Mixed Modality (Peptide Upstream) Scientist - Process Translation and Execution

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.

Organization and Position Overview

Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development, Lebanon, Indiana. The first-ever facility of its kind, combining research and manufacturing in a single location, the Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop innovative solutions to optimize manufacturing processes and increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, while also reducing costs and environmental impact.

The Process Translation and Execution (PTE) team translates API/DS process knowledge into clinical supply readiness, oversees technology transfer, implements phase-appropriate control strategies, and ensures right-first-time clinical manufacturing for a variety of modalities, including synthetic molecules, biologics, peptides, oligonucleotide, and bioconjugates (ADC, ARC, etc.) Through cross-functional collaboration, PTE influences process design, revolutionizes clinical manufacturing, builds capabilities in emerging technologies and aligns with corporate and Lilly Research Labs (LRL) goals, drives scientific excellence and innovation to accelerate manufacturing advancements and propels the site toward long-term business success.

In the Foundry Construction and Project Delivery/Startup Phase (2025 to 2028), roles will be fluid and dynamic as we build a new organization, design and implement the necessary systems and business processes required to enable operational readiness, support the project delivery, and build the site culture. Success will require significant collaboration, creativity, and resilience as the Lilly Medicine Foundry transitions from design to startup and ultimately to steady-state operations and continuous improvement. This period presents a unique opportunity for learning, growth, and making a lasting impact.

We are seeking passionate and agile chemists to join the PTE team and help bring the Lilly Medicine Foundry’s vision to life.

In this role, the Mixed Modality (Peptide Upstream) Scientist will be responsible with synthetically evaluating and facilitating the transfer of peptide upstream manufacturing processes, under appropriate supervisory guidance, from development laboratories to pilot plant operations (including kilo-scale and isolator production environments). This enables the successful transition to early-phase cGMP manufacturing of grams to kilogram quantities of API required for clinical trial supply.

• Perform synthetic peptide chemistry and assess synthetic routes from early phase process research and development labs
• Familiarity with performing peptide upstream procedures, such as SPPS and Cleavage & Precipitation.
• Evaluate the safety of the incoming procedures in collaboration with the safety group and process engineering.
• Ordering and staging chemicals.
• Obtain reference materials and participate in setting up analytical methods.
• Reprocess and analyze analytical data to make fact-based decisions.
• Efficient with summarizing and presenting chemistry and challenges.
• Perform familiarization executions to ensure plant readiness of process steps including SPPS and Cleavage & Precipitation at the Lilly Medicine Foundry.
• Perform use-tests of key raw materials and document Definitive Lab Trials of processes to confirm plant readiness.
• Maintain a well-organized and detailed lab notebook with accurate descriptions of the chemistry, observations, and organized analytical data to enable the preparation of technical packages/technical transfers and accurate replication in receiving labs.
• Documentation: Author, review technical documents, including tech transfer plan, standard operating procedures (SOPs), batch records, campaign summary reports, and deviation reports.
• Process improvement: Apply scientific knowledge to identify areas for improvement and implement new technologies or procedures.
• Contribute to process troubleshooting and investigations by supporting process deviations, quality events, and non-conformances. Collaborate with teams to perform root cause analysis (RCA) and develop effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs)

• B.S. or M.S. in chemistry, chemical engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in peptide chemistry and/or manufacturing environments involving synthetic peptide API or drug substance. Solid phase peptide synthesis is preferred.
• 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

• Working knowledge of peptide chemistry and mechanisms and application to reaction improvement and optimization.
• Experience with synthetic chemistry techniques used for developing and scaling-up chemical reactions. Experience using process chemistry concepts is a plus.
• Proficiency with the synthesis of peptide crude via solid phase peptide synthesis and cleavage & deprotection.
• Comfortable working with larger sized glass equipment.
• Highly motivated, able to learn rapidly, and demonstrates strong attention to detail.
• Has experience creating batch records and conducting scale-up experiments according to those records.
• Ability to prioritize multiple activities and manage ambiguity.
• Experience with a variety of analytical techniques: HPLC/UPLC, LC-MS, GC, NMR, etc.
• Process quantification and acquiring mass balance for products and by-products.
• Demonstrated ability to drive projects and accept change.
• Communication skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical report writing, presentations, and effective collaboration across teams
• Familiarity with peptide downstream purification, TFF, lyophilization and understanding of precipitation and safe handling of solids/dry end processing.
• Problem-solving skills: Proven ability to analyze data, perform root cause analysis, and resolve complex technical challenges.
• Ability to work cross-functionally across disciplines and levels with engineers, analytical chemists, chemical technicians, safety and quality representatives.

$66,000 - $171,600