to operational excellence, clear communication, and safety practices. The ideal candidate will also possess outstanding organizational skills, a proactive attitude toward learning, technical acuity, and adaptability in dynamic environments. Responsibilities include: Work with upstream and downstream development scientists in Discovery and BioProcess Development on technical and material transfer in support of cell culture, fermentation, and primary recovery platforms. Document studies in lab notebooks, create process batch records, and ensure campaign execution records are representative and complete. Build strong relationships with development scientists and supporting organizations to coordinate preparation and maintenance of bench and Ambr bioreactor studies. Organize and track lab supplies; maintain inventory systems, forecast supply needs, and reorder as needed. Manage equipment and consumable ordering, maintenance, and vendor relations. Present functional overviews and communicate key learning in interdisciplinary forums and collaborations Authors, reviews and follow procedures associated w/ development quality system Ensure work is aligned will all relevant Development Quality, Regulatory, HSE, and GLP requirements Evaluate emerging fermentation technologies to support the continued advancement of scalable cell-culture based processes Minimum Requirements: BS or MS in Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biochemistry, Biology, Biotechnology or related discipline. Ability to work well in a team environment incorporating a variety of functional relationships and desire to be a point of accountability. Strong oral and written communication skills for a diverse audience. Strong self-management, task planning and organization skills. Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1. Additional Skills/Preferences: Previous experience in lab setup, lab management, procurement, and inventory management are preferred. Experience equipment sets used in Biotechnology environment Demonstrated aseptic technic, cell culture handling Willingness to interact with laboratory personnel, contractors, vendors and management. Ability to identify and implement operational and organizational improvements Other Information: Standard business hours Monday through Friday Occasional extended-hour, after-hour, and shutdown support may be required This position is based in Indianapolis, IN and requires on-site support Minimal to no travel required 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 $65,250 - $169,400 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

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Bloomington , Scientist - Development Pilot Line, Science, Research & Development , Indianapolis, Indiana