Principal Scientist - TS/MS API External Manufacturing (Peptides/Small Molecule)

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: January 12, 2026

Job Description:

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. Organization Overview: Join the energetic and growing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient - External Manufacturing Organization (API-EM) that delivers a diverse portfolio of medicines essential to our patients around the world. The API EM Senior or Principal Scientist will join the Technical Services/Manufacturing Sciences (TS/MS) team who work within a dynamic external manufacturing environment to provide technical support and scientific expertise across Peptides and Oligonucleotides (TIDES). The Senior/Principal Scientist acts as an SME responsible for providing technical support to achieve the reliable and compliant manufacture of API drug substance at external contract manufacturing groups to predetermined global quality standards. This person interacts daily with a wide variety of people, primarily external partners, process team members and site management. The candidate will be responsible for technical transfer, process stewardship, process monitoring and will demonstrate a proactive attitude to issue resolution. A strong understanding of manufacturing principles and Lilly systems is required to ensure those same standards are applied to the external contract manufacturers. The incumbent would preferably possess an investigative mindset and be skilled at critical thinking with a preference for collaborative working. The position requires knowledge of cGMPs, applicable global regulatory manufacturing guidance, and the corporate/industry standards. The position requires working cross-functionally within the site and other functions to deliver on technical objectives. Key Objectives/Deliverables: Provide technical oversight and stewardship for peptide and/or oligonucleotide manufacturing processes. Leads resolution of technical issues including those related to control strategy and manufacturing. Employ excellent communication skills to manage internal and external relationships, perform effective investigations and disseminate actionable outputs. Build and maintain relationships with development partners and central technical organizations. Ensure proper characterization of processes and ensure effective documentation and justification of the process description, measures, acceptable ranges, and specifications. Experience with advanced data analytics to ensure that Proven Acceptable Ranges (PAR) and Normal Operating Ranges (NOR) align with process capability. Ensure that processes are compliant, capable, in control, and maintained in a validated or qualified state through process monitoring. Identify any leading signals of process weakness from yield/quality standpoint and proactively resolve/escalate. Understand, justify and document the state of validation with data that evaluate the capability of the manufacturing process to meet its stated purpose. Initiate deviation records and ensure on-time closure of open records with appropriate CAPAs and effectiveness checks in place. Demonstrate a structured approach to problem solving and investigation. Support regulatory submissions with technical input as required, author and review annual reports to regulatory agencies and maintain awareness of regulatory best practices. Influence and implement the network technical agenda and drive continuous improvement with appropriate change controls in place. Maintaining peptide/oligonucleotide processes in a state of compliance with US and global regulations Understanding the scientific principles required for manufacturing intermediates and drug substances, including the interaction of chemistry and equipment. Operate with ‘Team Lilly’ in mind - including coaching and mentoring of peers and other scientists. Basic Requirements: Bachelors in scientific disciplines of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Pharmacy, or Engineering (Chemistry or Biochemistry strongly preferred) 3 years of demonstrated experience and proficiency with pharmaceutical manufacturing and working knowledge of regulatory expectations. Additional Preferences: Knowledge and experience with Regulatory requirements Enthusiasm for changes, team spirit and flexibility Ability to influence and communicate to diverse groups on business, or technical issues within the site and function Proficiency in delivering complex tasks and/or tasks that are cross-functional Demonstrated Project Management skills and ability to coordinate complex projects Additional Information Some travel ( Some off-shift work (night/weekend) may be required to support 24/7 operations Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status). This position is located onsite in Indianapolis, IN and is not approved for remote work. Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form ( https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation ) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response. 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. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $66,000 - $171,600 Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees. WeAreLilly

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis , Principal Scientist - TS/MS API External Manufacturing (Peptides/Small Molecule), Science, Research & Development , Indianapolis, Indiana