At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.
Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) is seeking an exceptional NMR spectroscopist to join our department. You will be part of a diverse team of analytical chemists, organic chemists, pharmaceutical scientists, and engineers delivering product and process understanding across Lilly’s diverse pipeline of small molecule therapeutics, synthetic peptides, oligonucleotides, and conjugates. In this role, you will leverage deep NMR expertise to study or elucidate the structures of drug candidates, degradation products, synthetic intermediates, and process impurities; characterize and monitor chemical reactions; and apply quantitative NMR methods to advance process development and establish robust control strategies.
Position Responsibilities:
- Maintain deep technical mastery of NMR spectroscopy. Independently design, execute, and interpret 1D and 2D NMR experiments.
- Solve complex structure elucidation, reaction characterization, conformational analysis, and impurity control challenges at the highest level of proficiency—including developing creative solutions for problems that lack established methods.
- Identify and apply complementary analytical solutions (HPLC, GC, MS) to address characterization challenges and guide chemical process development.
- Continuously develop and implement new characterization methodologies and technologies to improve quality, productivity, and scientific impact; identify and integrate emerging instrumentation and approaches that expand the team’s scientific reach.
- Present scientific strategies, results, and interpretations to project teams and in cross-functional forums — translating molecular-level insights into actionable recommendations that reflect a strong grasp of both technical and business implications.
- Build strong partnerships with external vendors, academic collaborators, and instrument manufacturers to ensure access to cutting-edge capabilities and scientific expertise.
- Perform laboratory activities with a strong emphasis on safety and technical rigor, while adhering to local policies and procedures.
Basic Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related field, or a Master’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience.
- Demonstrated expertise in NMR spectroscopy, including mastery of 1D and 2D NMR data collection and interpretation (HSQC, COSY, HMBC, NOESY/ROESY, etc.).
- Strong foundation in organic chemistry and its application to structural and reaction characterization problem-solving.
- Experience with or strong working knowledge of high-resolution mass spectrometry and its application to structure elucidation.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Additional Skills/Preferences:
- Expertise in NMR hardware and software, including Bruker NMR and TopSpin/IconNMR
- Proficiency with analytical data processing software (e.g., MestreNova, ACD) and programming languages (e.g., Python); familiarity with scientific informatics tools that support data analysis, automation, and AI-enabled workflows.
- Experience with chromatographic separations (HPLC, UHPLC, GC, LC/MS)
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate, champion, and implement new characterization technologies and methodologies at the team or organizational level.
- Track record of scientific contributions including peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and/or patents.
Additional Information:
- Occasional travel
- Potential exposure to chemicals, allergens, and loud noises
- Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate based on race, gender, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status
- Travel: 0 to 10%
- Position Location: Indianapolis, IN; Lilly Technology Center – North (LTC-N)
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is
$126,000 - $204,600
Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for 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; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
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