Director - Product Development

Elanco • Indianapolis, IN

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

As the Director of Formulation Development within Small Molecule Technical Development (SMTD), you will lead a high-performing team responsible for advancing Elanco’s small molecule formulation pipeline. This role is central to driving innovation, and ensuring strong scientific and operational execution across key pharmaceutical development programs. Your leadership will help bring impactful animal health products to market while strengthening Elanco’s technical capabilities.

Requirements

• Education: PhD or Master’s in a scientific discipline.
• Experience: – PhD with a minimum of 8 years of progressive pharmaceutical product development experience, or – Master’s degree with a minimum of 12 years of experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience developing scientific teams and managing complex projects.
• Deep expertise in pharmaceutical formulation and process development.
• Strong understanding of global regulatory expectations and GMP-related product development requirements.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across internal and external partners.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in animal health pharmaceutical development.
• Prior oversight of tech transfer and collaboration with manufacturing sites.
• Strategic planning and organizational leadership skills.
• Experience managing external partnerships or CRO relationships.
• Experience supporting regulatory submissions (CMC sections).

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a local team of 5–10 scientists and technical experts as part of our global formulation development team, fostering innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee formulation and manufacturing process development for small molecule products from early-stage development through tech transfer, across dosage forms such as in-feed, injectables, and polymer-based systems.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in formulation development, providing technical guidance within project teams and across R&D.
• Shape and implement short- and long-term Formulation Development strategies aligned with SMTD and Elanco’s pipeline objectives.
• Partner cross-functionally (R&D, TSMS, Manufacturing, Regulatory, and external collaborators) to drive project alignment and successful execution.
• Ensure all CMC activities meet GMP, VICH, and ICH standards while adhering to Elanco’s internal technical governance framework.
• Partner with Research and Intellectual Property teams to assess new product concepts and technology opportunities.
• Oversee and contribute to critical CMC technical documentation and represent Elanco in regulatory interactions when required.

What This Job Offers

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