Director/Sr. Director - Molecular Pharmacology Leader

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Louisville
Posted on: June 25, 2025

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. The Lilly Small Molecule Design group is an organization purpose-built to create molecules that make life better for people. We focus on using cutting edge science to unlock new approaches that can treat people suffering from diseases with poor treatment options. We continually challenge ourselves to deliver molecules that can provide breakthrough efficacy with the highest possible safety margins. We are dedicated to optimizing our mindset, technology, and processes for faster, more nimble execution. Our success is built on a culture that empowers innovative problem solving through open collaboration and individual accountability. Position Summary: The Advanced Molecule Design team’s mission is to optimize lead molecules to strong drug candidates that become breakthrough medicines. We are searching for experienced and engaged Molecular Pharmacology leaders to drive the advancement of our portfolio in oncology, immunology, pain, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and obesity. These positions are for seasoned drug hunters with a successful track record of leading biologists to discover and advance molecules to quality clinical candidates. To be successful, the leader will need to supervise and mentor scientists to develop a wide range of cell-based assays to drive molecule optimization across a breath of modalities and therapeutic areas. We are looking for innovative leaders with a strong growth mindset who can continue to evolve the skills of the Molecular Pharmacology teams to embrace new challenges. Being able to foster a highly collaborative culture that rewards teamwork and individual growth and accountability is essential. Key Responsibilities: Strong cell biology background. Extensive experience in creating, developing, and running cellular assays. Establish robust screening cascades to drive compound optimization. Mentor a team to deliver highly reproducible and quality assays. Routinely investigate the mechanistic behavior of molecules in in vitro biological systems to glean insights into how to better achieve the target product profiles. Successfully lead multi-functional team. Collaborate across disciplines to achieve project goals and timelines. Flexible in prioritizing to meet organizational and scientific objectives. Directly mentor scientists in your organization to embrace and implement AI, automation, and new technologies to advance discovery and improve turnaround time of data. Anticipates challenges and proactively proposes solutions. Adaptive and applies creative problem-solving to meet needs. Engage with project teams to ensure critical success factors are identified and resource the teams to succeed in meeting those objectives. Cultivate a growth mindset within the team and amplify project learnings on key issues improving performance primarily within discovery. Lead with a high degree of integrity and professionalism. Successfully manage internal and external collaborative relationships. Contribute to a work environment that fosters support, collaboration, professionalism, mutual respect, and focuses on creating value for patients. Basic Requirements : PhD in Biochemistry, Biology, Molecular Biology, Biology, Pharmacology, or scientific related fields with minimum of 8 years drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Alternatively, a Bachelors and/or Masters degree in Biochemistry, Biology, Molecular Biology, Biology, Pharmacology, or scientific related fields with 15 years drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Additional Preferences: Demonstrated drug hunter experience in advancing discovery programs. A deep scientific background and understanding of cell biology to guide compound optimization. Strong experience leading teams of scientists and achieving cross disciplinary goals. Team player with a positive can-do attitude. Demonstrated drug hunter experience in advancing discovery programs. A deep scientific background and understanding of cell biology to guide compound optimization. Strong experience leading teams of scientists and achieving cross disciplinary goals. Team player with a positive can-do attitude. Broad range of experience across biological mechanisms, modalities, and therapeutic areas. Project leader experience is a plus. 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 $158,250 - $275,000 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

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