Advisor/Senior Advisor - Discovery Immunology

Eli Lilly and Company; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 126,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

401(k) plan

Vacation benefits

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Lilly in Indianapolis, Indiana, is seeking a Director for New Target Validation within Discovery Immunology to lead biology strategy from target identification through mechanistic validation. You will guide cross‑functional teams and shape early portfolio advancement in autoimmune diseases.

The ideal candidate has a Ph.D. and 5+ years in pharmaceutical discovery biology, with deep experience in functional genomics, primary human models, and translational science.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, Cell Biology, Immunology, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery biology in autoimmune diseases.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive scientific decision‑making across multidisciplinary project teams to ensure robust biological rationale, mechanism‑of‑action understanding, and data‑supported progression criteria.
• Provide hands‑on guidance for associates in developing new technology and mentorship to deliver on key scientific objectives.
• Identify key technical/operational challenges and proactively develop mitigation strategies.
• Strong communication ability to interface with bioinformatics and discovery teams to facilitate iterative learnings from clinical data.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, Cell Biology, Immunology, or a related field

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.

Position Overview

Lilly Immunology isa therapeutic areafocused on many autoimmune diseasesspanning gastroenterology, dermatology and rheumatology.We are seeking an accomplished andcreativeDirectorfor theNew Target Validationwithin Discovery Immunologytodevelopbiological strategywith translational readiness for projectsand execution target identification through mechanistic validation. The ideal candidate is a seasoned discovery biology leader with deep expertise in functional genomics, phenotypic and mechanistic discovery platforms, and physiologically relevant primary human model systems.

This role will provide scientific and strategic leadership across cross‑functional discovery teams, enabling confident target nomination, modality selection, and early portfolio advancement in immunology.

Key Objectives/Deliverables

Strategic Leadership & Discovery Excellence

• Drive scientific decision‑making across multidisciplinary project teams to ensure robust biological rationale, mechanism‑of‑action understanding, and data‑supported progression criteria.

• Provides hands‑on guidance for associates indeveloping new technology and mentorship to deliver on skey scientific objectives.

• Identify key technical/operational challenges and proactively develop mitigation strategies.

• Strong communication ability to interface with bioinformatics and discovery teams to facilitate iterative learnings from clinical data.

Technology development

• Expand functional genomics capability, including pooled and arrayed CRISPR knockout, CRISPR base‑editing, multiplexed perturbation systems, barcoding technologies, and data‑integrated mechanistic workflows.

• Champion the development and application of primary human and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‑derived organoid model systems and whole‑blood assays.

• Lead the creation of and operationalize phenotypic discovery workflows to enable rapid target triage, mechanistic deconvolution, and clear go/no‑go determination.

• Integrate these models with multimodal profiling (imaging, transcriptomics, cytokine and proteomics readouts) to strengthen human disease relevance and predictive validity. Ensure translational confidence by driving model selection, benchmarking, and alignment with patient‑derived data and clinical insights.

Basic Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, Cell Biology, Immunology, or a related field.

• 5+ years of experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery biology in autoimmune diseases

Additional Skills & Preferences

• Strong technical knowledge and organizational skills in laboratory.

• Demonstrated leadership in developing high‑performing teams by coaching, mentoring, and empowering diverse talent to grow in capability, influence, and leadership impact.

• Ability to make data‑driven decisions and find innovative solutions to overcome scientific and operational obstacles within matrix environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific data to diverse audiences.

• Strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with internal teams, external partners, and vendors.

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.

#WeAreLilly

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