Advisor/senior Advisor - Oligonucleotide Chemistry

Eli Lilly Eli Lilly · Pharma · Indianapolis, IN

This role focuses on leading the oligonucleotide synthesis scale-up team within Lilly Genetic Medicines to accelerate RNAi Therapeutics from pre-clinical to clinical development. It involves expertise in oligonucleotide synthesis methodologies, collaborating with chemistry teams, and supporting the discovery of lead drug candidates by providing essential materials for key studies. The role requires a PhD or MS in a relevant scientific discipline with significant experience in oligonucleotide synthesis and solid-phase synthesis.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead the Lilly Genetic Medicines discovery oligosynthesis scale-up team to accelerate Lilly RNAi Therapeutics from pre-clinical to clinical development
  2. Utilize comprehensive expertise in oligonucleotide synthesis methodologies to support Lilly Genetic Medicines and further develop internal capabilities and team growth through effective coaching, mentorship, and leadership.
  3. Collaborate with members of the RNAi discovery chemistry teams to validate and execute requirements for oligonucleotide synthesis from 150umol to 6mmol scales including communication of relevant information and results to project leads and/or cross functional organizations within Lilly to ensure seamless operation of the scale-up team.
  4. Actively support our efforts toward the discovery of lead drug candidates and lead at the interface with our CMC and Development teams to provide essential materials for key studies and effectively communicate technical insights to the development team.
  5. Demonstrate expertise in modern synthetic organic and nucleic acid chemistry, striving to improve methods, develop new technologies, and address synthetic oligonucleotide challenges across a diverse portfolio

Skills

Required

  • PhD degree in a relevant scientific discipline with 2+ years of experience (oligonucleotide synthesis experience, solid phase synthesis) or MS degree with 5+ years of experience (oligonucleotide synthesis experience, solid phase synthesis)
  • oligonucleotide synthesis
  • solid phase synthesis

Nice to have

  • Experience in supervising a team of scientists to evaluate, refine and execute synthetic routes, technologies, and practices to deliver LGM portfolio
  • Experience in troubleshooting and optimizing synthetic protocols on automated solid-phase synthesis instruments
  • Experience with downstream processing of oligonucleotides including use of chromatographic purification and process TFF systems
  • Ability to function within a highly interdisciplinary environment
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • good organizational skills
  • the ability to multitask
  • lead a team to deliver on tight deadlines
  • Strong laboratory skills and experience with analytical instrumentation such as AKTA, Agilent LC-MS and UPLC, Vanquish LTQ, Water’s QDA, etc
  • Experience in developing new chromatographic methods (IEX/RP-HPLC, SPE, LC-MS).
  • Experience in conjugation of novel ligands, including small molecules, peptides, and proteins to oligonucleotides at 5-25g scale

What the JD emphasized

  • large-scale oligonucleotide synthesis
  • oligonucleotide synthesis