Principal Scientist - ADME

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.

As a Principal Scientist - ADME, you will help advance Lilly's ADME discovery portfolio by leading critical bioanalytical, drug‑drug interaction (DDI), and project oversight activities with external research partners.

Within SLOT (Scientific Logistics and Oversight Team), you will manage CRO partnerships, provide scientific oversight of vendor work, keep studies on time, on budget, and in scope, and apply approved AI and automation tools to improve efficiency and data quality.

• Lead bioanalytical and Drug‑Drug Interaction (DDI) studies with external research partners, tracking progress in Smartsheet and resolving issues as they arise.
• Manage study requests and vendor deliverables from intake through quality review.
• Provide scientific oversight of CRO work, reviewing assay performance, data packages, deviations, and study reports to confirm results meet scientific and quality standards before acceptance.
• Conduct annual scientific reviews of assigned vendors, escalating technical or data‑quality concerns, and partnering with scientists and quality teams to drive corrective action.
• Ensure studies and contracts are delivered on time, within budget, and to scope: reconcile vendor invoices, confirm study completion before approval, and report on spend to stakeholders.
• Partner with quality, finance, project leadership, and internal scientific teams to support vendor oversight and compliance.

• Contribute to operational metrics, dashboards, and reporting to monitor performance and identify process improvements.
• Apply approved AI and automation tools to streamline data review and reporting, with human review and in line with Lilly's data privacy and responsible AI policies.
• Reconcile vendor commitments against actual utilization and support vendor governance, including performance reviews and contract renewals.
• Build strong vendor relationships and share clear operational summaries and presentations with internal stakeholders.

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in a scientific field (e.g., chemistry, biochemistry, biology, pharmaceutical sciences).
• 7+ years of experience in a laboratory, CRO, or pharmaceutical operations setting, including vendor oversight.
• Experience reviewing bioanalytical, DMPK, or DDI study data and reports, and communicating concerns to vendors and internal partners.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis.
• Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F‑1 CPT, F‑1 OPT, F‑1 STEM OPT, J‑1, H‑1B, TN, O‑1, E‑3, H‑1B1, or L‑1.

• Advanced degree in a scientific field.
• Experience in ADME, bioanalysis, or drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), including in vitro and in vivo study types.
• Familiarity with LC‑MS bioanalytical platforms and software (e.g., Analyst, Watson) and CRO data delivery workflows.
• Experience with CRO oversight and sponsor‑vendor interactions, including budget and invoice management,…