Scientist, In Vitro Pharmacology & Cell Engineering

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.
We are seeking a skilled in vitro biologist to join the Genomic Sciences team within RNA Therapeutics at Lilly, based at Lilly's Boston Seaport Innovation Center. In this role, the successful candidate will perform hands-on in vitro pharmacology in support of siRNA drug development, including the development of novel cellular assays and the engineering of novel cell models that enable challenging biology to be measured. The work combines established in vitro pharmacology with assay and cell-model development, carried out at a scale that generates high-quality, massively scaled datasets to fuel high-profile collaborative modeling efforts. It is foundational bench science at the interface of cell biology, automation, and data science, where the quality of the work directly enables downstream computational modeling.
The ideal candidate is a skilled cell biologist with a strong background in mammalian cell culture who is energized by high-throughput, data-generating science. They are comfortable working with and on highly automated systems, bring experience in cell engineering and complex cell models, and take pride in producing consistent, reproducible results. They collaborate naturally across teams, engaging genomics and data science partners to design studies that produce clean, well-controlled, model-ready data for high-profile AI/ML modeling efforts.
Key Responsibilities:
Perform hands-on mammalian cell culture to support in vitro pharmacology for siRNA drug development
Design and develop novel cellular assays to capture biological signals relevant to therapeutic programs
Develop, optimize, and maintain complex cell models and engineered cell lines relevant to RNA therapeutics
Implement in vitro pharmacology experiments at scale, generating large, high-quality datasets to fuel collaborative modeling efforts
Operate and work alongside highly automated cell culture and liquid handling systems to achieve throughput and reproducibility
Partner closely with the NGS team to ensure samples and workflows are well suited to downstream sequencing
Partner closely with the data science team to ensure the data generated is consistent, well-structured, and fit for modeling
Maintain rigorous, reproducible experimental practices and complete, traceable records in accordance with Lilly documentation standards
Troubleshoot cell culture and workflow issues, distinguishing biological from technical variability
Contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team environment across cell biology, automation, NGS, and data science
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related scientific field with 2+ years of industry work experience
Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.
Additional Skills/Preferences:
Strong hands-on background in mammalian cell culture across multiple cell line types.
Strong experience delivering laboratory work using automated workflows and highly automated systems.
Hands-on experience with cellular engineering, including approaches such as CRISPR-based editing and stable cell line generation.
Experience developing complex cell models relevant to therapeutic research.
Experience designing or developing novel cellular assays.
Proficiency with FACS / flow cytometry for cell sorting and analysis.
Interest in or experience with high-throughput, data-generating science.
Familiarity with in vitro pharmacology, ideally in support of RNA therapeutics or another drug modality.
Experience preparing samples for or working alongside NGS workflows.
A collaborative working style and clear communication with computational, engineering, and scientific partners.
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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 (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is
$72,000 - $189,200
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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