External Innovation Scientist – Infectious Disease Vaccines

Elanco; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Parental leave

Bonus offering

Flexible work arrangements

401K matching

Job summary

Elanco in Indianapolis, IN seeks a Senior Advisor, External Innovation. You will scout, evaluate, and guide external assets for infectious diseases and vaccine platforms, partnering with R&D, global strategy, and leadership to shape the pipeline for pets and farm animals.

Travel 20-30% and direct relationships with biotech, pharma, and academia. You will build de-risking experiments, create governance proposals, and influence strategic decisions as an individual contributor within a global team.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in life sciences (PhD or DVM) required.
• Experience in external innovation, technology scouting, or alliance management in animal health/pharma/biotech.
• Proven ability to guide cross-functional evaluations and strategic recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate external assets with focus on infectious diseases and vaccines.
• Lead opportunities landscaping and coordinate technical assessments with internal teams.
• Establish/manage relationships with biotech firms, academia, and pharmaceutical partners.
• Develop funding proposals and de-risking strategies aligned with target product profiles.
• Act as an individual contributor, delivering go/no-go recommendations and progress updates.

Skills

External Innovation

Technology Scouting

Alliance Management

Animal Health

Education

PhD in Life Sciences

Tools

RNA technology

Vaccine platforms

Biologics expression

Job description

Elanco in Indianapolis, IN seeks a Senior Advisor, External Innovation. You will scout, evaluate, and guide external assets for infectious diseases and vaccine platforms, partnering with R&D, global strategy, and leadership to shape the pipeline for pets and farm animals.

Travel 20-30% and direct relationships with biotech, pharma, and academia. You will build de-risking experiments, create governance proposals, and influence strategic decisions as an individual contributor within a global team.