Director - Discovery Immunology

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: February 27, 2026

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. Position Overview Lilly Immunology is a therapeutic area focused on many autoimmune diseases spanning gastroenterology, dermatology and rheumatology. We are seeking an accomplished and creative Director for the New Target Validation within Discovery Immunology to develop biological strategy with translational readiness for projects and execution target identification through mechanistic validation. The ideal candidate is a seasoned discovery biology leader with deep expertise in functional genomics, phenotypic and mechanistic discovery platforms, and physiologically relevant primary human model systems. This role will provide scientific and strategic leadership across cross?functional discovery teams, enabling confident target nomination, modality selection, and early portfolio advancement in immunology. Key Objectives/Deliverables Strategic Leadership & Discovery Excellence Define and lead the end?to?end strategy for new target validation, spanning genetic perturbation, pathway deconvolution, cellular pharmacology, and translational model design. Drive scientific decision?making across multidisciplinary project teams to ensure robust biological rationale, mechanism?of?action understanding, and data?supported progression criteria. Lead and mentor a team of discovery biologists. Develop comprehensive project plans and risk mitigation strategies to address scientific and operational challenges. Communicate program progress, risks, and results to senior management and cross-functional partners. Technology development Expand functional genomics capability, including pooled and arrayed CRISPR knockout, CRISPR base?editing, multiplexed perturbation systems, barcoding technologies, and data?integrated mechanistic workflows. Champion the development and application of primary human and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)–derived or organoid model systems and whole?blood assays. Lead the creation of and operationalize phenotypic discovery workflows to enable rapid target triage, mechanistic deconvolution, and clear go/no?go determination. Integrate these models with multimodal profiling (imaging, transcriptomics, cytokine and proteomics readouts) to strengthen human disease relevance and predictive validity. Ensure translational confidence by driving model selection, benchmarking, and alignment with patient?derived data and clinical insights. Basic Minimum Qualifications Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, Cell Biology, Immunology, or a related field. 10 years of experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery biology Additional Skills & Preferences Demonstrated leadership in developing high?performing teams by coaching, mentoring, and empowering diverse talent to grow in capability, influence, and leadership impact. Proven track record of advancing novel biological targets into early discovery portfolios and delivering data packages supporting IND submissions. Ability to make data-driven decisions and find innovative solutions to overcome scientific and operational obstacles within matrix environment Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific data to diverse audiences. Strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with internal teams, external partners, and vendors 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. Lilly may continue to provide U.S. visa sponsorship for current U.S. employees who meet the basic qualifications of the role and, prior to applying, have confirmed U.S. visa feasibility with Lilly’s U.S. Immigration Team. U.S. employees do not include individuals completing an STA or LTA in the U.S. from abroad. Roles on the B path, S path, or that do not minimally require a bachelor’s degree are not feasible for visa sponsorship. WeAreLilly Lilly is proud to offer market-competitive employee benefits designed to empower you to live your best life. Employees may elect medical, prescription drug, dental and/or vision coverage for you and your family in one of two health plan options, enjoy best-in-class mental health support, and concierge services for orthopedic, cardiovascular, fertility care, and LGBTQ health navigation. We also support well-being with a fitness membership, health coaching, and wellness activities at no additional cost. Our retirement benefits are designed to help our employees feel secure in their financial future by including a defined benefit pension, a 401(k) match, and retiree medical coverage. We provide life and disability insurance for peace of mind and protection for you and your loved ones and paid time-off benefits to support you in life’s moments that matter including personal illness, caregiver, bereavement, and other family needs, in addition to annual paid vacation and holidays. Lilly reserves the right to terminate or modify company-provided benefits at any time in its discretion. The company compensation structures are aligned to the location of hire. The United States pay range and benefits offering do not apply to any location outside of the United States. 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 $148,500 - $257,400 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

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