Sr Scientist​/Principal Scientist, Discovery Oncology (in vivo Biology

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve.

This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Position: Senior/Principal Scientist, Discovery Oncology (in vivo Biology)

Location: South San Francisco, California

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, and 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. 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.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced scientist to join our in vivo team within Discovery Oncology. Working with a high degree of independence under the guidance of a senior scientific lead and/or director, the successful candidate will design, execute, and interpret in vivo (mouse and rat) studies — alongside supporting ex vivo and in vitro assays — to identify and validate novel druggable oncology targets, de-risk on-target toxicity liabilities, and advance targets from the pre-portfolio pipeline into the formal discovery portfolio.

The ideal candidate is an experienced, hands-on in vivo scientist with a strong foundation in mouse study design and execution, well-organized and detail-oriented, able to work independently and troubleshoot with minimal oversight, and comfortable mentoring more junior colleagues while partnering cross-functionally to move programs forward with rigor and pace.

• Design, execute, and interpret in vivo studies (e.g., xenograft, syngeneic, and/or PDX models) in mice to evaluate tumor progression, target engagement, and efficacy in support of target identification and validation.
• Design, execute and interpret in vivo genetic or pharmacological perturbation studies, to decipher mechanism of action of novel oncology targets.
• Design and conduct in vivo studies to help de-risk on-target toxicity in early discovery programs.
• Harvest, process, and analyze tumor and tissue samples, including basic necropsy technique and coordination of histopathology as needed.
• Perform routine in vitro cell cultures (e.g., cancer cell lines, primary tissue culture).
• Perform routine biochemical and cellular assays (e.g., PCR, immunoblotting, ELISA…) to support and complement in vivo findings.
• Identify pitfalls and independently troubleshoot and resolve technical roadblocks.
• Oversee day-to-day mouse and rat colony management, including breeding strategy, genotyping, and compliance with IACUC protocols.
• Analyze data and present results to cross-functional project teams.
• Partner cross-functionally with in vitro biology, translational medicine, toxicology, and computational biology colleagues to advance shared project goals.
• Mentor junior scientists and research associates in in vivo techniques, study design, and best practices.
• Contribute to a safe, efficient, and compliant vivarium and laboratory environment.

• MS in biology, cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry or a related discipline with 3-5 years of relevant academic, research, or industry lab-based experience OR a BS in biology, cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry or a related discipline with 5-8 years of relevant academic, research, or industry lab-based experience; A Ph.D. is not considered for this role.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States…