Advisor/Senior Advisor, Purification Development - Bioconjugates

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: January 14, 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. 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: The Bioproduct Research and Development organization strives to deliver creative medicines to patients through the development and commercialization of insulins, monoclonal antibodies, bioconjugates, novel therapeutic proteins, peptides, oligonucleotide therapies and gene therapy systems. This organization is a multidisciplinary group that works collaboratively with our discovery and manufacturing colleagues. Located in Indianapolis, scientists have full access to our scientific excellence and engineering capabilities. Do you enjoy downstream drug substance processes including purifying and filtering monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, viral vectors, bioconjugates (such as antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates, ADCs, and PEGylated proteins), and peptides? Do you have experience with process development and tech transfer? Are you skilled in the analytical techniques used to characterize bioproducts? If so, then a role as a Purification Development Scientist is waiting for you. This role requires a strong scientific foundation, effective interaction and communication of technical information with, but not limited to, Safety, Environmental and Quality Team members, Purification Development colleagues, CMC Team members, Discovery team members, Analytical Services, Tech Service/Manufacturing Science representatives, Operations, Engineering, Regulatory and Maintenance personnel. Especially important, in this role, is that you adhere to all safety and environmental guidelines and promote a proactive safety culture and environmental compliance in all areas. Responsibilities: As a scientist in the Purification Development group, you will: Identify and develop new purification technologies Design optimized downstream drug substance processes for new biologic candidates with particular focus on complex bioconjugates. Maintain accurate records and interpret data to provide detailed information and analysis on the execution of experiments. Employ strategic thinking to overcome technical hurdles and oversee process and technical transfer to GMP manufacturing facilities, as they make their way from discovery to the clinic. Write technical reports, tech transfer documents and give presentations to summarize development activities. Have flexibility to accept new projects and challenges. Troubleshoot issues as they occur and identify trends and opportunities to reduce process variability. Basic Requirements: PhD in Chemical Engineering or related degree focused on biological separation sciences OR MS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related degree with at least 5 years relevant experience in leading protein purification/process development OR BS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related degree with at least 8 years relevant experience in leading protein purification/process development Hands-on experience with bioconjugate purification Additional Preferences: Ability to exhibit a high level of attention to detail, a quality-minded approach to experimental design and record keeping. Effective oral and written communication skills. Strong laboratory skills Experience developing, optimizing, scaling, and tech transferring conjugation reactions for mAbs or other proteins (e.g., PEGylation, ADCs, antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates) Experience with bioconjugate purification challenges including maintaining conjugate stability, optimizing conjugation ratios, and separating conjugated from unconjugated species Understanding of conjugation chemistry mechanisms and their impact on downstream purification strategies (e.g., hydrophobic interaction chromatography or anion exchange chromatography for conjugate separation) Purification development experience with AAV, mRNA, or other gene therapy strategies Ability to interact and form dynamic relationships with a wide range of groups Experience with process control and documentation systems (Unicorn, Empower, electronic laboratory notebooks) General interpersonal and communication skills; mentoring, feedback, training, and cultivating an environment for learning and open/honest communication. Basic analytical skills and understanding Advanced problem-solving skills. Additional Information: Physical Demands/Travel: The physical demands of this job are consistent with a lab environment. 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 $126,000 - $204,600 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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