Senior AI/ML Scientist: Drug Discovery & R&D Ops

Elanco Tiergesundheit AG; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Two weeklong shutdowns (US)

8‑week parental leave

Employee Resource Groups

Annual bonus offering

Flexible work arrangements

Up to 6% 401K matching

Job summary

Elanco in Indianapolis, IN, is seeking a Senior AI/ML Scientist to accelerate its drug discovery and R&D operations by turning proprietary data into predictive models. You will work with discovery and development scientists to build ML/CV models on molecular, in vitro, ADMET, and imaging data to guide decisions across target identification and biomarker endpoints.

The role requires 7+ years of industry ML/CV experience, strong Python and ML library skills, and the ability to lead

Qualifications

• PhD in a quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Bioinformatics, Computational Chemistry), or a Master’s degree with substantial hands‑on ML/CV experience.
• 7+ years of industry experience building and deploying ML and computer‑vision models for scientific problems in biomedical, pharmaceutical, or related domains, with demonstrated impact and close collaboration with wet‑lab or clinical teams.
• Strong Python skills and proficiency with modern ML/CV libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit‑learn, OpenCV), solid understanding of statistics and experimental design, and proven ability to work and communicate effectively in cross‑functional, matrixed environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead ML/CV work for key R&D programs, partnering with scientists to turn target identification, molecular optimization, in vitro analysis, ADMET, and biomarker questions into modeling problems with clear success criteria.
• Design, build, and validate advanced ML and computer‑vision models—including CNNs, transformers, graph neural networks, and generative approaches—on multi‑modal data (molecular, assay, imaging, behavioral) to deliver reliable predictions and classifications.
• Shape data collection, annotation, and synthetic data usage by working with experimental teams on capture protocols, labeling standards, and quality checks; evaluate synthetic data and augmentation to strengthen sparse datasets while managing bias and risk.
• Operationalize models in R&D workflows by integrating them with tools used by scientists—including building and deploying models in Databricks—and influencing standards for reproducibility, documentation, monitoring, and model governance.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship by guiding junior scientists, leading cross‑functional modeling initiatives, and clearly communicating technical concepts and results to diverse stakeholders.

Skills

Python programming

Cross-functional collaboration

Statistics and experimental design

Education

PhD in quantitative field

Master’s degree with ML/CV experience

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

scikit-learn

OpenCV

Job description

Elanco in Indianapolis, IN, is seeking a Senior AI/ML Scientist to accelerate its drug discovery and R&D operations by turning proprietary data into predictive models. You will work with discovery and development scientists to build ML/CV models on molecular, in vitro, ADMET, and imaging data to guide decisions across target identification and biomarker endpoints.

The role requires 7+ years of industry ML/CV experience, strong Python and ML library skills, and the ability to lead