Advisor/Senior Advisor – Process Engineering and Modeling

550 Eli Lilly Services India Pvt Ltd; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Lilly's PRD team in Bengaluru seeks an Advisor – Process Engineering and Modeling to lead modeling and data-driven process development for small molecules and peptides. You will design experiments, apply AI/ML methods, and drive scale-up and technology transfer with a collaborative, Agile mindset.

Role emphasizes mechanistic and data-driven modeling, cross-functional leadership, and delivering impurity control strategies across clinical and commercial programs. Bengaluru location, limited travel.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemical Engineering or closely related discipline.
• 0–5 years of industry experience in modeling, simulation, process engineering, or data science applied to pharmaceutical process development.
• Substantial computer modeling expertise for process engineering problems.
• Experience with scale-up and technology transfer to internal sites or CDMOs.
• Strong mathematical and analytical background; problem solving for science/engineering systems.
• Proficiency with modeling tools such as JMP, MATLAB, ASPEN, Dynochem, or gPROMS.
• Programming experience in R or Python.
• Experience with statistics or machine learning.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills for cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead modeling activities for small molecule and peptide drug substance development, including mechanistic and data-driven approaches.
• Develop model-derived solutions for clinical and commercial manufacturing processes.
• Identify and communicate process risks and recommendations to teams and management.
• Utilize internal and external resources to mitigate technical risks before timelines are affected.
• Collaborate with product teams for scale-up and technology transfer.
• Integrate data science, ML, and process engineering to inform decisions.
• Develop tools to mine data patterns and guide future experiments.
• Communicate model assumptions and results to stakeholders.
• Mentor teams to promote model-informed development and Agile mindset.

Skills

Modeling & simulation

Process engineering

Data science

Chromatography

Python

R

MATLAB

Dynochem

gPROMS

JMP

Education

PhD in Chemical Engineering

Tools

JMP

MATLAB

ASPEN

Dynochem

gPROMS

Job description

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters.

Organization Overview

Lilly unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lilly has a nearly 150-year heritage of scientific innovation, excellence, integrity, and respect for people. The Product Research and Development (PRD) organization develops and delivers quality medicines to patients by advancing Lilly’s portfolio across small molecules, synthetic peptides, insulins, monoclonal antibodies, novel therapeutic proteins, oligonucleotide therapies, and gene therapy systems. PRD is a multidisciplinary organization that collaborates across therapeutic business units and manufacturing to deliver clinical and commercial medicines globally. Lilly-Bengaluru, India is a strategic investment to attract top scientific and technical talent from India’s vibrant academic and professional environment. The PRD team in Bengaluru works closely with PRD colleagues in Indianapolis and across the global organization to enable delivery of Lilly’s portfolio.

Role Summary

The Advisor – Process Engineering and Modeling will provide technical leadership in modeling, simulation, data science, and process engineering to support small molecule and synthetic peptide drug substance development. The role applies deep scientific, engineering, mathematical, and computational expertise to solve problems in chromatography purification, reaction systems, and other unit operations at both small and large scale. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong technical depth, broad modeling capability, scientific leadership, and a collaborative approach to solving complex process development and manufacturing challenges. Develop and apply customized computer models, computational tools, and commercial modeling software to support process understanding and decision-making. Use modeling and simulation to inform process development, scale-up, technology transfer, manufacturing, and validation. Apply artificial intelligence and machine learning methods to solve process engineering problems and extract insight from complex data sets. Contribute to research projects and programs focused on development of small molecule and synthetic peptide active pharmaceutical ingredients for clinical and commercial use. Design data-rich experiments using automated laboratory reactors, process analytical technology probes, and appropriate kinetic, thermodynamic, and transport measurements to support impurity control and manufacturing scale-up. Improve research and development effectiveness through computer modeling, simulation, optimization, and data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead modeling activities for small molecule and synthetic peptide drug substance development, including mechanistic modeling, data-driven modeling, simulation, and optimization.
• Design and develop model-derived solutions to support clinical and commercial manufacturing processes, including batch and continuous processes, material supply, registration-enabling process understanding, and robust control strategies.
• Identify and communicate process risks, design opportunities, and modeling-based recommendations to project teams and management to enable sound technical and business decisions.
• Use internal and external modeling and experimental resources to mitigate technical risks before they affect project delivery timelines.
• Partner with product teams to provide technical oversight for process scale-up and technology transfer to internal manufacturing sites and external CDMOs.
• Collaborate across PRD to identify decisions that can be informed by data science, statistical modeling, machine learning, and process engineering analysis.
• Select and apply fit-for-purpose data science tools and methodologies to influence development decisions.
• Develop tools and algorithms to mine patterns in existing data and generate recommendations for future experiments, process questions, and modeling strategies.
• Communicate model assumptions, limitations, results, and recommendations clearly to scientific, engineering, manufacturing, and leadership stakeholders.
• Mentor and influence project teams by promoting model-informed development, scientific rigor, and an Agile mindset.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 0–5 years of industry experience in modeling, simulation, process engineering, or data science applied to pharmaceutical process development.
• Substantial computer modeling expertise, including application and/or development of modeling tools for process engineering problems.
• Demonstrated experience with process development, scale-up, and technology transfer to internal manufacturing sites or external CDMOs.
• Strong foundation in mathematical analysis, advanced mathematics, and applied problem solving for science- and engineering-based systems.
• Proficiency with mathematical analysis and process modeling programs such as JMP, MATLAB, ASPEN, Dynochem, or gPROMS.
• Experience programming in scripting languages such as R or Python.
• Experience using statistical or machine learning tools, with the ability to implement custom algorithms as needed.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across functions, influence technical decisions, and drive solutions with an Agile mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience applying optimization, computational fluid dynamics, and computational chemistry tools to solve process engineering problems.
• Experience with chromatography purification experimentation and modelling.
• Experience designing data-rich experiments using automated lab reactors and process analytical technology probes.
• Experience translating kinetic, thermodynamic, and transport data into process understanding, impurity control strategies, and scale-up recommendations.
• Successful interaction with senior engineering and scientific personnel across matrixed project teams.

Additional Information

Limited international travel, approximately 2–4%, may be required. Work-hour flexibility is required to support collaboration across multiple time zones. Location: Bengaluru, India.

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 does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

#WeAreLilly At Lilly we strive to ensure our employees are part of a team that cares about them and our shared purpose of making life better for those around the world. How do we do this? We continue to look for ways to include, innovate, accelerate and deliver while maintaining integrity, excellence and respect for people. We hope that you seek to join us on our journey as we create medicine and deliver improved outcomes for patients across the globe! #WeAreLilly