Scientist, Vaccine Discovery

100 Eli Lilly and Company; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 71,000 - 187,000; Full time

Job summary

Lilly is seeking a Scientist to join the South San Francisco vaccine discovery team. The role focuses on hands-on mammalian cell culture, immunoassays, and screening vaccine candidate expressions to support preclinical studies.

The position reports to the Biochemistry and BioAnalytics group director. You will organize samples, manage inventories, document data, and contribute to SOPs while delivering reproducible results for candidate selection.

Qualifications

• BS or equivalent in biochemistry, immunology, cell biology, or a related field.
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; no visa sponsorship provided.

Responsibilities

• Express and screen vaccine antigens transiently transfected in mammalian cell culture (e.g., Expi293F) in standard / 96-well formats.
• Analyze antigen expression by Western blot, dot blot, and flow cytometry.
• Execute immunoassays (ELISA, Luminex) to assess preclinical immune responses.
• Organize and track reagents/samples; coordinate inventory for the team.

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Immunoassays

Transient transfection

ELISA

Western blot

Flow cytometry

Luminex

Data interpretation

Education

BS in biochemistry/immunology/cell biology

Tools

Expi293F mammalian expression system

Flow cytometer

Luminex system

ELISA kits

Job description

Scientist, Vaccine Discovery South San Francisco, CA

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.

About the Team

Lilly’s Infectious Disease research organization is advancing a pipeline of next‑generation vaccine candidates. Our South San Francisco‑based research team supports this pipeline end‑to‑end - from initial antigen design and expression through preclinical immune response profiling - generating the data that drives candidate selection and program advancement.

Opportunity

We are seeking a highly motivated, exceptionally organized Scientist to join our team. This is hands‑on bench role for someone who is eager to build deep expertise in mammalian cell culture and immunoassay techniques while directly supporting vaccine candidate discovery. Reporting to the Director of Biochemistry and BioAnalytics, this team member will be responsible for screening vaccine candidate expression in vitro and executing immunoassays to profile in vivo responses to vaccine candidates in preclinical immunizations. The role also includes an active part in organizing sample and reagent inventories, coordinating study schedules, and facilitating shipping and receiving with external partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Express and screen candidate vaccine antigens transiently transfected in mammalian cell culture systems (e.g., Expi293F) in standard and medium‑throughput (e.g., 96‑well plate) formats.
• Analyze antigen expression by multiple methods, including Western blot/dot blot and flow cytometry.
• Execute immunoassays (e.g., ELISA, Luminex) to assess preclinical immune responses to vaccine candidates.
• Contribute to smooth lab operations by organizing and tracking reagents/samples, coordinating inventory, and ensuring accessibility of materials to the broader team.
• Proactively identify challenges and bottlenecks and, with support, develop and implement solutions.
• Meticulously document work in an electronic laboratory notebook.
• Assist in authoring and reviewing SOPs, study protocols, reports, and other scientific and quality documents.
• Analyze, interpret, and present experimental data in team meetings, delivering reproducible, decision‑driving datasets that enable candidate selection and program advancement.
• Perform all work in full compliance with Lilly Research Policies and complete required training within specified timeframes.

Basic Qualifications

• BS or equivalent in biochemistry, immunology, cell biology, or a related field, with hands‑on "research" laboratory experience.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis. Vaccine Company will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F‑1 CPT, F‑1 OPT, F‑1 STEM OPT, J‑1, H‑1B, TN, O‑1, E‑3, H‑1B1, or L‑1.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience with mammalian cell culture.
• Exposure to immunoassays, such as ELISA or Western blot/dot blot.
• Hands‑on experience with transient transfection techniques.
• Direct experience executing ELISA or Western blot/dot blot assays in a lab setting.
• Experience with high‑throughput immunoassays, such as multiplexed Luminex.
• Familiarity with flow cytometry.
• Basic experience with recombinant DNA techniques (e.g., E. coli work and plasmid preparation/scale‑up).
• 2+ years of experience in an industry laboratory setting.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong ability to multi‑task and willingness to work effectively in a highly collaborative and diverse environment as a team player.
• Able to maintain extremely clear written records in the form of laboratory notebooks and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Enthusiasm for taking initiative to propose and execute solutions for laboratory, sample, and reagent organization.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Highly organized, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Additional Information

This position is located onsite, full‑time, in South San Francisco, CA. Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required to support preclinical study timelines.

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.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

• 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)
• 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 $71,250 - $187,000 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.

We hope that you seek to join us on our journey as we create medicine and deliver improved outcomes for patients across the globe!