Principal Research Scientist, Molecular Pharmacology

Elanco•Indianapolis, IN

About The Position

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals! As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights. Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today! Position Summary We are seeking a highly collaborative and technically versatile Principal Research Scientist to lead our Molecular Pharmacology team. In this role, you will focus on strategic team leadership and scientific execution while building an organization that focuses on the design, development, and implementation of protein and cell-based assays that support our Small Molecule (SMOL), Large Molecule (Biologics), and Parasitology research pipelines. Success in this role requires a deep commitment to cross-functional partnership, ensuring that in vitro data effectively informs the progression of projects across multiple therapeutic modalities and disease areas.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, or a related discipline with 12+ years of industry experience; OR M.S. with 15+ years of extensive industry experience.
A proven track record of working effectively within matrixed, cross-functional teams to advance drug discovery goals across different scientific disciplines.
Deep technical proficiency in designing, characterizing, and optimizing a wide spectrum of biochemical and cell-based assays (e.g., signaling, enzymatic activity, target engagement, and cytotoxicity).
A track record of independent scientific leadership, strategic thinking, and impactful contributions to drug discovery projects.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrable success in building and managing highly performing technical teams in the in vitro pharmacology space.
Prior experience in the development of in vitro assays for parasitic targets or a strong understanding of parasite-host biology.
Experience working alongside medicinal chemistry teams to provide the data necessary for compound characterization and lead optimization.
Familiarity with laboratory automation and data management tools (e.g., ELNs) to ensure workflow integrity and rapid data reporting.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead scientific liaison between the assay team and key internal discovery groups.
Collaborate closely with Small Molecule, Large Molecule, and Parasitology Discovery teams to ensure assay strategies are aligned with project-specific biological requirements.
Mentor and guide a team of scientists, elevating the group's technical capabilities and fostering a culture of scientific rigor, curiosity, and seamless internal collaboration.
Collaborate with partners in the design and implementation of an in vitro strategy for a diverse set of projects. Examples include designing bespoke assays to probe mechanism-of-action (MOA), determine potency, and characterize cellular responses for compounds ranging from synthetic chemicals to complex proteins.
Support pharmacology-based lead optimization of small and large molecules by ensuring rapid delivery of pharmacology data to drug discovery team partners.
Provide expert scientific guidance on project teams to help drive technical success.
Champion the implementation of a wide array of assay platforms, modalities, and instrumentation along with strategies to support the unique needs of projects within our research portfolio.
Identify in vitro pharmacology capability gaps and develop solutions that benefit across the portfolio.
Ensure the delivery of high-quality, reproducible data that enables internal project teams to make confident go/no-go decisions regarding lead progression and candidate selection.