Advisor, guide-RNA Process Development

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.

Organizational Overview

Verve Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly & Company within Lilly Research Labs, is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company established with a mission to solve the global health epidemic of cardiovascular disease. Founded by world-leading experts in cardiovascular medicine, human genetics and gene-editing, Verve is pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease, potentially transforming treatment from chronic management to single-course gene editing medicines.

Position Summary:

We are seeking an experienced process chemist to join the guide-RNA process development team. You will be joining a team that is heavily focused on clinical manufacturing process development. This is primarily a lab-based role supporting guide-RNA drug substance process development for programs in clinical development. The role will also contribute to the development of guide-RNA manufacturing platform technologies in a highly collaborative effort with process and analytical chemistry teams.

Responsibilities:

* Design and execute solid-phase synthesis and purification experiments to support process development and scale-up of oligonucleotide drug substance manufacturing

* Lead guide-RNA process development efforts by identifying areas of continuous improvement through literature and state-of-art practices and applying these learnings to Verve's gRNA process development projects.

* Collaborate cross-functionally with process and analytical teams to progress process and manufacturing technology development projects

* Review and provide technical feedback on internal and external collaborators experimental designs and results

* Participate actively in technical discussions and meetings, proactively communicate technical findings and results to stakeholders, train and support teammates as needed

* Partner closely with members of facilities, lab operations, and safety to maintain the highest level of safety standards within the lab

* Keep an updated lab notebook, order materials, maintain lab equipment, and support equipment troubleshooting as needed

Basic Requirements:

* PhD degree in a relevant scientific discipline with 1-2+ years of industry experience (synthesis, oligonucleotide development, solid phase synthesis, CMC) or MS degree with 8+ years of relevant industry experience (synthesis, oligonucleotide development, solid phase synthesis, CMC)

* Experience designing and troubleshooting oligonucleotide solid phase synthesis studies. Strong preference for candidates who have experience with guide-RNA or longmer synthesis development backgrounds.

* Experience with oligonucleotide manufacturing processes and equipment including solid phase synthesis (Cytiva Oligo Synt or OP100), cleavage and deprotection, chromatography (Akta), TFF, sterile filtration, single-use technology, and sterile/aseptic processing preferred

* Background in oligonucleotide process development, scale-up, and GMP manufacturing

* Strong communication skills (oral and written) and the ability to thrive in a team and goal driven environment

Additional Skills/Preferences :

* Background in CRISPR guide RNA development strongly preferred

* Use of strong interpersonal skills for collaboration

* Ability to prioritize multiple activities and handle ambiguity

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 () 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…