Advisor​/Sr Advisor, Molecular Pharmacology

Advisor/Sr Advisor, Molecular Pharmacology

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 can also count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

The Lilly Small Molecule Design group is an organization purpose-built to create molecules that make life better for people. We focus on using cutting-edge science to unlock new approaches that can treat people suffering from diseases with poor treatment options. We continually challenge ourselves to deliver molecules that can provide breakthrough efficacy with the highest possible safety margins. We are dedicated to optimizing our mindset, technology, and processes for faster, more nimble execution.

Our success is built on a culture that empowers innovative problem-solving through open collaboration and individual accountability.

The Advanced Molecule Design team's mission is to optimize lead molecules to strong drug candidates that become breakthrough medicines. The primary measure of success in this role is the quality and impact of the pharmacology science you design and deliver — assay cascades that resolve key project questions, mechanistic investigations that sharpen compound optimization, and data that drives confident program decisions.

Scientific Leads are independent scientific contributors and emerging leaders who drive SAR and compound optimization through thoughtfully designed and executed screening cascade assays grounded in molecular pharmacology principles. You will build expertise in GPCR pharmacology, receptor signaling mechanisms, and advanced assay technologies that characterize compound behavior at the molecular level. Every aspect of the role — collaboration, technology adoption, mentorship — exists to maximize your ability to move programs forward.

Senior Advisors (R6) additionally represent the group cross-functionally, integrate AI/ML and automation tools, and actively mentor and/or supervise junior colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement screening cascade assays to drive SAR and compound optimization, leveraging molecular pharmacology principles including receptor affinity, selectivity, and functional activity assessment.
• Develop and execute assays that characterize ligand-receptor interactions, including competitive and saturation radioligand binding experiments, kinetic profiling (Kon/Koff), and functional assays that measure G protein signaling, arrestin recruitment, and receptor desensitization.
• Design imaging-based assays employing confocal microscopy and high-content screening (HCS) platforms to investigate cellular mechanisms including GPCR internalization, receptor trafficking, endosomal localization, and subcellular colocalization patterns.
• Independently investigate mechanistic behavior of molecules — including time on target, receptor occupancy, internalization kinetics, biomarker responses, and downstream signaling pathways — to inform compound optimization and target product profiles (TPPs).
• Serve as the go-to scientific resource for assigned projects; act as a technical point of contact across functions and provide expert guidance on molecular pharmacology strategy.
• Represent Molecular Pharmacology on cross-functional project teams; build partnerships that translate into better-informed experimental design and mechanistic insights.
• Define clear hypotheses, success criteria, and timelines for experimental programs grounded in established pharmacology principles.
• Anticipate technical challenges and proactively propose solutions before they impact delivery; troubleshoot complex assay systems and optimize protocols for reliability and reproducibility.
• Maintain data quality and integrity so that every experiment delivers confident, actionable information on compound pharmacology and mechanism of action.
• Integrate cross-functional data to support data-driven, go/no-go decision-making and advance program strategy.

Enabling:
Partnerships, Tools, and…