Advisor / Sr. Advisor - Protein Expression

Lilly • San Diego, CA

8d

About The Position

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 Biotechnology Discovery Research group located in both San Diego and Indianapolis discovers medicines that address significant unmet needs by integrating biology with innovative scientific capabilities in protein discovery, production and characterization, and engineering. We collaborate with colleagues in both the discovery and development organizations, including scientists in therapeutic area biology, biomolecule formulation and developability, ADME, Toxicology, PK/PD, Statistics, Computational Sciences, Clinical Development, and more. Our team has more than 25 years of experience discovering and developing antibodies, proteins, and peptide therapeutics. We are looking for a motivated and independent researcher with a strong background in protein expression to design and execute efficient gene-to-protein workflows, aimed at producing innovative therapeutic proteins and research reagents. The individual selected for this role will collaborate with a team of expression and purification scientists and matrixed project teams to foster innovation and advance our biotherapeutic discovery portfolio.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, or related field with >2 years of relevant experience beyond education/postdoctoral training in a pharmaceutical, biotech, or research organization
• Extensive hands-on experience with recombinant protein and antibody expression in mammalian (HEK293, CHO) systems at various scales between a few mgs to grams
• Proven expertise in the expression of complex biomolecules, such as bispecific antibodies and fusion proteins, with a strong track record of resolving intricate expression-related issues through effective troubleshooting and optimization strategies.
• Proficiency in expression construct optimization (codon optimization, vector design, promoter selection, tag selection)
• Team player with strong organizational skills ready to work effectively with cross-functional colleagues across geographies in a collaborative, fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to prioritize work and meet targeted timelines and deliverables.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with microbial systems (E. coli, yeast) and cell free expression is a plus
• Experience establishing and optimizing high-throughput protein expression workflows
• Strong knowledge in structure-based protein/antigen design and production is highly desired
• Experience in protein purification and characterization, including the use of advanced automation platforms for the efficient production of proteins and antibodies, is preferred
• A solid grasp of the biologics drug discovery process, encompassing key stages such as target identification, lead optimization, and preclinical development, is beneficial
• Proven ability to manage and develop scientific staff
• Track record of cross-functional collaboration with discovery biology, protein engineering, and developability teams

Responsibilities

• Design and produce novel therapeutic proteins and research reagents using various expression systems, including mammalian (CHO and HEK293), bacterial, and insect cells to support antibody/peptide discovery projects
• Evaluate and implement new methods for protein expression to expand the team’s capabilities and productivity through partnership with automation, downstream purification/analytical teams, and external collaborations
• Provide critical insights into antigen design for antibody discovery and structural studies, leveraging AI/ML approaches and large data sets to accelerate breakthroughs.
• Enhance project team engagement as protein expression subject matter expert by partnering with dynamic, cross-disciplinary teams to tackle exciting scientific challenges in material generation. Your expertise will drive the creation of novel therapeutic proteins and research reagents, directly supporting antibody and peptide discovery projects.
• Maintain a current knowledge in the field, provide training and guidance to junior team members.

Benefits

• Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including 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; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees