Advisor, Downstream Process Development – Viral Vectors

Lilly's Downstream Process Development Scientist

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve.

This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it's work worth doing. If you're driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

The Downstream Process Development team is seeking a highly motivated scientist to drive innovation in viral vector purification. The successful candidate will lead platform development to advance DSP capabilities for recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy products, supporting programs from early development through GMP manufacturing and regulatory submission; collaborating with Analytical Development, CMC Regulatory, and MFG to deliver robust, scalable and efficient manufacturing processes.

• Design and execute downstream process development experiments for AAV purification, including affinity capture, ion-exchange chromatography, ultrafiltration/diafiltration, viral filtration, and ultracentrifugation
• Develop and implement novel AAV purification strategies; establish DSP operating principles and process understanding across diverse serotypes.
• Develop and apply mechanistic chromatography models to predict column performance, guide operating condition selection, and accelerate scale-up decisions, enabling rapid initiation of new gene therapy programs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with upstream process development, analytical development, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure seamless technology transfer and successful clinical manufacturing.
• Present experimental findings at internal team meetings, cross-functional reviews, and external conferences; contribute to scientific publications and patent applications as appropriate.
• Author and review technical documents including process descriptions, batch records, process characterization reports, and CMC sections of IND/BLA filings.
• Mentor junior scientists, fostering a culture of scientific excellence and continuous improvement.

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Bioengineering, or a related scientific discipline with at least 2 years of relevant experience in downstream process development for biologics or gene therapy products, OR M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Bioengineering, or a related scientific discipline with at least 10 years of relevant industry experience
• Extensive hands-on experience with various protein purification techniques: chromatography (affinity, ion exchange, HIC) and membrane-based separations (UF/DF, depth filtration).
• Demonstrated fundamental understanding of chromatography principles
• Proficiency in statistical design of experiments (JMP, Minitab) and data analysis.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively present complex scientific information.
• Adaptability in a fast-paced environment

• Experience with recombinant AAV or other viral vector purification (lentivirus, adenovirus).
• Experience with automation platforms for HTP process screening.
• Proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB for data analysis, model implementation, and automation scripting.
• Knowledge of machine learning / multivariate analysis applied to bioprocess data.
• Strong understanding of viral vector biology, expression systems, and analytical methods used for viral vector characterization.

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