Advisor - Process Chemistry (SMDD)

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: July 11, 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. About Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD): SMDD is a critical function within Lilly Product Research & Development (PRD) responsible for the development of synthetic drug substances and drug products from the pre-clinical phase through commercialization. Our scientists and engineers develop innovative technical and business solutions to advance a dynamic portfolio that includes small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, and other emerging therapeutic modalities. By encouraging a hardworking, culturally diverse workforce that exhibits deep technical expertise, SMDD delivers on these responsibilities and helps bring the next generation of life-changing medicines to patients! Within SMDD, process chemistry is crucial to establishing a robust and sustainable supply chain of the synthetic active ingredients that make up Lilly’s portfolio. We seek to use the best technologies to solve problems, and we endeavor to continuously improve the way we develop and manufacture therapeutic molecules. The Advisor, Process Chemistry will help deliver innovative technical solutions, enabling deeper understanding of processes and products across our diverse portfolio. The ideal candidate will possess a deep technical expertise and training in modern synthetic chemistry and use this knowledge to challenge the status quo and drive solutions to the most important scientific problems, in a fast-paced environment. Additionally, this individual will have a demonstrated track record of novel contributions to chemical design and mechanism-based problem solving as part of project driven goals such as synthesis of complex molecules and/or methodology development. Position responsibilities: Establish a productive laboratory program by personally conducting and managing internal and external research plans. Thrive at the interface between disciplines and be able to quickly move from one scientific challenge to another while navigating ambiguity. Embrace and celebrate diversity by using a relevant but unique background and set of experiences to contribute new ideas and thoughts to deliver solutions for a multidisciplinary team. Strong communication (oral, written), organizational, and leadership skills. Demonstrate learning agility across modalities (small molecule, peptide, and oligonucleotide). Develop new synthetic routes using modern technologies, including continuous processing, automated reaction screening, and computational chemistry. Help drive and develop the commercial manufacturing strategy and collaborate with manufacturing partners to deliver robust chemical processes that are ultimately suitable for large-scale manufacturing. Engage externally through presentations and publications. Identify, partner, and develop chemistry innovations to complement existing capabilities and areas of focus and incorporate these innovations across the portfolio of assets. Basic Qualifications: PhD in organic chemistry Additional Skills/Preferences: Use of strong interpersonal skills for collaboration Demonstrated self-initiative and appropriate risk-taking Ability to learn and apply technical knowledge to meet changing project needs Ability to prioritize multiple activities and handle ambiguity Additional Information: Potential exposure to chemicals, allergens, and loud noises Travel: 0 to 10% This position is located in the heart of Indianapolis, IN at our 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 $121,500 - $198,000 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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