Chief Inventor, Drug Discovery & Innovation

Elanco Tiergesundheit AG; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Shutdowns (mid-summer/year-end) in US

8-week parental leave

Employee Resource Groups

Annual bonus

Flexible work arrangements

401K matching

Job summary

Elanco seeks a Senior Advisor, Chief Inventor – Drug Discovery & Innovation to lead de novo breakthroughs and secure foundational IP for high-value assets. The role combines scientific leadership with enterprise-level influence to define Elanco’s therapeutic frontier beyond 2030.

Responsibilities include pioneering 10-year ahead opportunities, solving complex biology challenges, and guiding cross-functional teams across R&D to translate concepts into validated discoveries and platform inventions.

Qualifications

• PhD and/or DVM in life sciences; dual degree preferred.
• 15+ years in drug discovery/invention with track record of moving concepts to candidates.
• Proven ability to secure and protect intellectual property and translate concepts into assets.

Responsibilities

• Identify and explore de novo breakthroughs 10 years ahead of current solutions.
• Tackle high-barrier biology challenges and invent novel modalities.
• Architect a continuous high-value pipeline by developing new therapeutic platforms.
• Collaborate across R&D to integrate innovative platforms into the discovery engine.

Skills

High-barrier biology

Modality engineering

Predictive biological modeling

Scientific leadership

Strategic vision

Education

PhD or DVM

Dual degree preferred

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals! As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights. Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Job Description

Chief Inventor, Drug Discovery & Innovation

As Elanco architects the future of animal health, the Senior Advisor, Chief Inventor – Drug Discovery & Innovation serves as a senior scientific advisor and primary engine for de novo breakthroughs. This top-tier scientific leadership role within the Mechanistic and Translational Biology innovation engine combines enterprise-level scientific influence with a clear mandate to identify, invent, and advance novel concepts that do not yet exist in the current market. This role is tasked with decoupling discovery from luck by institutionalizing a proactive innovation engine. The Inventor is responsible for securing the foundational IP for high-value assets and defining Elanco’s therapeutic frontier beyond 2030.

Your Responsibilities

1. Pioneer De Novo Breakthroughs Innovation "White Space" Exploration: Proactively identify and explore revolutionary external and internal scientific opportunities that are 10 years away from current market solutions. This comprehensive scope includes:
   • Novel Drug Targets & Pathways: Architecting first-in‑class biological hypotheses and identifying untapped disease mechanisms.
   • Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: Solving high‑barrier challenges such as oral delivery of large molecules and targeted intracellular delivery.
   • Next‑Generation Drug Modalities: Pioneering new therapeutic categories and molecular formats (e.g., protein degraders, advanced biologics).
   • Advanced Target ID & Discovery Platforms: Building proprietary systems and methodologies to institutionalize a proactive discovery engine.
   • Beyond "Me‑Too" Science: Move past the adaptation of proven human health targets to engineer original, proprietary veterinary‑specific biological hypotheses that don't yet exist in any market.
   • Foundational IP: Secure and engineer proprietary Intellectual Property across all innovative domains by navigating around legacy patents to ensure Elanco owns the foundational IP for every high‑value candidate.
2. Solve High‑Barrier Biology & Platform Invention Complex Problem Solving: Tackle the most challenging technical hurdles in discovery, such as oral delivery of large molecules or intracellular targeting. Scientific Challenger: Act as an internal scientific challenger to existing programs, ensuring Elanco pushes the boundaries of what is biologically possible. Biological Firsts: Establish "biological firsts" that set the standard for the animal health industry.
3. Architect the 2030 Frontier Pipeline Refill: Ensure a constant state of high‑value pipeline refill by architecting new therapeutic categories. Strategic Modality Optimization: Optimize known modalities while simultaneously inventing novel delivery platforms and proprietary platform builds. Innovation Strategy: Transform discovery into a proactive, strategic process that defines the market rather than following it.
4. Cross‑Functional Partnership & R&D Integration: Novel Platform Partnership: Collaborate extensively across R&D to drive the development of novel therapeutic platforms. This includes partnering with:
   • Technical Development: Ensuring the manufacturability and technical feasibility of pioneering modalities from early invention.
   • Small Molecule & Large Molecule Teams: Working synchronously with modality‑specific experts to integrate novel platforms (e.g., specialized delivery systems or molecular formats) into the discovery engine.
   • Discovery Pillar Collaboration: Partner deeply across the Mechanistic and Translational Biology leadership pillars to transition revolutionary concepts into the pipeline. This includes:
     • Working with Structural Biology to refine molecular drug design and delivery viability.
     • Aligning with Target Intelligence & Discovery to validate novel pathways and transition from "white space" exploration to formal target assessment.
     • Collaborating with Translational Biology to ensure de novo concepts are anchored in clinical unmet needs and species‑specific physiology.
   • Broader R&D Integration: Serve as a strategic scientific advisor across the wider R&D ecosystem, partnering with Global Clinical Stewardship (GCS), External Innovation (EI), and CMC/Manufacturing to ensure the scalability and technical feasibility of next‑generation modalities.
   • Scientific Challenger & Mentor: Act as a high‑level scientific challenger during R&D program reviews, pushing the organization to maintain the highest standards of scientific rigor. Provide peer‑to‑peer mentorship to high‑potential scientists across the Discovery organization.
   • Special Strategic Projects: Lead special high‑impact projects that require deep scientific expertise and visionary drug design.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications)

Education: PhD and/or DVM in a life sciences field (e.g., Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or related discipline). A dual degree is highly preferred.

Experience: 15+ years of distinguished experience in drug discovery and invention. A proven track record of moving from concept to successful candidate in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.

Scientific Pedigree: Recognized as a global expert in their field, with a documented portfolio of high‑impact patents that have demonstrably moved the field forward. Must possess a track record of translating original concepts into protected, proprietary assets.

Technical Mastery: Deep expertise in high‑barrier biology, modality engineering, and predictive biological modeling.

Individual Contributor Excellence: Ability to drive significant organizational impact without the need for a formal team structure; must be self‑directed and capable of leading through influence and scientific authority.

Strategic Vision: An innovation‑focused mindset with the ability to foresee market needs a decade in advance.

Additional Information

Department: Mechanistic and Translational Biology Role Type: Dedicated Individual Contributor (R5+ Level) Location: Based in US or EU (Hybrid) Travel: Up to 25% travel required.

Elanco Benefits and Perks

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well‑being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages
• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid‑summer and year‑end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
• 8‑week parental leave
• 9 Employee Resource Groups
• Annual bonus offering
• Flexible work arrangements
• Up to 6% 401K matching

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and 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.

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and 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

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ CSR framework – all to advance the health of animals, people and the planet. Learn more at www.elanco.com.