Senior Packaging Engineer – Drug Product Development

Location: Indianapolis

Education : EQUIVALENTEXPERIENCEAt Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

About the Role As a Senior Packaging Engineer – Drug Product Development, you will lead the design, development, and implementation of packaging solutions supporting Elanco’s global pipeline. This role focuses on pharmaceutical, biologics, and vaccine products, partnering across R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory to bring therapies from development through commercialization.

You will own packaging strategy and execution for assigned programs, ensuring solutions meet performance, regulatory, and manufacturability requirements. This is a high-impact role for a packaging engineer who thrives in a GMP-regulated, cross-functional environment and wants end-to-end ownership.

Your Responsibilities Lead primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging development from early-stage design through commercialization

Serve as the packaging Subject Matter Expert (SME) on cross-functional drug product development teams

Support sterile and non-sterile packaging systems, including parenteral packaging formats

Partner with R&D and Manufacturing to assess technical feasibility, scalability, and process transfer to commercial production

Design and execute packaging studies, validation activities, and equipment trials, analyzing data to drive decisions

Author and support regulatory documentation and submissions, including packaging sections for global filings

Evaluate and qualify packaging materials, components, and suppliers to ensure quality, compliance, and supply continuity

Ensure alignment with GMP, FDA, EMA, and global regulatory requirements

Collaborate with global teams and external partners to meet development timelines and program milestones

What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications)
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Science, or related field5+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, or vaccine drug product development

Experience with sterile/parenteral packaging systems and associated regulatory expectations

Strong knowledge of packaging materials, container closure systems, and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes

Working knowledge of GMP and regulated development environments

Proven ability to operate in cross-functional, global teams with strong communication skills

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
Experience supporting biologics, vaccines, or combination products

Knowledge of Container Closure Integrity (CCI), extractables/leachables, and stability requirements

Experience authoring or contributing to IND, BLA, or global regulatory submissions

Background in technology transfer and scale-up into commercial manufacturing

Ability to manage multiple development programs in a fast-paced environment

Additional Information

Location:

Indianapolis, IN (Hybrid)
Travel: 10–20%
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks:
We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and…