Advisor – Gene Therapy Discovery & Platform Research, Analytical Development

Eli Lilly Eli Lilly · Pharma · Boston, MA

This role focuses on developing analytical methods and supporting gene therapy pipeline progression at Eli Lilly. It involves assay development, characterization of viral proteins, AAV vector design, and analytical support for vector core groups. The position also requires expanding analytical capabilities and coaching junior scientists.

What you'd actually do

  1. Develop gene therapy and gene editing expression and mechanism-of-action potency assays for various pipeline programs.
  2. Lead viral protein characterization using CE-SDS (Sciex PA800, BioPhase 8800, LabChip) and SDS-PAGE to support AAV VP ratio and capsid purity quality assessments.
  3. Contribute to AAV vector design including capsid and Rep protein modifications, such as rational capsid engineering and Rep functional optimization to advance gene therapy delivery, improve AAV replication/packaging, and manufacturing outcomes.
  4. Provide analytical support to vector core group through cell-based, CE-SDS, and other compendial analytical testing.
  5. Assist in expanding our analytical capabilities by developing novel methods to investigate new quality attributes, and improve throughput or efficiency.

Skills

Required

  • PhD with 1+ years, MS with 7+ years, or BS with 12+ years of relevant industry experience with a degree in a scientific field (cell biology, molecular biology, virology, biochemistry, biomedical engineering)
  • Demonstrated expertise with a broad range of cellular and molecular biology techniques (e.g ddPCR, qPCR, CE-SDS, ELISA, MSD, primer design, western blot, adherent and suspension mammalian cell culture, plasmid transfection, lentivirus transduction, stable cell-line development)
  • Proficiency in flow cytometry (transduction efficiency, surface marker phenotyping) and high-content imaging platforms (e.g., Operetta) for cell-based assay development and analysis
  • Demonstrated experience in AAV vector design, engineering, and characterization, including use of molecular cloning tools (e.g., SnapGene, Benchling) for construct design, capsid modification, and genome cassette optimization
  • Proficiency in analytical data analysis (e.g. GraphPad Prism, Rstudio), interpretation, and scientific documentation (Benching lab notebooks, technical reports, SOPs) as well as scientific communication
  • Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills
  • Ability to independently learn new techniques and develop novel methods with minimal prior experience