Senior Biologist - Protein Engineering

Eli Lilly and Company; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 89,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Healthcare benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Eli Lilly and Company’s BioTDR Protein Engineering group in San Diego seeks an associate-level scientist focused on antibody discovery and engineering. The role involves designing experiments, optimizing biotherapeutics, and collaborating with teams across discovery, production, and automation to advance candidate molecules.

Candidates should have a biology/biochemistry background with protein engineering experience, proficiency in ELISA and binding assays, and be authorized to work in the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Protein Engineering, Biotechnology, Cell Biology, or a related STEM field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant laboratory experience.
• Experience in protein engineering.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Responsibilities

• Design and perform experiments to identify and validate next-generation large molecule therapeutics.
• Contribute to building and improving next-generation technology platforms for therapeutics.
• Improve molecular biology protocols, screening, and molecule characterization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet research timelines.
• Maintain meticulous records and electronic notebooks.

Skills

Molecular biology

Biochemistry

Protein engineering

Antibody discovery

Cell culture

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Protein Engineering, Biotechnology, Cell Biology

Tools

ELISA

BLI (Octet)

SPR (Biacore)

PCR / cloning

Gibson assembly

Job description

Company Overview

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.

Company Overview: At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

The Biotechnology Discovery Research (BioTDR) division in San Diego is responsible for generating, characterizing, and optimizing biotherapeutics from discovery to candidate selection. We support cross-disciplinary efforts to engineer innovative biotherapeutics that treat metabolic, autoimmune, oncologic, and neurologic diseases. Join our team of scientists working to improve the lives of patients around the world. This is an opportunity for a self-motivated researcher to join the Protein Engineering group at the Lilly Biotechnology Center in San Diego. We are seeking an associate-level scientist with experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, and protein engineering. The successful candidate will characterize and optimize antibodies, therapeutic proteins, and alternative scaffolds, with a primary focus on antibody discovery and engineering. The ideal candidate is a dedicated teammate with outstanding technical skills who can work collaboratively with the antibody discovery, protein engineering, protein production, protein characterization, and automation groups in San Diego and Indianapolis. As they build expertise, there is an opportunity to take ownership of a project workstream with increasing autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Think creatively and assist in designing and performing experiments to identify and validate the next generation of large molecule therapeutics
• Contribute to building and improving next-generation technology platforms for future therapeutics
• Contribute to process improvement of molecular biology, screening protocols and molecule characterization
• Work collaboratively and communicate with project teams to achieve critical research objectives and timelines
• Maintain timely, detailed, and well-organized records, including electronic notebooks, laboratory information management systems, presentations, and reports

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Protein Engineering, Biotechnology, Cell Biology, or a related STEM field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant laboratory experience
• Experience in protein engineering
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly 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.

Additional Skills / Preferences

• Demonstrated hands‑on experience with molecular biology and cloning techniques (PCR, Gibson assembly, restriction digest/ligation, site‑directed mutagenesis, bacterial transformation)
• Experience in antibody engineering and optimization approaches as well as in protein biochemistry
• Proficient in ELISA and binding assay techniques; experience with BLI (Octet) or SPR (Biacore) is desirable
• Knowledge of protein structure and structure‑activity relationships
• Confortable using AI tools and agile learning new software
• Knowledge/experience in cell culture and cell‑based functional assays
• Experience working with automation platforms
• Familiarity with sequence analysis tools and data visualization/statistics software (e.g., Prism, Excel, Spotfire) is a plus
• Highly effective interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills with high attention to detail
• Ability to work independently as well as in complex cross‑functional team settings

Location

San Diego, CA | Onsite laboratory position

Employment Details

Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly USA, LLC and our wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively “Lilly”) are committed to help individuals with disabilities to participate in the workforce and ensure equal opportunity to compete for jobs. If you require an accommodation to submit a resume for positions at Lilly, please email Lilly Human Resources ([e-mail]) for further assistance. Please note this email address is intended for use only to request an accommodation as part of the application process. Any other correspondence will not receive a response. Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. 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).

Compensation

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $88,500 - $161,700. Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).

Benefits

• 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
• well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities)

Equal Employment Opportunity

Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

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.

Community & Culture

#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