SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR – VIRTUAL SCREENING APPLICATIONS EXPERT

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 work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those in need, improve disease understanding and management, and give back through philanthropy and volunteerism. We prioritize putting people first and are looking for motivated individuals committed to improving lives globally.

The Lilly Small Molecule Discovery group is dedicated to creating molecules that improve lives. We leverage cutting-edge science to develop new treatments for diseases with limited options, aiming for breakthrough efficacy and safety. Our culture emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and accountability.

Position Summary :

The Lilly Small Molecule Discovery (LSMD) organization focuses on creating and discovering new molecules to target disease-relevant biological systems, testing clinical hypotheses, and advancing innovative medicines. To enhance our drug discovery efforts, we are increasingly integrating computational tools. The Early Molecule Discovery (EMD) team handles small molecule hit-to-lead processes using both established and novel approaches on pre-portfolio targets.

We are seeking an internationally recognized Virtual Screening (VS) Applications Expert to lead small molecule VS activities. The (Senior / Executive) Director will collaborate across computational, structural biology, and medicinal chemistry teams within EMD and beyond, to introduce transformative VS methods that strengthen Lillys capabilities in challenging drug targets.

Responsibilities :

• Drive the VS @Lilly platform within a matrix organization, collaborating with project teams to identify promising chemical starting points for drug discovery efforts.
• Pioneer the integration of innovative methods into the VS platform, pushing the boundaries of current capabilities to maintain industry leadership.
• Develop strategic and inclusive leadership qualities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and effective communication across teams and leadership.
• Lead efforts to extend Lilly’s therapeutic areas by identifying novel chemical entities supporting multi-generational drug discovery.
• Leverage structural and biophysical data with expert modelers to optimize target readiness for VS campaigns.
• Implement physics- and AI-based modeling to improve hit rates, especially for difficult targets.
• Champion cutting-edge techniques such as ensemble and AI-based VS methods.
• Develop cheminformatics tools to maximize chemical and binding pocket coverage in hit selection.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists to triage and advance VS hits for synthesis or purchase.
• Streamline workflows in partnership with Tech @Lilly to ensure timely campaign impacts and broader adoption.

Basic Qualifications :

Additional Skills / Preferences :

Lilly is committed to inclusivity and provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities. For assistance, please complete the workplace accommodation request form .

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, valuing diversity and inclusion in our workforce.

Compensation for this role ranges from $156,000 to $250,800, dependent on experience and location. Benefits include a bonus, 401(k), health coverage, paid time off, and well-being programs.

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