Scientist/Principal Scientist - Peptide and Antibody Bioconjugation - Eli Lilly and Company

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. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

We serve an extraordinary purpose. For more than 140 years, we have worked diligently to discover medicines that make life better. These discoveries start in Lilly Research Laboratories, where our scientists work to create new medicines that will help solve our world’s greatest health challenges.

At the Lilly Innovation Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we explore how next generation therapeutics, new technologies, data analytics and new care models can improve patient health and the healthcare system. Our team in Cambridge shares a real passion for challenging conventional wisdom and creating an environment that embraces creative, break-through concepts. The Center offers a start-up environment with large company support. It is located in the heart of Massachusetts’ exploding science and technology cluster and is within walking distance of some of the best academic and industry innovators in the world.

We are seeking an experienced research scientist to join our Genetic Medicine team at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis IN or Cambridge MA.  The successful candidate will possess a strong background in synthetic organic chemistry and extensive experience in automated synthesis. She/he will be responsible for synthesizing and characterizing antibody/peptide-RNA conjugates and oligonucleotides to delivery high quality drug molecules, with a focus on effective extrahepatic delivery. The candidate will also design and synthesize functionalized RNAs and develop novel bioconjugation methods in collaborations with a multidisciplinary team.

Job Responsibilities:

• Synthesize and characterize antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates to support in-vivo/in-vitro studies.
• Develop and optimize bioconjugation methodologies to enable antibody conjugation with novel RNA payloads; contribute to development of RNA delivery platforms for extrahepatic tissues.
• Explore SAR of novel peptides for RNA delivery and synthesize peptide-RNA conjugates as needed.
• Work productively and safely in the laboratory; and maintain good practice in writing experimental report in an electronic lab notebook.
• Engage in collaborative efforts with cross-functional teams for biochemical, cellular, and in-vivo imaging evaluation of siRNA conjugates.
• Communicate experimental results and project progress with supervisor and at team/department meetings.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or similar field with 7+ years of drug discovery experience, or Master's degree in a relevant field and 5+ years of drug discovery experience.

Additional Skills/Preferences

• Extensive knowledge of modern organic and medicinal chemistry; significant contributions to discovery of clinical candidates is advantageous.
• Experience in peptide and/or oligonucleotide, and multi-molecule conjugation chemistry will be preferred.
• Understanding advanced analytical and purification techniques.
• Proficiency in independently executing research tasks.
• Strong problem-solving skills with creative solutions in constructing complex molecular systems; demonstrate scientific rigors in execution of chemistry plans
• A proven track record of contributions to research projects, substantiated by issued patents/patent applications or peer-reviewed journal publications.
• Productive collaborations in interdisciplinary team environment.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills

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 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.

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