Principal Research Scientist - Product development
Elanco
August 24, 2026
Remote friendly (Indianapolis, IN)
United States
Clinical Research and Development
Senior Research Scientist for Parenteral Drug Products in Small Molecule
Responsibilities:
- Plan, execute, and coordinate daily/weekly formulation lab work for sterile product development, including sustained release and long-acting parenteral small-molecule and peptide dosage forms.
- Design, review, and recommend changes to scientific protocols/procedures, especially for aseptic processing and sterile manufacturing.
- Perform data analysis; present results at meetings.
- Troubleshoot parenteral formulation stability, sterility, and manufacturing processes.
- Write reports; prepare SOPs/working procedures; support preparation of registration documents; may write external publications.
- Evaluate new scientific technologies and procedures for parenteral drug delivery.
- Collaborate with associates for knowledge exchange; train/coach peers; may supervise local team members.
- Maintain organized/clean/safe sterile lab environment; manage equipment maintenance/evaluation.
- Oversee external partners (CRO/CDO/CMO), evaluate results, and define next steps.
- Work according to SOPs/GxP/HSE/AW with strong emphasis on cGMP for sterile products.
Qualifications:
- PhD in pharmaceutical science with 5+ years’ pharmaceutical industry experience.
- Experience in parenteral formulation development and process scale-up.
- Track record with lyophilization, sterile filtration, aseptic filling, and sustained-release injectables.
- Ideally experienced with long-acting/depot dosage forms.
- Strong GMP and regulatory knowledge (VICH/ICH) for sterile manufacturing and quality control.
- Ability to work across R&D, manufacturing, and external collaborators; innovative mindset.
Language: English
Travel: ~5–10%
Benefits:
- Multiple relocation packages; two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in US (in addition to PTO); 8-week parental leave; 9 Employee Resource Groups; annual bonus offering; flexible work arrangements; up to 6% 401K matching.
Responsibilities:
- Plan, execute, and coordinate daily/weekly formulation lab work for sterile product development, including sustained release and long-acting parenteral small-molecule and peptide dosage forms.
- Design, review, and recommend changes to scientific protocols/procedures, especially for aseptic processing and sterile manufacturing.
- Perform data analysis; present results at meetings.
- Troubleshoot parenteral formulation stability, sterility, and manufacturing processes.
- Write reports; prepare SOPs/working procedures; support preparation of registration documents; may write external publications.
- Evaluate new scientific technologies and procedures for parenteral drug delivery.
- Collaborate with associates for knowledge exchange; train/coach peers; may supervise local team members.
- Maintain organized/clean/safe sterile lab environment; manage equipment maintenance/evaluation.
- Oversee external partners (CRO/CDO/CMO), evaluate results, and define next steps.
- Work according to SOPs/GxP/HSE/AW with strong emphasis on cGMP for sterile products.
Qualifications:
- PhD in pharmaceutical science with 5+ years’ pharmaceutical industry experience.
- Experience in parenteral formulation development and process scale-up.
- Track record with lyophilization, sterile filtration, aseptic filling, and sustained-release injectables.
- Ideally experienced with long-acting/depot dosage forms.
- Strong GMP and regulatory knowledge (VICH/ICH) for sterile manufacturing and quality control.
- Ability to work across R&D, manufacturing, and external collaborators; innovative mindset.
Language: English
Travel: ~5–10%
Benefits:
- Multiple relocation packages; two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in US (in addition to PTO); 8-week parental leave; 9 Employee Resource Groups; annual bonus offering; flexible work arrangements; up to 6% 401K matching.