Senior Research Scientist - Product Development

Elanco • Indianapolis, IN

4d

About The Position

At Elanco, a global animal health company, the Senior Scientist in the Transitional and Early Development team leads the transition from early research to development. The role leads early formulation work to identify formulations that provide physical stability for lead molecules and support pre-clinical study material generation.

This is a laboratory-based leadership role focused on biophysical characterization and formulation selection for biopharmaceutical modalities, including monoclonal antibodies and other complex biologics. The position leads a small characterization team performing biophysical and functional assays to evaluate and de-risk candidates before full development, and designs and conducts formulation selection studies.

Requirements

• PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• At least 3 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience focused on protein formulation and characterization.
• Proven experience leading formulation projects from concept through execution.
• Deep expertise in protein chemistry, physical biochemistry, and colloidal science.
• Hands-on mastery of protein characterization techniques such as DLS/Zetasizer, DSC, DSF, SEC, and spectroscopy.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.
• Excellent scientific communication skills and a strong foundation in data integrity practices.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing advanced or high-concentration formulation platforms for monoclonal antibodies.
• Understanding of how early formulation choices affect future unit operations such as lyophilization or technology transfer.
• Experience using Design of Experiments (DoE) and statistical analysis tools such as JMP to optimize formulation behavior.
• Experience mentoring junior scientists and building analytical capabilities in a research or development setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation programs for lead molecules, using expertise in protein chemistry and thermodynamics to identify formulations with superior solubility, stability, and freeze-thaw potential.
• Direct and mentor a small characterization team and establish robust analytical workflows and acceptance criteria for biophysical and functional assays.
• Identify and mitigate formulation-related risks, including aggregation, precipitation, and high-concentration viscosity, using an understanding of solution behavior.
• Evaluate and implement novel formulation technologies and high-throughput screening platforms to accelerate lead selection.
• Serve as the technical formulation lead on concurrent project teams and collaborate with Discovery Research, Process Development, Analytical Development, and Formulation Development.
• Maintain ELN documentation, author technical reports, and provide data-driven recommendations to support molecule transition into the development pipeline.

Benefits

• Multiple relocation packages.
• Two weeklong shutdowns in the US, one in mid-summer and one at year-end, in addition to PTO.
• Eight-week parental leave.
• Nine Employee Resource Groups.
• Annual bonus offering.
• Flexible work arrangements.
• Up to 6% 401(k) matching.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree