Principal Scientist - Process Translation and Execution Lilly Medicine Foundry

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.

Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development. 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 (2026 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.

Responsibilities
In this role, the Chemist will be responsible with facilitating the transfer of chemical processes, under appropriate supervisory guidance, from development laboratories to pilot plant operations (including kilo-scale or pilot-scale production). This enables the successful transition to early-phase cGMP manufacturing of kilogram quantities of API required for clinical trial supply.

• Operate and troubleshoot kilo-scale equipment including multi-purpose reactors, filtration systems, drying equipment (including AFD and tray dryer).

• Apply chemical engineering principles (heat/mass transfer, reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics) to scale-up calculations and equipment sizing.

• Develop and apply appropriate cake filtration models to predict filtration rate, cake resistance, and deliquoring performance. Design and execute filtration wash studies.

• Apply appropriate modeling or semi-empirical approaches to predict and control particle size distribution (PSD) during crystallization.

• Actively involved in receiving chemical process from early phase process research and development labs and evaluating the safety of the incoming procedures in collaboration with the chemist and safety group.

• Documentation: Author, review technical documents, including standard operating procedures (SOPs), batch records, campaign summary reports, and deviation reports. 

• Perform and document Definitive Lab Trials of crystallization step to confirm plant readiness.

• Perform familiarization reactions to ensure plant readiness of process steps with focus on crystallization and filtration at the Lilly Medicine Foundry.

• Ordering and staging process-related GMP consumables and equipment parts for kilolab runs.

• Efficient with summarizing and presenting experimental results and challenges.

• Analyze data to make fact-based decisions.

• Maintain a well-organized and detailed lab notebook to enable the preparation of technical packages/technical transfers and accurate replication in receiving labs.

• 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.

• Demonstrate engagement and employ a quality mindset in all endeavors by proactively identifying quality issues and communicating appropriately.

Basic Requirements: 

• BS or MS in Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline

• 8+ years of industry experience - in pharmaceutical process development, pilot plant operations, or chemical manufacturing.

• 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 and Preferences:

• Deep technical interest and understanding in the field of Chemical Engineering. 

• Direct hands-on experience with operating kilo-scale or pilot-scale chemical processing equipment. 

• Experience with any of the following software packages: DeltaV, Dynochem, Aspen, and/or electronic lab notebooks.

• Experience with crystallization development including polymorph control, nucleation/growth kinetics, seeding strategies, and PSD control.

• Expertise on filtration modeling and ability to fit model parameters from lab data and apply to pilot equipment sizing and optimization.

• Highly motivated, able to learn rapidly, and demonstrates strong attention to detail.

• A good understanding of FDA guidelines and cGMP requirements.

• Ability to prioritize multiple activities and manage ambiguity. 

• 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

• 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 process chemists, analytical chemists, chemical technicians, safety and quality representatives.

Other Information

• Initial location at Parkwood West, Indianapolis

• Permanent location at the new Lilly Medicines Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana.

• Limited domestic and international travel (< 5%) may be required for this role.

• Role requires ability to work in manufacturing and laboratory environments.

• May be required to provide support outside of normal working hours including nights or weekends.

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

$66,000 - $171,600

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.

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