Sr. Director - Non-Viral Nanomedicine Discovery - 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.

For over 140 years, Lilly has dedicated itself to discovering medicines that improve lives. These breakthroughs originate in Lilly Research Laboratories, where our scientists strive to develop new treatments to tackle the world’s most pressing health challenges.

In the Gene Therapy, Editing, and Nanomedicine (GTEN) group at Lilly Seaport/Boston, we focus on advancing non-viral nanomedicine (e.g., mRNA transcript therapy and/or DNA editing via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)), especially in the fields of immunology and neuroscience. Our team is driven to explore next-generation therapeutics, innovative technologies, data analytics, and new care models to improve patient health and the healthcare system. Located in the heart of Massachusetts' vibrant science and technology cluster, our Boston team embraces creativity and breakthrough concepts in a dynamic, start-up-like environment supported by a large company.

Responsibilities:

• Strategy: Lead organizational approach to non-viral nanomedicine discovery in collaboration with key therapeutic area partners in neuroscience and immunology.
• Execution: Foster a culture of collaboration to drive the discovery and progression of non-viral nanomedicine strategies to support our portfolio and individual projects.
• Innovation: Leverage a deep understanding of emerging non-viral nanomedicine technologies (e.g., targeted nanomedicine, high throughput workstreams) to deliver breakthrough advances in extrahepatic delivery.
• Capability: Identify and build core capabilities for delivery innovation research by leveraging Team Lilly expertise.
• Collaboration: Remove barriers, identify resources, and work cross-functionally across Lilly Research Laboratories to accelerate the development of nanomedicine therapeutics.
• Genetic Medicine Advocacy: Represent the non-viral nanomedicine organization internally and externally to build productive partnerships and increase awareness of nanomedicine capabilities.
• Resource Management: Partner with resource owners to make informed decisions across genetic medicine projects.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Advocate for diverse recruiting, retaining, and developing scientists, with a focus on coaching and development.
• Balancing Science and Business: Deliver the genetic medicine portfolio through responsible budget, resource, and capability management.
• Safety: Prioritize and foster a proactive safety culture.

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD with 8+ years of industry experience in genetic medicine with deep expertise in non-viral nanomedicine discovery, especially lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

Additional Skills/Preferences:

• Expertise: Deep scientific knowledge and a proven track record of leading a team of scientists to deliver candidate molecules into clinical testing.
• Team Player: Strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and learning agility. Ability to lead within a globally matrixed organization and across functions.
• Leadership: Experience managing a team of 10+ scientists.
• Drug Discovery Process: Comprehensive understanding of the entire drug discovery process, including lead generation and optimization.
• Decision-Making: Ability to make informed decisions amid ambiguity, leveraging insights from the Genetic Medicine Lead Team to execute strategic priorities.
• Communication: Open, transparent communication with employees, team members, and senior leadership.
• External Awareness: Promote awareness of the external environment and champion best practices internally.
• Strategic Thinking: Identify gaps in competencies or capabilities and drive continuous improvement across Genetic Medicine.
• Additional Scientific Expertise: Demonstrated knowledge in neuroscience, protein biologics, chemistry, and/or immunology.

Additional Information:

• Travel: Some domestic and international travel is anticipated.