Senior Research Scientist – DMPK

Elanco; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Two weeklong shutdowns

8‑week parental leave

Employee Resource Groups

Annual bonus offering

Flexible work arrangements

Up to 6% 401K matching

Job summary

Elanco, a global leader in animal health, seeks a Senior Research Scientist – DMPK in Indianapolis. You will drive DMPK/ADME strategies across discovery and pre‑clinical programs, guiding compound optimization and go/no‑go decisions.

The role requires collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and external partners to accelerate development. The ideal candidate has a PhD or equivalent in a relevant field and 4+ years in pharmaceutical DMPK, with expertise in PK/PD data interpretation and

Qualifications

• Advanced understanding of DMPK/ADME in discovery and pre‑clinical; strong data interpretation skills.
• Experience with PK/PD profiling and interpretation to guide lead optimization.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams and with external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead DMPK strategy across discovery and pre‑clinical teams to nominate candidates.
• Design and execute in vitro DMPK/ADME and in vivo PK/PD studies to evaluate exposure and metabolism.
• Integrate DMPK with pharmacology/toxicology data to refine lead profiles.
• Collaborate with global R&D and CROs/academics to access technologies.
• Prepare scientific summaries and presentations for governance decisions.

Skills

DMPK/ADME

PK/PD interpretation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD/PharmD/DVM or Master/Bachelor with exp

Tools

Phoenix WinNonlin

Monolix

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

As a Senior Research Scientist – DMPK, you will serve as a subject matter expert in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics for discovery and pre‑clinical research projects. In this role, you will be responsible for designing and implementing DMPK and PK/PD strategies that guide compound optimization, de‑risking and accelerating early R & D programs through candidate selection and progression into the development pipeline.

Your Responsibilities:

• Serve as the PK/DMPK scientific lead across multidisciplinary discovery and pre‑clinical research teams, establishing strategies to guide small and large molecule candidates toward nomination.
• Design, execute, and monitor in vitro DMPK/ADME and in vivo PK/PD profiling studies to evaluate target exposure, bioavailability, metabolism, and drug interaction risks.
• Integrate DMPK findings with pharmacology and toxicology data to build robust lead profiles, perform IVIVC or mechanistic modeling, and drive go/no‑go progression decisions.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally across global R&D and partner with external CROs and academic collaborators to access specialized technologies and advance early pipeline packages.
• Prepare and deliver clear scientific summaries, reports, and presentations on DMPK findings to enable evidence‑based governance decisions.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Advanced scientific degree (PhD, PharmD, DVM, or Master’s/Bachelor’s degree with equivalent level of experience) in Pharmacology, Chemistry, Veterinary/Medical Sciences, or related scientific discipline.
• Required Experience: A minimum of 4 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry or academia in discovery and pre‑clinical DMPK research, with demonstrated experience in both small and large molecule drug development.
• Strong foundational expertise in early‑phase DMPK/ADME characterization, PK/PD data interpretation, and proficiency in PK software tools (such as Phoenix WinNonlin, Monolix, or equivalent).

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Experience with mechanistic PK modeling and/or physiologically‑based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling.
• Strong chemistry background with understanding of compound structures, classes, and in vitro profiling.
• Familiarity with veterinary drug development and species‑specific considerations in animal metabolism and pharmacokinetics.
• Demonstrated experience managing and collaborating with external contract research organizations (CROs) and academic partners.
• Proven track record of cross‑functional collaboration and delivering clear scientific presentations to diverse technical and non‑technical audiences.

Additional Information:

• Travel: Up to 10% of domestic and international travel
• Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN - Hybrid Work Environment

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well‑being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages
• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid‑summer and year‑end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
• 8‑week parental leave
• 9 Employee Resource Groups
• Annual bonus offering
• Flexible work arrangements
• Up to 6% 401K matching

Elanco 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

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.

Elanco 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

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.