Director/Sr. Director - Medicinal Chemistry (synthetic macrocycles)

Eli Lilly and Company • San Francisco, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking an experienced and innovative Director/Senior Director with a strong background in synthetic macrocycles and macrocyclic peptides to join the Advanced Molecule Design (AMD) Medicinal Chemistry organization in Indianapolis, Indiana. This individual will contribute across all four therapeutic areas — Cardiometabolic & Renal (CMR), Immunology, Neuroscience, and Oncology — applying deep expertise in macrocyclic peptide design and small molecule ADME/DMPK to advance high-quality drug candidates into and through development. The AMD Medicinal Chemistry team operates as an integrated, multi-site organization spanning Indianapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Louisville, and Alcobendas (Spain). This role offers exposure to a broad and innovative portfolio with meaningful opportunities to shape program strategy, influence molecule quality, and collaborate across a world-class cross-functional organization.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Peptide Chemistry, Chemical Biology, or a related field with a minimum of 8+ years of drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry; or BS/MS with 15+ years equivalent experience

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated hands-on experience in the design and synthesis of macrocyclic peptides or macrocyclic small molecules
• Strong foundation in ADME/DMPK principles and their application to drug design, including oral bioavailability, metabolic stability, and PK/PD relationships
• Track record of productive multi-disciplinary collaboration in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology research environment
• Experience across multiple therapeutic areas or modalities, including both macrocyclic peptides and small molecules
• Experience with challenging or undrugged targets requiring non-traditional modality approaches
• Track record of advancing programs to candidate selection
• Track record of publications, patents, or scientific contributions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present complex scientific data clearly to diverse audiences

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize macrocyclic small molecules and macrocyclic peptides in support of drug discovery programs across multiple therapeutic areas
• Apply structure-activity relationship (SAR) knowledge to drive iterative DMTA cycles, balancing potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties
• Leverage ADME/DMPK principles to optimize oral bioavailability, metabolic stability, permeability, and pharmacokinetic profiles of macrocyclic and peptidic modalities
• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert whose compound design and SAR insights resolve critical scientific challenges and advance programs through key milestones
• Collaborate closely with Biology, DMPK, Computational Chemistry, and other cross-functional partners to develop and execute efficient molecule design strategies
• Contribute to program strategy discussions, including target product profile (TPP) development and go/no-go decision frameworks
• Proactively identify capability gaps in tools, methods, or synthetic approaches, and champion new strategies — including AI/ML-enabled design — that improve cycle times and design quality across the portfolio
• Effectively communicate scientific findings to internal stakeholders at all levels, including program teams, portfolio boards, and leadership
• Maintain thorough and timely documentation in electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN) in accordance with IP and regulatory requirements
• Lead or contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and coaching efforts that strengthen the broader team's scientific rigor and impact

Benefits

• company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance)
• company-sponsored 401(k)
• pension
• vacation benefits
• 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
• 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