Scientific Director, Incretin & Peptide Chemistry

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 and well-being benefits

Job summary

Lilly’s Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) group seeks a senior scientist to lead LPPS and peptide process chemistry, driving greener manufacturing across the portfolio. You will mentor chemists, optimize routes, and collaborate across US, Asia, and Europe to enable scalable production for Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The role emphasizes leadership, cross-functional teamwork, and external publication, with strategic impact from lab discovery to commercial production in the Medicines

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry with 7+ years of pharma experience in peptide or synthetic process chemistry.
• Proven leadership of scientists and cross-functional project teams.
• Experience with SPPS, LPPS, and/or hybrid peptide synthesis at scale.
• Strong publication and presentation record in peptide or synthetic chemistry.
• Excellent communication to technical and business audiences.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical direction on LPPS and condensation chemistry and mentor peptide chemists.
• Lead technology development and transfer early-phase processes to Medicines Foundry (Lebanon, Indiana).
• Collaborate with Manufacturing to transfer processes for validation at internal facilities or CMOs.
• Guide CMO partners in greener peptide development and manufacture.
• Engage with Development and Manufacturing to drive continuous improvement in processes.
• Implement greener chemistry and PMI benchmarking across development stages.
• Present findings at internal forums and external conferences; publish in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Communicate technical and business implications to scientific and non‑scientific audiences.

Skills

Leadership

Process chemistry

LPPS/SPPS

Communication

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry

M.S. in Chemistry

Job description

Lilly’s Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) group seeks a senior scientist to lead LPPS and peptide process chemistry, driving greener manufacturing across the portfolio. You will mentor chemists, optimize routes, and collaborate across US, Asia, and Europe to enable scalable production for Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The role emphasizes leadership, cross-functional teamwork, and external publication, with strategic impact from lab discovery to commercial production in the Medicines