Discovery Lab Analytical Automation Scientist

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.
** About the Role
** The
** Discovery Analytical Automation*
* ** Scientist
* * will design, develop, and deploy
** high-throughput*
* ** analytical automation modules** **(i.e., PCR,*
* ** LC and LC/MS****, etc.)
** to support the discovery
** high-throughput*
* ** chemistry/biology*
* ** automation workcell**. This role is pivotal in enabling
** AI-driven drug design and lead optimization**, ensuring rapid, high-quality analytical data generation that fuels iterative learning and predictive design.

Working in Shanghai, the scientist will partner with
** external engineering companies
** to deliver state-of-the-art automation systems and collaborate internally with the Discovery Lab Operations Lead, Discovery Synthetic Chemistry/Biology Automation Scientist, and global Discovery and Analytical teams to ensure consistent analytical strategy, workflow integration, and alignment with Lilly’s global standards.
** Key Responsibilities
**** Automation System Development & Integration
*** Partner with
** external automation and engineering vendors
** to design, build, and validate
** high-throughput*
* ** analytical*
* ** automation systems** **(i.e.*
* ** LC and LC/MS****)**.
* Define analytical workflow specifications and ensure seamless integration with the
** synthetic*
* ** chemistry/structure biology*
* ** automation workcell**.
* Oversee installation, qualification, and performance verification to ensure robust data quality and operational reliability.
* Integrate analytical systems with
** AI-driven data and feedback pipelines
** to support automated decision-making.
** Discovery Analytical Operations
*** Develop automated workflows for
** compound identification, purity assessment, structural elucidation, and high-throughput screening**.
* Establish and maintain
** SOPs
* * aligned with
** Lilly global Discovery and Analytical standards**.
* Partner with the
** Discovery Synthetic*
* ** Chemistry/Biology Scientist
** to optimize analytical turnaround time for iterative DMTA cycles.
* Ensure structured FAIR data capture, semantic contextualization, and full data traceability within the
** Enterprise Data Lake (EDL)**.
** Scientific & Technical Leadership
*** Apply deep expertise in
** LC, LC/MS, NMR, and related analytical techniques
** to guide automation design and scientific strategy.
* Evaluate and implement emerging
** analytical and automation technologies
** to enhance lab capability and throughput.
* Collaborate closely with
** global Discovery and informatics teams
** to connect analytical data streams with predictive modeling, knowledge extraction, and design algorithms.
* Represent
** Shanghai’s analytical automation capabilities
** in global cross-site technical forums and strategy discussions.
** Qualifications & Experience
***
* Required:

*** Ph.D. or Master’s degree in
** Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field**.
* ** 7****+ years of experience
** in a
** pharma discovery analytical lab**, supporting compound characterization, identification, and structure elucidation.
* Proven hands-on expertise with
** LC and LC/MS systems** (Agilent, Waters, Sciex, Thermo).
* Strong understanding of
** data automation, system integration, and analytical digitalization**.
* Excellent communication skills in
** English and Mandarin
** with demonstrated cross-functional collaboration.
** Preferred:
*** Experience in
** NMR, high-throughput screening**, and early discovery analytical workflows.
* Background in
** automation design or robotics integration**.
* Familiarity with
** data analytics
** and
** informatics platforms** (e.g., Spotfire, R-Shiny, Pipeline Pilot).
* Prior…