Director/Sr Director, Long-Acting Injectable & Bio-Nano Interface Characterization

100 Eli Lilly and Company; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 153,000 - 264,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Pension

Vacation benefits

Health insurance

Well-being benefits

Job summary

Lilly is seeking a Director/Sr Director to define and drive the scientific strategy for long-acting injectable and depot delivery, spanning polymer and lipid systems, and the bio-nano interface. You will lead translational efforts, supervise NDA-ready programs, and mentor world‑class scientists across teams.

The role requires extensive experience in LAI/depot platforms, strong leadership, and a track record of scientific publications or patents. Travel is part of the role as needed.

Qualifications

• PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, chemical or biomedical engineering, materials science, biophysics, or a related field.
• 8+ years in long-acting injectable/depot formulation and injectable nanoparticle development.
• Bridge preclinical mechanistic understanding to IND-enabling or design-control translational plans.
• Working knowledge of design controls and quality systems in a regulated industry.
• Proven leadership and mentorship of scientists and engineers with strong communication.

Responsibilities

• Define the scientific vision and multi-year technical strategy for long-acting injectable and depot delivery.
• Serve as Lilly's internal/external technical authority on injectable depot systems and the bio-nano interface.
• Lead cross-functional and cross‑company teams to translate platform concepts from feasibility through design control, leveraging AI/ML modeling.
• Build and leverage external collaborations with academia, CDMOs, consortia, and regulatory bodies.
• Design and oversee preclinical release, PK/IVIVC, and biodistribution study strategy to de-risk IND-enabling decisions.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

AI/ML modeling

Scientific communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory experience

Education

Earned PhD in pharmaceutical sciences or related field

Tools

AI/ML tools

IVIVC/PK tools

Protein corona analysis (LC-MS)

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. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Organization Overview

The Drug Delivery group at Lilly studies physiological barriers across routes of administration to create novel, patient-centric delivery solutions, serving as a center of excellence in injection physiology, device ideation, novel drug delivery technologies across modalities and routes of administration, nanomedicine and targeted delivery, and connected devices/digital biomarkers.

Position Overview

The Director/Sr Director, Long-Acting Injectable & Bio-Nano Interface Characterization anchors a growing technical capability in long-acting injectable (LAI) and depot delivery — spanning polymer and lipid depot platforms (microspheres, in situ forming depots, and liquid-crystal systems, etc.) together with the physicochemical and biological characterization of injectable particle systems, including protein-corona (biocorona) formation at the bio-nano interface — intended to extend dosing intervals, enable higher-concentration and needle-sparing delivery, and de-risk the in vivo fate of injectable biologics, peptides, and nucleic‑acid medicines. We are seeking a senior technical leader to define and drive the scientific and translational strategy for these platforms at Lilly, operating at the enterprise level: setting technical direction across programs, representing Lilly externally with academic, clinical, CDMO, and regulatory stakeholders, and mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers. The role carries accountability for translating long-acting‑injectable and bio‑nano‑interface science from mechanistic understanding into IND‑ and design‑control‑ready delivery platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Define the scientific vision and multi-year technical strategy for long-acting injectable and depot delivery, aligned with the group's portfolio bets and enterprise R&D priorities, including build‑vs‑buy and external innovation decisions (licensing, partnerships, sponsored research). Serve as Lilly's internal and external technical authority on injectable depot systems and the bio‑nano interface — including release‑rate engineering, burst‑release control, and protein‑corona and biodistribution behavior; lead cross‑functional and cross‑company teams to translate platform concepts from feasibility through design control, leveraging AI/ML‑enabled modeling and data‑analysis tools to accelerate technical decision‑making. Build and leverage an external network of academic collaborators, CDMOs, consortia, and regulatory bodies (e.g., FDA); represent Lilly's long‑acting‑injectable and nanoparticle‑characterization work in publications, conferences, and regulatory discussions. Design and oversee preclinical release, PK/IVIVC, and biodistribution study strategy with CRO and academic partners to de‑risk IND‑enabling and design‑control decisions; champion breakthrough approaches and make data‑driven, sometimes bold, decisions under scientific and technical ambiguity where no precedent exists. Actively mentor and coach scientists and engineers, including staff outside your direct reporting line; identify and help lead scientific or process improvements that draw on diverse thinking across DDCS's broader technical portfolio.

Basic Qualifications

• Earned PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, chemical or biomedical engineering, materials science, biophysics, or a related field.
• 8+ years of relevant industry/translational experience in long‑acting injectable/depot formulation (must have) and injectable nanoparticle development, including: demonstrated depth in release‑rate engineering for polymer or lipid depot systems, and physicochemical characterization of nanoparticle systems.
• Demonstrated ability to bridge preclinical mechanistic understanding of injectable depot release and bio‑nano interactions — or a directly comparable physical delivery mechanism — into IND‑enabling or design‑control‑ready translational plans.
• Working knowledge of design controls and quality systems in a regulated industry.
• Effective, hands‑on use of AI/ML‑enabled tools to accelerate scientific research, technical writing, and translational planning.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop technical talent, including staff outside a direct reporting line.
• A publication and/or patent record demonstrating recognized technical contribution in long‑acting injectable or nanoparticle‑based drug delivery; and excellent scientific communication skills across technical/non‑technical and internal/external audiences.

Additional Preferences

• Experience with protein‑corona (biocorona) profiling — e.g., proteomics/LC‑MS/MS of the biomolecular corona — and translating physicochemical attributes to in‑vivo biodistribution and PK.
• Experience with sustained‑release device‑drug‑product integration (prefilled syringes, autoinjectors).
• Experience with complex characterization tools (e.g., IVIVC/PK modeling, AF4‑MALS, cryo‑EM/cryo‑TEM, or equivalent) is a plus but not required if compensated by deep mechanistic/biological expertise.

Other Information

Hands‑on in‑Lab Requirement: 25-50% Travel Percentage (%): 10-15. 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 (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL). Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $153,000 - $264,000. 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 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