Scientific Director — Incretin & Peptide Process Chemistry

At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

The Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) organization is responsible for the development of synthetic drug substances and drug products from the pre-clinical phase through commercialization. Our scientists and engineers develop innovative technical solutions to advance an existing portfolio that includes small molecules, synthetic peptides, oligonucleotides, and other emerging therapeutic modalities to help bring the next generation of life-changing medicines to patients.

An exciting opportunity is available for a skilled and experienced scientist with expertise in synthetic process chemistry to join SMDD’s incretin and peptide process chemistry team at Eli Lilly and Company. You will be part of a dynamic, cross-functional department supporting a highly productive peptide portfolio, spanning through Commercial phase, at the forefront of sustainable peptide development and commercialization.

Our core commercial strategy centers on traditional Liquid Phase Peptide Synthesis (LPPS) — applying small molecule-inspired fragment condensation chemistry to manufacture complex peptides like those found in Mounjaro® and Zepbound® at global scale. Sustainability is not an afterthought here — it is a strategic imperative embedded in everything we do, from reducing Process Mass Intensity (PMI) and eliminating hazardous reagents to publishing green chemistry innovations and leading industry-wide initiatives through the ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable and IQ consortium.

In this role, you will lead peptide commercialization projects built on this proven platform, championing greener process design at every stage. You will work closely with a growing team of chemists, analysts, and engineers to design synthetic routes, optimize condensation chemistry, and set a new standard for responsible peptide manufacturing.

This role operates in a highly collaborative environment with key partners across the United States, Asia, and Europe. This is primarily a scientific leadership role, with the expectation that the successful candidate will periodically engage at the bench to guide, troubleshoot, and mentor their team. Technology developed in this role will feed directly into Lilly’s Medicines Foundry, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility coming online in Lebanon, Indiana within the next two years, giving this position rare end-to-end impact from laboratory discovery through commercial production.

In this role, you will:

• Serve as a scientific leader providing technical direction on LPPS and condensation chemistry development, and leading and mentoring a team of peptide chemists across commercial and pipeline programs.
• Lead internal technology development and coordinate the transfer of early-phase processes to Lilly’s Medicines Foundry (Lebanon, Indiana), a next-generation facility supporting Phase 1 and 2 (and potentially Phase
  3) clinical supply. For late-phase programs, collaborate with Lilly’s internal and external Manufacturing groups to transfer processes for validation at internal facilities or external CMO partners.
• Educate and guide CMO partners in best practices for greener peptide development and manufacture.
• Engage with Lilly’s Development and Manufacturing organizations to develop a deep understanding of new initiatives and drive continuous improvement in…