Associate Scientist - Bioanalysis

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.

We are seeking an Associate Scientist to join our Discovery Bioanalysis team. You will develop, qualify, and run ligand binding and PCR‑based assays that support pharmacokinetic, biodistribution, and pharmacodynamic assessments of novel therapeutic modalities, including genetic medicines and LNP‑formulated drugs. You will work with project teams to generate high‑quality data that informs discovery decisions.

• Develop, optimize, and qualify ligand binding assays (e.g., ELISA, MSD, Luminex) for quantifying drugs in biological matrices
• Develop and run PCR‑based assays (qPCR, RT‑qPCR, ddPCR) for quantifying nucleic acids in biological matrices
• Implement assays and analyze samples from in vivo discovery studies in support of PK/PD and biodistribution
• Process, analyze, and interpret data, and prepare clear summaries for project teams
• Maintain accurate, prompt documentation in electronic lab notebooks in line with good scientific practices and data integrity standards
• Troubleshoot assay performance issues and propose improvements to increase throughput and robustness
• Collaborate with biology, DMPK, formulation, and translational colleagues, and coordinate with external partners as needed
• Contribute to method transfer, SOP preparation, and lab operations, including reagent and instrument management

B.S. with 5+ years, or M.S. with 3+ years, of relevant experience in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related scientific field

• Hands‑on experience developing and running ligand binding assays in a bioanalytical setting
• Hands‑on experience with PCR‑based assays (qPCR/RT‑qPCR; ddPCR a plus)
• Experience working with biological matrices (plasma, serum, tissue homogenates)
• Working knowledge of assay validation or qualification concepts (precision, accuracy, sensitivity, selectivity, stability)
• Experience in biotech or pharma discovery bioanalysis
• Familiarity with oligonucleotides, biotherapeutics, mRNA/circular RNA, LNPs, or other genetic medicine modalities
• Experience with automated liquid handling and plate‑based assay platforms
• Familiarity with data analysis tools (e.g., Soft Max Pro, Watson LIMS, Graph Pad Prism) and basic scripting or statistics

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