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Scientific Director – Medicinal Chemistry - Oral Macrocyclic Peptides (Indianapolis, In)

5+ years
$139,500 – $246,400
10 June 4, 2025
Job Description
Job Type: Full Time Education: PhD Skills: Causality Assessment, Clinical SAS Programming, Communication Skills, CPC Certified, GCP guidelines, ICD-10 CM Codes, CPT-Codes, HCPCS Codes, ICD-10 CM, CPT, HCPCS Coding, ICH guidelines, ICSR Case Processing, Interpersonal Skill, Labelling Assessment, MedDRA Coding, Medical Billing, Medical Coding, Medical Terminology, Narrative Writing, Research & Development, Technical Skill, Triage of ICSRs, WHO DD Coding

 

Job Title:

Scientific Director – Medicinal Chemistry – Oral Macrocyclic Peptides

Location:

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Job ID: R-69197
Category: Research & Development
Job Type: Full-Time, Regular


Company Overview:

Eli Lilly is a global pharmaceutical leader dedicated to discovering and delivering medicines that improve lives. The organization values people-first innovation, diversity, and excellence in science.


Role Summary:

This is a technical leadership role within the Peptide Therapeutics Team in Biotechnology Discovery Research. The Director will lead the medicinal chemistry strategy for oral macrocyclic peptides, focusing on target-to-clinic development, and guide a multidisciplinary team toward delivering novel peptide-based therapeutics.


Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategic Direction

  • Lead a team in the design, optimization, and advancement of oral macrocyclic peptides.

  • Initiate and manage new discovery projects in macrocyclic peptides, including library screening and SAR strategy.

  • Provide vision, technical leadership, and mentorship across therapeutic projects.

Scientific & Technical Excellence

  • Utilize peptide chemistry, conformational analysis, modeling, and computational design to enhance oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetics.

  • Develop and apply strategies for hit identification and lead optimization using tools such as:

    • OBOC

    • AS/MS

    • mRNA display

    • Solution-phase screening

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Work across Lilly’s discovery and development functions (DCRT, TA Teams, Drug Disposition, Product Development, Regulatory).

  • Communicate progress to management and governance committees.

Team Development & Inclusion

  • Promote a culture of innovation, safety, inclusion, and diversity.

  • Recruit, coach, and develop scientific talent and future leaders.


Basic Qualifications:

  • PhD or postdoctoral degree in synthetic chemistry, peptide chemistry, or related field.

  • 5+ years of experience in pharmaceutical/biotech R&D.


Preferred Qualifications:

  • Deep expertise in oral macrocyclic peptide design, development, and screening.

  • Experience with both computational approaches and wet-lab execution.

  • Track record of leading successful drug development efforts from discovery through clinical testing.

  • Understanding of AI/ML in macrocycle drug discovery is a strong plus.

  • Ability to influence and lead within a matrixed global R&D organization.


Compensation & Benefits:

  • Anticipated Salary: $139,500 – $246,400

  • Eligible for bonus compensation based on performance.

  • Full benefits package includes:

    • 401(k), pension

    • Health, dental, vision

    • Paid vacation and time off

    • Wellness and life insurance benefits


Diversity & Inclusion:

Lilly is an EEO employer committed to equal opportunity and diversity in the workforce. The company actively supports employee resource groups (ERGs), including WILL, PRIDE, VLN, enAble, OLA, and others.

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