About the role
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.
Position Overview
Lilly Immunology is a therapeutic area focused on many autoimmune diseases spanning gastroenterology, dermatology and rheumatology. We are seeking an accomplished and creative Director for the New Target Validation within Discovery Immunology to develop biological strategy with translational readiness for projects and execution target identification through mechanistic validation. The ideal candidate is a seasoned discovery biology leader with deep expertise in functional genomics, phenotypic and mechanistic discovery platforms, and physiologically relevant primary human model systems.
This role will provide scientific and strategic leadership across cross‑functional discovery teams, enabling confident target nomination, modality selection, and early portfolio advancement in immunology.
Key Objectives/Deliverables
Strategic Leadership & Discovery Excellence
Drive scientific decision‑making across multidisciplinary project teams to ensure robust biological rationale, mechanism‑of‑action understanding, and data‑supported progression criteria.
Provides hands-on guidance for associates in developing new technology and mentor them to deliver on skey scientific objectives.
Identify key technical/operational challenges and proactively develops mitigation strategies.
Strong communication ability to interface with bioinformatics and discovery teams to facilitate iterative learnings from clinical data.
Technology development
Expand functional genomics capability, including pooled and arrayed CRISPR knockout, CRISPR base‑editing, multiplexed perturbation systems, barcoding technologies, and data‑integrated mechanistic workflows.
Champion the development and application of primary human and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)–derived or organoid model systems and whole‑blood assays.
Lead the creation of and operationalize phenotypic discovery workflows to enable rapid target triage, mechanistic deconvolution, and clear go/no‑go determination.
Integrate these models with multimodal profiling (imaging, transcriptomics, cytokine and proteomics readouts) to strengthen human disease relevance and predictive validity. Ensure translational confidence by driving model selection, benchmarking, and alignment with patient‑derived data and clinical insights.
Basic Minimum Qualifications
Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, Cell Biology, Immunology, or a related field.
5+ years of experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery biology in autoimmune diseases
Additional Skills & Preferences
- Strong technical knowledge and organizational skills in laboratory.
- Demonstrated leadership in developing high‑performing teams by coaching, mentoring, and empowering diverse talent to grow in capability, influence, and leadership impact.
Ability to make data-driven decisions and find innovative solutions to overcome scientific and operational obstacles within matrix environment
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific data to diverse audiences.
Strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with internal teams, external partners, and vendors.
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.
#WeAreLilly
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
$126,000 - $204,600Full-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
Aplyr's read
Eli Lilly is a leading pharmaceutical company focused on innovative treatments for serious health conditions, attracting professionals committed to advancing medical science.
What's promising
- •Eli Lilly invests heavily in R&D, driving innovation in diabetes and cancer treatments.
- •The company offers diverse roles, from engineering to regulatory affairs, supporting career growth.
- •Strong global presence provides opportunities for international experience and collaboration.
What to watch
- •High competition in the pharmaceutical industry may impact market share and growth.
- •Regulatory challenges can delay product launches and affect revenue timelines.
- •Recent layoffs in the industry raise concerns about job stability.
Why Eli Lilly
- •Eli Lilly's focus on diabetes and cancer treatments positions it as a leader in these critical areas.
- •The Accelerated R&D Leadership Program offers unique career advancement for medical professionals.
- •Eli Lilly's commitment to AI strategy and digital risk management is forward-thinking in the pharmaceutical sector.
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About Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative medicines for various health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.
