Advisor – Engineering – Drug Substance

Role Summary

Advisor – Engineering – Drug Substance is a role within Lilly's Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) focused on designing, developing, and scaling chemical processes for drug substances to supply clinical materials. The role collaborates with chemists, analytical chemists, formulation scientists, and other engineers to accelerate portfolio development and deliver robust manufacturing solutions. Candidates should demonstrate strong technical depth, scientific leadership, and a collaborative, problem-solving approach. Location: Indianapolis, IN.

Responsibilities

• Apply engineering fundamentals to design and optimize chemical processes for small molecules, oligonucleotides, and synthetic peptides, ensuring robust, scalable processes that reliably supply clinical trial materials.
• Design and execute lab experiments using knowledge of reaction kinetics, heat/mass transfer, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and process modeling to support error-free scale-up.
• Develop proficiency across a broad range of unit operations — including crystallization, filtration, drying, milling, and batch/continuous chemistry — to assemble complete synthetic manufacturing processes.
• Serve on integrated commercialization teams to collaboratively develop, test, and oversee process execution from lab scale through manufacturing facilities.
• Operate with full compliance within a regulated industry, adhering to applicable regulations, guidelines, SOPs, and safety procedures governing drug research and development.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with analytical, formulation, quality, regulatory, and environmental/safety teams to ensure comprehensive process development and compliance.
• Oversee scale-up and technology transfer to internal and external manufacturing sites through team meetings, site visits, and ongoing process monitoring.
• Maintain a continuous learning mindset by engaging with relevant literature, professional organizations, and the broader scientific community through publications and conference presentations.
• With experience, provide mentorship to junior scientists and engineers while driving documentation and broad sharing of new technologies, methodologies, and process control strategies.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative environment that encourages diverse perspectives to deliver innovative solutions to unmet technical challenges.

Education

• Required: PhD in Chemical Engineering
• Preferred: MSc in Chemical Engineering +7 years of experience in chemical/pharmaceutical process development
• Preferred: BSc in Chemical Engineering +10 years of experience in chemical/pharmaceutical process development

Skills

• Experience with design, development, and optimization of synthetic process manufacturing unit operations.
• Experience with modeling and simulation tools, data analytics and predictive analytics.
• Experience in batch and continuous unit operations. Experience on technical considerations for equipment design and integration, process monitoring, integration of process analytical technologies (PAT) systems.
• Excellent oral communication and documentation skills.
• Demonstrate ability to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrate leadership behaviors with ability to accept challenges, seek opportunities to remove barriers, influence without authority, and lead in areas of uncertainty
• Demonstrate exemplary teamwork/interpersonal skills
• Demonstrate problem solving, attention to detail and result oriented behaviors in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Requirements

• Travel: 0 to 10%
• Location: Indianapolis, IN