Director, Analytical Chemistry Extended Characterization
Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: February 1, 2026
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Job Description:
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. Organization & Position
Overview: 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 motivated individuals who are
determined to make life better for people around the world. Verve
Therapeutics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lilly. Verve is a
biotechnology company created with a singular focus: to protect the
world from heart disease. Founded by world-leading experts in
cardiovascular medicine, human genetics and gene-editing, the
company aims to develop transformative, once-and-done therapies for
coronary heart disease. Verve’s gene editing medicines are designed
to safely edit the genome of adults and mimic naturally occurring
gene variants to permanently lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride
levels. We are seeking a Director, Analytical Development, to
provide leadership within the Analytical Development team. The
individual will lead a team of scientists and associates to develop
and implement new and improved analytical methods focusing on
extended characterization of RNA drug substances (gRNA and mRNA),
and LNP drug products for candidates in late-stage development. The
individual and the team will be working closely with cross
functional teams within Lilly's Product Research & Development
(PRD) organization, leveraging the existing resources and expertise
to move forward on Verve programs. Additionally, the team supports
testing non-GMP samples to support development studies such as
comparability assessments, process development, stability, product
and process characterization. The position will be part of a
Technical Operations team in Verve that partners closely with
Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Process Development and
Analytical Research & Development. Responsibilities: Lead a team of
scientists working on mRNA, gRNA and LNP assays focused on
biophysical extended characterization. Partner across the
Analytical Development team and cross-functionally with BR&D
and SMDD to lead, plan, and execute complex characterization
studies; serve as the analytical lead in cross-functional
interactions. Develop and implement methods intended for product
characterization to support late stage and commercialization of
gene editing programs. Provide technical expertise for the
structural characterization of gRNAs, mRNAs and lipid nanoparticle
(LNP) complexes. Serve as analytical lead for CMC project teams.
Oversee troubleshooting, tech transfer, and phase-appropriate GMP
validation of analytical methods at the internal Quality Control
lab and at contract testing labs in collaboration with Quality
team. Author and review technical reports and regulatory
submissions. Provide guidance and support to team members,
promoting their professional growth and development. Effectively
manage multiple projects to ensure timely delivery. Foster a
culture of lab safety, data integrity, collaboration, innovation,
continuous improvement and accountability within the team. Other
duties as assigned. Basic Requirements: PhD in analytical chemistry
or bioanalytical chemistry, or a related field with 10 years of
experience in the pharmaceutical industry Prior laboratory
operations and management experience leading a team of scientists
and associates for analytical development in a clinical stage
biotech environment. Prior experience must include performing
analytical assays to support the development of lead molecules,
troubleshooting and optimizing analytical assays for GMP use per
ICH guidelines. Experience with planning and executing product and
process development studies such as forced degradation,
comparability assessments, stability, extended characterization,
etc. Experience with analytical control strategy implementation,
and/or regulatory submissions related to advanced gene therapies.
Direct experience analyzing LNPs and RNA by biophysical techniques
such as LC-MS, DSC, DLS, MALS, etc. Demonstrated competency in
operating HPLC/UPLC/LC-MS instrumentation. Hands-on experience
analyzing DNA/RNA by IP-RP, IEX, LC-fluor and multi-modal LC
techniques required. Conceptual understanding of solid phase
oligonucleotide synthesis and purification strategies. Experience
with technical transfer of analytical methods into manufacturing
operations. Experience developing global regulatory strategies
including authoring regulatory submissions, responding to
regulatory questions, and/or registering products across global
markets Demonstrated success in persuasion, influence, and
negotiation. Good interpersonal skills and a sustained tendency for
collaboration. Ability to prioritize multiple activities and manage
ambiguity. Ability to influence others to promote a positive work
environment. Demonstrated technical proficiency and ability to
create ideas for future work plans. Additional Preferences:
Knowledge/hands-on experience in oligonucleotide lipid nanoparticle
delivery, production and purification of short and large
oligonucleotides, protein engineering and process development are a
plus, but not required. Additional Information: Travel: 15-30% (
initial 4-6 months travel to Verve Boston site required ) Potential
exposure to chemicals, allergens, and loud noises. Position
location: Indianapolis, IN; Lilly Technology Center-North (LTC-N)
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 proud to be an
EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race,
color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual
orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin,
protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally
protected status. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong
support networks for their members and are open to all employees.
Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia
Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network,
Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India
Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ
Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for
Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities).
Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend
on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic
location. The anticipated wage for this position is $148,500 -
$257,400 Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a
company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual
performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit
program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate
in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits;
eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug
benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day
care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death
benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and
well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness
benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the
right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit
programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices
and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or
transfer of Lilly employees. WeAreLilly
Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Greenwood , Director, Analytical Chemistry Extended Characterization, Science, Research & Development , Indianapolis, Indiana
