Director of Oligonucleotide Chemistry & CMC

Eli Lilly and Company; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 149,000 - 257,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

401(k)

Vacation benefits

Career development

Job summary

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking an experienced scientist to advance oligonucleotide CMC development within the SMDD organization at Lilly’s Indianapolis site. You will develop and transfer synthesis processes, collaborate across teams, and address regulatory questions for clinical trials and commercialization.

The role emphasizes leadership, novel chemistry development, and partnership with internal/CMO manufacturing to enable scalable, environmentally conscious production of oligonucleotide

Qualifications

• PhD with 5+ years' industry experience in synthesis, oligonucleotides, solid-phase synthesis, CMC.
• MS with 8+ years' industry experience in synthesis, oligonucleotides, solid-phase synthesis, CMC.
• Experience in pharmaceutical sector: active ingredient development and formulated products; from mid-development to commercialization.
• Experience with tech transfer of processes into manufacturing operations.

Responsibilities

• Bring extensive oligonucleotide CMC expertise to SMDD and coach and lead across a diverse portfolio.
• Apply modern organic and nucleic acid chemistry to challenge methods and enable new technologies.
• Develop impurity control strategies aligned with global regulatory climate for clinical studies and regulatory submissions.
• Provide technical leadership across route design, process development, and scale-up with internal and external manufacturing partners.
• Demonstrate skills with automated reactor platforms and purification technologies across the portfolio.
• Collaborate with internal CMC networks to deliver materials and documentation for trials and submissions.
• Identify external chemistry innovations to complement internal capabilities and represent Lilly externally.
• Contribute to novel chemical design and problem solving, with publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Lead through ambiguity and drive accountability and diverse perspectives.

Skills

Oligonucleotide synthesis

CMC

Process development

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD in Chemistry / related field

MS in Chemistry / related field

Job description

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking an experienced scientist to advance oligonucleotide CMC development within the SMDD organization at Lilly’s Indianapolis site. You will develop and transfer synthesis processes, collaborate across teams, and address regulatory questions for clinical trials and commercialization.

The role emphasizes leadership, novel chemistry development, and partnership with internal/CMO manufacturing to enable scalable, environmentally conscious production of oligonucleotide