Scientific Lead - Translational Sciences

Position Title

Scientific Lead, Translational Sciences

Director, Translational Sciences

The Translational Sciences group is a central node in the Lilly Oncology drug discovery organization, with the mission to inform clinical biomarker strategy, clinical development strategy, regulatory filings, life cycle management and to reverse‑translate clinical insights to next‑generation drug development. Preclinical efforts aim to solidify understanding of therapeutic mechanism, indication and patient selection, dose and schedule, differentiation, resistance mechanisms, rational combination strategies, and adverse event mitigation.

• Develop, optimize, and validate molecular and mammalian cellular assays to address mechanistic and functional questions in preclinical studies.
• Design and execute experiments to evaluate compound effects, identify rational combination partners, and investigate drug resistance mechanisms.
• Translate preclinical findings into actionable biomarker hypotheses and combination strategies including suitable patient segments to advance programs into and through clinical development.
• Represent Translational Sciences in project team meetings; present data, interpret results in a therapeutic context, and drive scientific discussion.
• Prepare high‑quality internal reports and contribute to external‑facing documents including regulatory submissions and scientific publications.
• Proactively evaluate emerging technologies and service providers to ensure work is conducted with scientific rigor and operational efficiency.
• Continuously advance expertise in the relevant molecular pathways and therapeutic area, maintaining awareness of developments from target identification through clinical trials.
• Mentor junior scientists and contribute to the scientific culture of the Translational Sciences team.

Education and Experience:

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Biochemistry, or a closely related discipline with 2+ years of postdoctoral, research, or industry experience.

Technical

Competencies:

• Proven track record in developing, executing, and troubleshooting molecular and cellular assays; experience engineering cell models to modulate gene expression and interrogate cellular signal transduction pathways; experience with primary cell or immune co‑culture systems is a plus.
• Proficiency with core molecular biology techniques: vector engineering, cloning and mutagenesis, qRT‑PCR, ELISA, MSD, Western blotting, next‑generation sequencing platforms, and flow cytometry (FACS).
• Strong quantitative and statistical analysis skills; experience with curve‑fitting and data analysis software (e.g., Graph Pad Prism).
• Experience in oncogenic signaling, tumor cell metabolism and immuno‑oncology is preferred; epigenetic platform analyses, inflammatory diseases are a plus.

• Highly organized with rigorous documentation practices and the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; effective across all organizational levels including colleagues, scientific advisors, clinical teams, and external partners.
• Demonstrated commitment to staying current with scientific advances in targeted oncology — from target identification through human clinical trials.
• Collaborative, thoughtful listener who values diverse scientific perspectives and contributes to a positive team culture.
• Self‑motivated, enthusiastic, and proactive in identifying process improvements and resolving scientific or operational challenges.

On‑site position in New York, NY (5 days a week; primarily laboratory‑based).

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

• Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $166,500 – $266,200.
• Full‑time equivalent…