Senior Research Scientist - Protein Production Team Lead

elanco; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Elanco, a global leader in animal health, is seeking a Senior Research Scientist, Protein Expression & Purification Team Lead in Indianapolis, IN. In this hybrid laboratory-based and leadership role, you will guide a team through the end-to-end protein generation workflow from DNA construct design to final lot-release testing to enable pre-clinical animal studies.

You will oversee multiple projects, ensure high-purity biotherapeutics, drive process improvements, mentor scientists, and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field.
• 3+ years hands-on mammalian protein expression (HEK293/CHO) and multi-step purification using automated systems (e.g., ÄKTA FPLC).
• Experience directing multi-person workflows and mentoring laboratory staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of scientists on end-to-end protein generation workflow.
• Provide technical leadership across multiple biotherapeutic and vaccine discovery projects.
• Direct expression, purification, and downstream testing workflows.
• Oversee analytical characterization and material release (CE-SDS, HPLC, BLI/Octet, endotoxin).
• Identify platform improvements and drive automation while ensuring data integrity with ELNs.

Skills

Team Leadership

Project Leadership

Mammalian Protein Expression

Protein Purification

Automation & ELN

Biochemistry

Education

Ph.D. in Biochemistry or related field

Tools

ÄKTA FPLC

UNICORN software

HPLC

CE-SDS

BLI/Octet

Endotoxin assay

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!

Your Role: Senior Research Scientist, Protein Expression & Purification Team Lead

As a Senior Research Scientist and Protein Expression & Purification Team Lead in our Transitional and Early Development group, you will play a central leadership role in discovering, generating, and optimizing the next generation of recombinant protein biotherapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, and novel vaccine antigens for animal health. In this hybrid laboratory-based and team leadership role, you will direct and expand a team of scientists responsible for the end-to-end protein generation workflow-from DNA construct design through downstream purification and lot-release testing-to enable critical pre-clinical animal studies.

Your Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership & People Management: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of laboratory scientists focused on the end-to-end protein generation workflow, establishing workload priorities and resource allocation.
• Portfolio & Project Leadership: Serve as the protein sciences subject matter expert (SME) across multiple concurrent biotherapeutic and vaccine discovery projects, providing technical leadership, timelines, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Workflow Design & Execution: Direct the end-to-end protein generation workflow, from expression plasmid design and transient expression in mammalian systems (HEK293, CHO) to multi-step purification strategies utilizing ÄKTA systems and UNICORN software.
• Analytical Characterization & Material Release: Oversee a suite of in-process and lot-release analytics (e.g., CE-SDS, HPLC, BLI/Octet, endotoxin) to ensure the delivery of high-purity, low-bioburden protein lots for pre-clinical studies.
• Process Innovation & Documentation: Identify and implement platform improvements, including high-throughput systems and automation, while maintaining exemplary data integrity through electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) and technical reports.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a closely related scientific discipline.
• Technical Experience: A minimum of 3+ years of hands-on experience in the biopharmaceutical industry or a post-doctoral setting with definitive expertise in mammalian protein expression (e.g., transient expression in CHO, HEK293) and multi-step protein purification (e.g., Affinity, IEX, SEC) using automated chromatography systems (e.g., ÄKTA FPLC).
• Project Leadership: Experience directing multi-person scientific workflows and mentoring laboratory scientists.

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

• Team Leadership: Prior experience in a formal team lead or people management role.
• Complex Modalities: Direct experience engineering, expressing, and purifying complex biologics (e.g., bispecific antibodies, multi-domain fusion proteins, or difficult-to-express antigens).
• High-throughput Automation: Familiarity with liquid handlers, automated multi-channel purification systems, or high-throughput titer screening.
• Immunology Background: Solid understanding of antibody biology, immunology, and the structural determinants of developability and stability.
• Matrix Influence: Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders across Discovery, Analytical Development, and Formulation in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Information:

• Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN - Hybrid Work Environment
• Travel: Up to 10% annually to external partners, conferences, or manufacturing sites.

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees t