Director of ADC/Large Molecule Innovation

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: San Francisco
Posted on: June 28, 2025

Job Description:

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. Overview: At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. Position Summary: Lilly’s ADC/Large Molecule Innovation Team is looking for a Director to support our growing biologics portfolio. This role will lead cross functional antibody-drug conjugate and bispecific project teams to deliver innovative therapies to development. This job role requires a strong background and hands-on experience in linker-payload chemistry, bioconjugation chemistry, and downstream biochemical assays. The successful candidate will be a self-motivated, responsible, and productive scientist who enjoys collaborating. He/she will be responsible for rigorous experimental design, data analysis, and data interpretation. This position requires excellent people skills and the ability to thrive in a highly interactive, fast-paced, team environment. Responsibilities: Drive innovation in antibody-drug-conjugate bioconjugation chemistry, payload & linker design, and functional characterization Expand the bioconjugates and bispecific portfolio by advancing assets from concept stage through development Lead cross-functional and cross-site conjugate programs Manage R&D team of PhD and non-PhD scientists to lead discovery conjugate or bispecific programs Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and interact well with colleagues, vendors, contractors, scientific advisors, and staff at all levels. Collaborate with internal and external teams in chemistry, biology, and analytics to advance programs. Contribute to troubleshooting and problem-solving in project workflows and project execution. Stay abreast of advances in conjugate and bispecific program advances. Drive the development of new technologies to enhance conjugate and bispecific therapeutic modalities. Basic Requirements: A minimum of a Ph.D. degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or other related scientific discipline with a productive record of 10 years of relevant post Ph.D. research experience is required. Strong understanding of the drug development process, especially antibody-drug conjugates or other bioconjugation or bispecific modalities. Experience leading cross functional ADC or conjugate teams across different research sites. Experience managing an R&D team of PhD and non-PhD scientists to lead discovery programs. Experience in linker-payload chemistry, bioconjugation chemistry, and downstream biochemical assays. Additional Preferences: Proven ability to drive innovation in antibody-drug-conjugate bioconjugation chemistry, payload & linker design, and functional characterization Ability to expand the bioconjugates and bispecific portfolio by advancing assets from concept stage through development Ability to lead cross-functional and cross-site programs. Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to communicate and interact well with colleagues, vendors, contractors, scientific advisors, and staff at all levels. Physical Demands/Travel: The physical demands of this position are consistent with working in an office environment. The position requires travel approximately 10% of the time and an on-site presence at a minimum 3X week. The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Work Environment: This position’s work environment is based in an office environment. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. *To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each role and responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 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 $158,250 - $232,100 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. WeAreLilly

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Fairfield , Director of ADC/Large Molecule Innovation, Science, Research & Development , San Francisco, California