Advisor - Synthetic Chemistry (PhD)

About the role

Lilly is seeking an Advisor in Synthetic Chemistry to drive innovative technical solutions across discovery and development programs. The role blends medicinal and process chemistry expertise to design, synthesize, and scale complex molecules for therapeutic pipelines.

Key responsibilities

• Lead laboratory programs, independently planning, executing, and troubleshooting synthetic routes to deliver high‑quality molecules.
• Design and synthesize compounds for SAR optimization (LSMD) or scalable processes for clinical/commercial supply (SMDD).
• Act as technical point of contact for projects, communicating design rationale and adapting strategies as new data emerge.
• Collaborate across disciplines, mentor junior scientists, and contribute to a diverse, collaborative team culture.
• Develop new synthetic routes using modern technologies such as parallel synthesis, continuous processing, automated reaction screening, high‑throughput experimentation, AI/ML, and computational chemistry.

Required profile

• PhD in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or a related field (or BS/MS with 7+ years of equivalent experience).
• Proven track record of novel contributions to chemical design, complex molecule synthesis, and methodology development.
• Strong communication, organizational, and leadership abilities, with experience mentoring junior colleagues.

Required skills

• Synthetic organic chemistry expertise (medicinal and process).
• Experience with AI/ML tools, laboratory automation platforms, and high‑throughput chemistry methods.
• Knowledge of parallel synthesis, continuous processing, and computational chemistry.
• Ability to develop scalable routes for small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides.