Principal Scientist Sample Management Lilly Medicine Foundry
LillyAbout the role
At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.
Organization Overview
Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development in Lebanon, Indiana. The first-ever facility of its kind combining research and manufacturing in a single location, the Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop innovative solutions to optimize manufacturing processes and increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, while also reducing costs and environmental impact.
In the Foundry Construction and Project Delivery/Startup Phase (2025 to 2028), roles will be fluid and dynamic as we build a new organization, design and implement the necessary systems and business processes required to enable operational readiness, support project delivery, and build the site culture. Success will require significant collaboration, creativity, and resilience as the Lilly Medicine Foundry transitions from design to startup and ultimately to steady-state operations and continuous improvement. This period presents a unique opportunity for learning, growth, and making a lasting impact.
Position Purpose
The Principal/Senior Principal Scientist, Sample Management provides operational leadership and subject matter expertise for sample management within the Analytical Laboratories at the Lilly Medicine Foundry. This role is responsible for ensuring compliant receipt, storage, distribution, tracking, and disposition of both GMP and non-GMP samples across all modalities including small molecules, synthetic peptides, oligonucleotides, biologics, and bioconjugates. As the Lilly Medicine Foundry moves through its startup and commissioning phase toward lab operationalization and steady-state operations beyond, this role plays a key part in establishing the foundational workflows, systems, and documentation needed to support analytical operations at scale. The role requires close cross-functional partnership with Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, Process Translation & Execution, and other site functions to maintain inspection-readiness and support testing timelines.
Key Responsibilities
Sample Management Operations
Lead day-to-day sample management operations including login, receipt, storage, tracking, distribution, and disposition of non-GMP and GMP samples in compliance with cGMP requirements and applicable SOPs.
Establish and maintain chain-of-custody documentation and sample integrity controls across laboratory spaces.
Manage sample storage environments including ambient, refrigerated, freezer, and controlled-humidity conditions, ensuring storage units remain within qualified temperature/humidity ranges to preserve sample integrity.
Implement workflows for sample lifecycle management within LIMS/ELN, ensuring accurate status tracking from receipt through disposition.
Coordinate shipment logistics for samples sent to external laboratory
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