Senior Scientist, Upstream Process Development (Mammalian Cell Culture)

Elanco; Greenfield (IN); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Elanco, a global leader in animal health, seeks an Upstream Senior Research Scientist to lead mammalian cell culture process development. You will design and optimize bioreactor-based processes, apply DoE to enhance performance, and drive technology transfer to manufacturing while mentoring junior scientists in a cross-functional team.

The role emphasizes CHO-based systems, media optimization, and scalable manufacturing readiness within a hybrid work model at Elanco's global headquarters in

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or related field, or Master’s with 3+ years experience, or Bachelor’s with 5+ years experience.
• Hands-on upstream mammalian cell culture development experience (e.g., CHO) at bench or pilot scale.
• Strong knowledge of experimental design, data analysis, and scale-up principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead upstream process development for mammalian cell culture systems, optimizing bioreactor performance and scaling from bench to pilot.
• Design and execute DoE-based experiments to improve yield and robustness for fed-batch and perfusion systems.
• Develop and optimize basal and feed media for CHO cell cultures, enabling platform improvements.
• Lead technology transfer of upstream processes to manufacturing with scale-down models and documentation.
• Coach and collaborate with cross-functional teams and mentor junior scientists.

Skills

DoE

Data analysis

Scale-up

Mentorship

Education

PhD in Chemical Engineering / Biochemistry / Biotechnology

Master's + 3+ years of experience

Bachelor's + 5+ years of experience

Tools

Bioreactor operations

Cell culture

Process characterization

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!

Position Description

As the Upstream Senior Research Scientist, you will be a key technical leader in our Technical Development organization, driving the innovation that delivers novel animal health solutions for our customers. In this role, you will be responsible for advancing Elanco’s biologics portfolio, including monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, and vaccines, by leading the design, optimization, and scaling of robust mammalian cell culture processes. Partnering with cross-functional teams, you will shape the future of our upstream platform and directly contribute to bringing next-generation therapies from the lab to the manufacturing floor.

Your Responsibilities:

• Lead upstream process development for mammalian cell culture systems, including bioreactor optimization, process characterization, and scale-up from bench to pilot scale.
• Design and execute experiments, utilizing Design of Experiments (DoE) methodologies, to enhance cell culture performance, product yield, and process robustness for fed-batch and/or perfusion-based systems.
• Drive the development of new upstream platforms, including the formulation and optimization of novel basal and feed media for CHO cell culture systems.
• Lead the technology transfer of upstream processes to manufacturing sites, ensuring process scalability, authoring technical documents, and aligning scale-down models with manufacturing equipment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Downstream, Analytical, Manufacturing) and provide technical mentorship to junior scientists to advance biologics production.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related scientific field; OR a Master's degree with 3+ years of relevant experience; OR a Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience: Hands-on experience in upstream process development for mammalian cell culture (e.g., CHO systems), including direct experience with bioreactor operations at the bench or pilot scale.
• Technical Skills: Demonstrated ability to apply scientific principles to solve process development challenges, coupled with a foundational knowledge of experimental design (DoE), data analysis, and process scale-up principles.
  

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

• Direct experience with fed-batch or perfusion processes for monoclonal antibody or recombinant protein production.
• Proven success in technology transfer, process characterization, and working within a cGMP-regulated environment.
• Familiarity with the development, optimization, and evaluation of cell culture media.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams and a passion for mentoring junior scientists.
• Experience in the Animal Health industry.

Additional Information

• Travel: Approximately 10%
• Work Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

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.