Senior Medicinal Chemist: Small Molecule Discovery

Elanco Tiergesundheit AG; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Two weeklong shutdowns

8‑week parental leave

Employee Resource Groups

Annual bonus

Flexible work arrangements

401K matching

Job summary

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated is seeking a Principal Research Scientist in Medicinal Chemistry to guide design and synthesis of innovative small molecules for animal health. You will partner with global teams to advance programs from lead generation to candidate selection, using cutting-edge tools like DEL, AI/ML, and computational chemistry.

The role emphasizes mentorship, data integrity, and collaboration across biology, pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology, based in Indianapolis with a

Qualifications

• PhD in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• A minimum of 6 years of relevant industry experience in medicinal chemistry.
• Expertise in designing and multi-step synthesis of complex small molecules; strong SAR, pharmacology, and ADME/PK knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize novel small molecules; integrate SAR with biological data.
• Collaborate with Biology, Pharmacology, DMPK, Toxicology, and Computational Sciences to advance discovery programs.
• Coordinate synthesis with CROs and internal partners to meet project goals and timelines.
• Leverage DEL, computational chemistry, and AI/ML tools to accelerate hit finding and lead optimization.
• Mentor junior scientists and promote data integrity and scientific excellence.

Skills

Modern medicinal chemistry

SAR (structure-activity relationships)

Pharmacology

ADME/PK

Cross-functional leadership

Education

PhD in Medicinal Chemistry or Organic Chemistry

Tools

DNA-Encoded Libraries

DEL

Computational chemistry

AI/ML-enabled molecular design

Job description

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated is seeking a Principal Research Scientist in Medicinal Chemistry to guide design and synthesis of innovative small molecules for animal health. You will partner with global teams to advance programs from lead generation to candidate selection, using cutting-edge tools like DEL, AI/ML, and computational chemistry.

The role emphasizes mentorship, data integrity, and collaboration across biology, pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology, based in Indianapolis with a