Sr. Director - Macrocycle Chemistry

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.

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking an experienced and innovative senior research scientist with strong background in synthetic macrocycles to join Early Molecule Design (EMD) within Lilly Small Molecule Discovery (LSMD) at Indianapolis, Indiana. This individual will drive hit-finding and hit-to-lead chemistry for Lilly’s synthetic macrocycle platform, applying deep expertise in macrocycle design and ADME/DMPK to advance orally bioavailable synthetic macrocycles against challenging targets across Cardiometabolic & Renal (CMR), Immunology, Neuroscience, and Oncology. The Early Molecule Discovery team's mission is to identify Hits and deliver optimized Leads that advance into strong drug candidates and, ultimately, breakthrough medicines.  We are searching for scientific experts recognized for excellence in Hit identification, Lead discovery, and medicinal chemistry to drive the advancement of our portfolio. The EMD team operates as an integrated, multi-site organization spanning Indianapolis, San Diego, Louisville (CO), and Alcobendas (Spain). This role offers exposure to a broad and innovative portfolio with meaningful opportunities to shape program strategy, influence molecule quality, and collaborate across a world-class cross-functional organization.

Serve as a recognized subject matter expert in macrocyclic small molecules and/or macrocyclic peptides. Drive hit-finding strategy and deliver high-quality, chemically tractable macrocycle hits against novel and challenging targets. Design and synthesize macrocyclic small molecules and macrocyclic peptides enabling hit-to-lead progression across multiple therapeutic areas. Apply structure-activity relationship (SAR) knowledge to drive iterative DMTA cycles, balancing potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties Collaborate closely with Biology, DMPK, Computational Chemistry, and other cross-functional partners to develop and execute efficient molecule design strategies Leverage ADME/DMPK principles to optimize oral bioavailability, metabolic stability, permeability, and pharmacokinetic profiles of synthetic macrocycles Contribute to program strategy discussions, including target product profile (TPP) development and go/no-go decision frameworks Effectively communicate scientific findings to internal stakeholders at all levels, including program teams, portfolio boards, and leadership Maintain thorough and timely documentation in electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN) in accordance with IP and regulatory requirements Mentor junior scientists and contribute to a collaborative, scientifically rigorous team culture Basic Qualifications Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Peptide chemistry, Chemical Biology, or a related field Minimum of 8 years of relevant industry experience in drug discovery Preferred Qualifications Demonstrated hands-on experience in macrocycle hit-finding and the design and synthesis of macrocyclic peptides or macrocyclic small molecules Strong foundation in ADME/DMPK principles and their application to drug design, including oral bioavailability, metabolic stability, and PK/PD relationships Track record of productive multi-disciplinary collaboration in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology research environment Experience across multiple therapeutic areas or modalities,