Director - RNA AI/ML scientist

Lilly • San Diego, CA

14h

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.
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 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 an accomplished RNA AI/ML scientific leader to join our team and drive high‑visibility research in RNA therapeutics. The Lilly Genetic Medicine (LGM) organization is an innovation‑focused group dedicated to identifying, developing, and applying cutting‑edge technologies to maximize patient benefit. As part of LGM, the Data Science and AI/ML team partners closely with experimental scientists across disciplines, providing scientific leadership in study design, protocol development, and data‑driven decision‑making to accelerate drug discovery.

Requirements

• PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, statistics, integrated biomedical sciences, or a closely related field, plus 8+ years’ experience in pharma or biotech, with demonstrated scientific leadership in a drug discovery AI/ML function.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated track record applying AI/ML approaches to solve complex biological or pharmaceutical problems in drug discovery, preferably in RNA therapeutics
• Extensive experience with high‑throughput, high‑dimensional, and high‑volume data analysis, including large‑scale NGS data integration and interpretation
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, or similar tools relevant to data science and bioinformatics
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to diverse scientific and non‑scientific audiences
• Proven ability to operate effectively in multidisciplinary, cross‑functional environments and influence outcomes
• Self‑directed scientific leader with strong learning agility
• Advanced problem‑solving and troubleshooting capabilities
• Extensive experience developing scientific solutions using Python, R, or similar languages
• Experience working in high‑performance computing and/or cloud environments
• Deep understanding of nucleic acid, cellular, and molecular biology
• Strong grounding in the biological principles underlying RNA therapeutics
• Demonstrated knowledge of genetics and molecular biology, particularly as they relate to RNA
• Track record of external scientific engagement, including publications, conference presentations, and/or industry collaborations
• Experience representing a computational function to senior leadership and contributing to enterprise-level AI/ML strategy

Responsibilities

• Set technical and scientific direction for the design, implementation, and optimization of AI/ML models to accelerate RNA‑based drug discovery
• Define and advance a unified modeling platform that leverages data across programs and modalities to accelerate the design of next-generation RNA therapeutics, ensuring every experiment contributes to reusable data assets
• Lead the integration and interpretation of large‑scale datasets, including internal and external in vitro, in vivo, and ADME/Tox data, to generate actionable biological insights
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enable the identification of optimal combinations of sequence/chemistry to address on-target potency and off-target liability.
• Partner with matrixed functions across Lilly to develop, deploy, and scale AI‑driven data analysis pipelines for high‑throughput experimentation
• Design AI/ML workflows that integrate with automated experimental platforms, including high-throughput screening and robotic DMTA cycles, to enable closed-loop optimization
• Continuously evaluate and introduce emerging AI/ML methodologies to strengthen RNA discovery workflows and organizational capabilities
• Synthesize and communicate complex findings through clear visualizations and presentations
• Serve as a scientific leader and contribute to project, governance, and management discussions
• Mentor and develop junior computational scientists, fostering technical growth and building organizational AI/ML capabilities across the enterprise

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: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree