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.

Post-Doctoral Scientist – Genetic Medicine (Fixed Duration)

Genetic medicines have great potential for the treatment of human disease but are restricted due to poor distribution, cellular penetration and rapid degradation in vivo. Unlocking the challenges associated with delivery through manipulation of oligonucleotide physiochemical properties will help Lilly reach new patients.

We are seeking an ambitious post-doctoral scientist, with strong research and communication skills, to contribute to the development of oligonucleotide conjugates with a profile of improved physicochemical properties, in vitro and in vivo efficacy and distribution, as part of the discovery effort within the Genetic Medicine team.

Key Responsibilities Include:Project info and deliverablesTaking inspiration from literature, the post-doc will design and synthesize a library of novel oligonucleotide conjugates and analyze their physiochemical properties and in vitro activity. The key goal is to identify structural trends that lead to desired, optimized properties.Expand the oligonucleotide conjugate library to further diversify chemistry and optimize physiochemical properties, with the goal of improving in vivo efficacy, biodistribution, and cellular uptake.

Working environmentResponsible for the design, synthesis, and analytical characterization of the oligonucleotide library, as well as subsequent in vitro assessments. They will work in direct collaboration with our Genetic Medicine chemistry, analytical, and in vitro pharmacology teams. In this role, they will expand their organic synthesis skills, gaining expertise on oligonucleotide synthesis, bioconjugations, analytical property assessment, and in vitro assay development and application.

Present findings at conferences and publish in high quality peer-reviewed journals.

Basic Qualifications:PhD in life science related fields such as Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, with all completed requirements by October 2025.

Additional Skills/Preferences:PhD in chemistry, biochemistry or related field experience. Multi-step organic synthesis experience and/or oligonucleotide and nucleotide chemistry experience are preferred. Additional experience desired includes analytical techniques (i.e. HPLC, MS, NMR) and in vitro testing.Experience in oligonucleotide chemistry or organic chemistry, in vitro assay development and will be familiar with analytical characterization by HPLC and mass spectrometry.Self-directed, highly motivated and creative individual who wants to learn new techniques while continually pursuing research and publication goals.Excellent communicator (oral and written) with presentation experience, along with a strong publication record.Strong scientific collaborator with a team player attitude, flexible and ready to overcome a variety of scientific challenges in the spirit of driving projects to completion. Demonstrated ability to multitask efficiently, prioritize quickly and bring projects to conclusion.

Additional Information:This position is not permanent. It is for a fixed duration of two years with potential to extend to 3 years and for a maximum up to 4 years. You will have opportunities to apply for full time positions after your duration is complete.

When it comes to research and development, our goal is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that make life better for people around the world. It’s challenging, expensive and often filled with failure. But even when we fail, we advance medical science and understanding by learning more about diseases, biology and chemistry – ultimately bringing new solutions one step closer to reality.

Over the course of our history, we have shed light on some of the toughest health care problems known to man – diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, neuroscience disorders, cancer and more. We could not pursue this without our research and development team.

Postdoctoral scientists help us continue this pursuit. During your experience you will get:

Top industry research experience, focusing on a novel project that has broad scientific impact, for publication in top-rated, peer-reviewed scientific journalsFormal mentorship and training by some of Lilly’s top scientists Laboratory and classroom training and education to further your developmentCollaboration and networking across dozens of postdoctoral scientists and other researchers

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

$58,000 - $100,320

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.

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