Senior Advisor - Heart Failure Research

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 Cardiometabolic Research (CMR) of Eli Lilly and Company focuses on new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases with particular focus on cardio-renal disease.  Starting from an idea, we work with partners across Lilly to discover and develop novel biologic, small molecule,  nucleic acid-based, and gene-editing therapeutics. Our focus is the patient: by understanding the biology and pathophysiology underlying disease states, we aim to address the root cause of disease and develop breakthrough therapies. We have one of the strongest pipelines in the industry and a track record of delivering impactful medicines that improve people’s lives.

Scientific and research leadership

Provide strategic leadership and problem-solving for heart failure drug discovery and clinical development programs, from target identification through IND-enabling studies.

Lead and advise on the design, execution, and interpretation of in vivo and in vitro pharmacology studies to assess the efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and safety of therapeutic candidates, including cardiac functional and electrophysiologic endpoints.

Identify robust animal models, cell-based assays, and translational approaches for heart failure (including HFpEF and HFrEF), pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation and other cardiac diseases, using internal and external resources.

Serve as a subject matter expert on disease area biology, pathology, current treatments and next generation approaches to therapeutics, and contribute to the scientific community and represent science at Lilly through publications and presentations.

Provide input into portfolio strategy and help shape the long-term scientific roadmap for heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and atrial fibrillation within CMR.

Maintain awareness of scientific advances, new concepts, enabling technologies, and external competitive intelligence to ensure the company's research remains innovative.

Champion innovation by launching new initiatives, driving cross-functional execution, and leading collaborative scientific programs across multiple areas.

Capitalize on AI tools to streamline and accelerate scientific discoveries and communications.

Team and project management

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of scientists (junior through senior levels) with a ‘team first’ mentality to discover and validate targets, elucidate mechanisms of action, and advance programs that expand and deliver the heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and atrial fibrillation pipeline.

Set clear priorities, drive decision-making, and align resources to deliver high-quality outcomes on timelines.

Develop and maintain integrated project plans, proactively identify scientific and operational risks, and implement mitigation strategies.

Communicate complex scientific concepts and program updates clearly and concisely to senior leadership and cross-functional governance teams.

Enable efficient outsourcing and external execution through CROs and partners, ensuring scientific strength and delivery.

Collaboration and strategy

Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including medicinal chemistry/genetic medicines/bioproducts, toxicology/ADME, bioinformatics, and regulatory affairs, to integrate data and drive program results.

Represent the preclinical function in external engagements with key opinion leaders, scientific collaborators, and potential partners.

Contribute to regulatory documentation and filings, including materials supporting IND submissions.

Support business development activities through scientific diligence and evaluation of external opportunities for potential partnering or in-licensing.

Basic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in cardiovascular biology, pharmacology, molecular/cellular biology, or a related scientific area
• 6 + years of industry experience in preclinical drug discovery and development

Additional Skills/Preferences

• Deep expertise in heart failure pathophysiology, including a strong understanding of preclinical models, translational endpoints, and the therapeutic landscape.
• Experience with cardiovascular electrophysiology, myocardial