Sr. Process Engineer

Eli Lilly and Company • Indianapolis, IN

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This role is within Bioproduct Research and Development (BR&D), a multidisciplinary organization that develops and optimizes biologically derived products. Upstream Process Development engineers develop and optimize processes for recombinant therapeutic proteins and genetic medicines, including control strategy, characterization, qualification, scale-up, and technology transfer. This is a hands-on, lab-based role supporting program progression from Research to Manufacturing. The successful candidate is self-motivated, analytical, and an effective communicator who works well across functions and with external partners (vendors/academia) to evaluate new technologies and benchmark best practices.

Requirements

• B.S. degree with 6-9 years, or M.S. degree with 3-6 years, of relevant industry experience; degree in chemical engineering, biological engineering, or related discipline.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
• Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization and visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate with operations staff and management.
• Strong problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• High learning agility
• Ability to work independently and mentor junior scientists in a collaborative, cross-functional environment.
• Comfort using AI tools (e.g., Claude, Copilot) for analysis and design.
• Working knowledge of molecular biology, omics, metabolic flux analysis, and PAT.
• Creativity to identify improvement opportunities and the initiative to implement them.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Experience managing external collaborations with CDMOs.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments to evaluate, optimize, characterize, and troubleshoot processes and equipment with minimal guidance.
• Operate suspension cell culture in shake flasks and small-scale bioreactors (e.g., Ambr250, 5 L benchtop bioreactor).
• Analyze and interpret data independently.
• Author technical reports, protocols, and regulatory-supporting documentation.
• Present clear, actionable, scientific insights to project teams and leadership.
• Support equipment qualification, scale-up/scale-down, and technology transfer of mammalian-based bioprocesses to clinical and commercial manufacturing.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and equipment to advance platform capabilities.
• Develop novel hypotheses, connect insights across fields, and propose experiments beyond the project plan.
• Build internal and external networks to leverage capabilities and accelerate progress.
• Implement automation to streamline analysis, improve visualization, and maintain data integrity.
• Occasional weekend work may be required for sampling or equipment preparation.

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: Senior