Advisor/Sr. Advisor - Oligonucleotide Analytics

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 Institute of Genetic Medicine RNA group is seeking an independent, self-motivated, and highly skilled scientific leader with a proven track record in designing, developing, and implementing analytical and separation methodologies for the characterization and quality control of oligonucleotides and their conjugates. This is a predominantly lab-based role. The ideal candidate will possess strong expertise in LC and LC-MS method development, along with a solid understanding of oligonucleotide synthesis and downstream processing. The successful candidate will be responsible for building, leading, and managing a team of scientists, while also providing scientific input to cross-functional teams from the exploratory stage through candidate selection. Additionally, the candidate is expected to explore and evaluate novel analytical and separation techniques to support the characterization of complex, chemically modified oligonucleotides and their conjugates for quality control purposes.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, optimize, and standardize robust analytical and separation methods—including LC, LC-MS, CE, SEC/AEX-MALS, preparative LC-MS, and ÄKTA systems—for sample quality control and the characterization of oligonucleotides and their conjugates across all stages of drug discovery.
• Proactively evaluate and implement innovative analytical technologies to overcome challenges in the analysis of complex, modified oligonucleotides and to ensure continuous scientific advancement.
• Maintain and troubleshoot analytical and separation instrumentation (e.g., UPLC, LC-MS, CE, MALS, preparative LC-MS and ÄKTA) to ensure high performance, reliability, and minimal downtime in support of critical workflows.
• Build and lead a high-performing analytical team to support an oligonucleotide-based drug discovery program, including recruiting, mentoring, and managing scientists engaged in phase-appropriate analytical development from exploratory research through candidate selection.
• Serve as the analytical lead on cross-functional project teams, driving the development and execution of analytical strategies and timelines aligned with program and organizational objectives.
• Apply deep expertise in oligonucleotide characterization and sample quality control to strengthen internal capabilities through the implementation of advanced instrumentation—such as fit-for-purpose instrument re-engineering—for both open-access use and analytical R&D applications, alongside protocol development, technical coaching, team mentorship, and strategic leadership.
• Utilize analytical software and collaborate with the IT team to build and maintain laboratory informatics systems that ensure efficient data acquisition, processing, traceability, and integrity.
• Continuously refine and improve existing analytical methods and assays, and innovate as necessary to meet evolving program needs.
• Collaborate with chemistry, biology, and technology platform teams to establish novel workflows that support the exploration of new chemical modalities for RNA therapeutics.
• Rapidly assimilate new technologies and apply cross-disciplinary scientific concepts to address complex analytical challenges.
• Maintain thorough, accurate, and timely documentation of experiments, protocols, and results in electronic laboratory notebooks and technical reports.
• Ensure high standards of laboratory practice, including compliance with safety and quality guidelines, and promote operational excellence in all analytical activities.
• Communicate findings and progress effectively, including regular presentations in project team, department, and governance meetings.

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences or other similar scientific areas with 2-10+ years of relevant post-graduate work experiences (can include industry post-doc experience).

Additional Skills/Preferences:

1, Expertise in Oligonucleotide Characterization and Quality Control

• Extensive experience in LC and LC-MS method development, optimization, and troubleshooting

• Proficient in characterizing chemically modified oligonucleotides, conjugates, and related impurities

• Und