Principal Scientist – Process Translation and Execution

Eli Lilly and Company

Chemist facilitating transfer of chemical processes to pilot plant operations at Lilly. Overseeing technology transfer and ensuring readiness for clinical trial supply.

Posted 5/12/2026full-timeIndianapolis • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $66,000 - $171,600 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

responsible with facilitating the transfer of chemical processes, under appropriate supervisory guidance, from development laboratories to pilot plant operations (including kilo-scale or pilot-scale production)
Operate and troubleshoot kilo-scale equipment including multi-purpose reactors, filtration systems, drying equipment (including AFD and tray dryer)
Apply chemical engineering principles (heat/mass transfer, reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics) to scale-up calculations and equipment sizing.
Develop and apply appropriate cake filtration models to predict filtration rate, cake resistance, and deliquoring performance.
Design and execute filtration wash studies.
Apply appropriate modeling or semi-empirical approaches to predict and control particle size distribution (PSD) during crystallization.
Actively involved in receiving chemical process from early phase process research and development labs and evaluating the safety of the incoming procedures in collaboration with the chemist and safety group.
Author, review technical documents, including standard operating procedures (SOPs), batch records, campaign summary reports, and deviation reports.
Perform and document Definitive Lab Trials of crystallization step to confirm plant readiness.
Perform familiarization reactions to ensure plant readiness of process steps with focus on crystallization and filtration at the Lilly Medicine Foundry.
Ordering and staging process-related GMP consumables and equipment parts for kilolab runs.
Efficient with summarizing and presenting experimental results and challenges.
Analyze data to make fact-based decisions.
Maintain a well-organized and detailed lab notebook to enable the preparation of technical packages/technical transfers and accurate replication in receiving labs.
Apply scientific knowledge to identify areas for improvement and implement new technologies or procedures.

Requirements

What you’ll need

BS or MS in Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline
8+ years of industry experience - in pharmaceutical process development, pilot plant operations, or chemical manufacturing.
Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
Deep technical interest and understanding in the field of Chemical Engineering.
Direct hands-on experience with operating kilo-scale or pilot-scale chemical processing equipment.
Experience with any of the following software packages: DeltaV, Dynochem, Aspen, and/or electronic lab notebooks.
Experience with crystallization development including polymorph control, nucleation/growth kinetics, seeding strategies, and PSD control.
Expertise on filtration modeling and ability to fit model parameters from lab data and apply to pilot equipment sizing and optimization.
A good understanding of FDA guidelines and cGMP requirements.
Ability to prioritize multiple activities and manage ambiguity.
Proven ability to analyze data, perform root cause analysis, and resolve complex technical challenges.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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
well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities)

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

chemical engineeringheat transfermass transferreaction kineticsthermodynamicsfluid dynamicsfiltration modelingcrystallization developmentdata analysisroot cause analysis

Soft Skills

problem solvingcommunicationorganizational skillsability to prioritizeability to manage ambiguitycollaborationpresentation skillsattention to detailscientific knowledgefact-based decision making