Director/Sr. Director—Immunology Research Cutaneous Biology

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.

We are seeking a highly motivated, creative, and accomplished Director/Sr. Director to help drive our Cutaneous Biology discovery effort within the Immunology Research Therapeutic Area.  This role will be part of a dynamic, cross-functional team that is focused on driving scientific innovation in skin and hair biology that results in a robust research portfolio of therapeutic candidates for dermatology/aesthetics. 

Key Responsibilities

Scientific Guidance and Project Management

• Provide scientific direction for cutaneous biology discovery research for skin and hair disorders
• Lead the design and execution of research projects focused on skin/hair follicle biology
• Contribute to external innovation and business development (BD) due diligence activities pertaining to skin and hair biology that drive our decision making around BD opportunities

Research Development & Execution

• Help identify novel targets based on human causal biology and validate their contribution to skin quality and hair disorders using relevant in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models
• Guide the design, optimization, and implementation of preclinical models that capture translational biology, integrating insights from human tissue profiling data
• Design and implement flow schemes to characterize potential therapeutics for effects on cutaneous biology, leveraging both internal and external resources
• Partner with the Immunology in vivo pharmacology team to execute critical experiments
• Work with a cross-functional team to generate comprehensive data packages that advance novel therapeutic approaches and support Go/No Go decision-making

Team Building & Management

• Foster a collaborative, creative, and scientifically rigorous team culture committed to excellence and innovation
• Develop team capabilities and ensure appropriate resource allocation

Required Qualifications

• Degree in PhD, PharmD in immunology, molecular biology, or related scientific discipline
• 10+ years of relevant experience in biotech or pharma

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading discovery research programs from early-stage research through candidate selection
• Knowledge of current therapeutic landscape in dermatology and medical aesthetics
• Experience with novel therapeutic modalities (cell therapy, genetic medicine, precision medicine, local delivery technologies, etc.)
• Experience with IND submission and preclinical data package generation
• Deep expertise in cutaneous biology with demonstrated experience in developing complex ex vivo human skin/hair follicle assays and in vivo models of skin/hair disorders
• Familiarity with data-driven discovery approaches, including integration of genetic or multi-omics insights
• Experience building and managing research projects with proven success in project execution in a multi-disciplinary team environment
• High degree of organizational skills, attention to detail, and critical thinking, with ability to prioritize work and meet target timelines
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to drive cross-site collaboration in a matrixed research environment

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