Postdoctoral Scientist

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 highly motivated and creative post-doctoral scientist to join the cross-functional Chemistry + Mass Spectrometry team within BioTDR (biologic discovery) at our San Diego site. This role sits at the intersection of analytical chemistry, bioconjugation, and AI/ML-driven discovery, supporting a high-impact research program to develop a next-generation bioconjugation platform for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs), and peptide conjugates.

• Develop and optimize high-throughput mass spectrometry workflows for analytical characterization of protein bioconjugates, including intact mass analysis, drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) determination, and site-specific modification profiling by peptide mapping.
• Execute large-scale compound screening campaigns using automated LC-MS and other mass spec platforms to evaluate novel bioconjugation chemistries.
• Generate high-quality structured analytical datasets to support computational modeling and AI/ML-driven prediction of bioconjugation outcomes.
• Work with medicinal chemists to characterize and advance lead conjugation chemistries into functional biotherapeutic constructs across relevant modalities.
• Partner with computational, automation, and data science teams to build integrated, scalable workflows for high-throughput data acquisition and analysis.
• Present research findings at internal and external scientific forums and contribute to peer-reviewed publications and intellectual property filings.
• Maintain rigorous electronic laboratory records and uphold Lilly safety and compliance standards.

• Ph.D. in analytical chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, bioconjugation chemistry, or a closely related field (degree conferred or expected by June 2026).
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with mass spectrometry for protein or biotherapeutic characterization (intact LC-MS and/or peptide mapping LC-MS/MS).
• Experience with or strong understanding of bioconjugation chemistry and quantitative analysis of DAR.
• Strong scientific communication skills and a record of peer-reviewed publication.

• 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.

• Proficiency with Thermo and Agilent LC/MS systems and their software tools for protein MS data analysis.
• Experience with high-throughput screening workflows and laboratory automation platforms.
• Familiarity with structural biology methods
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional, interdisciplinary teams.
• Self-motivated and adaptable, with a track record of creative problem-solving and intellectual initiative.

• Location: Lilly BioTDR, San Diego, CA (on-site).
• Duration: Fixed term, 2 years with potential extension up to 3 years.

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 (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

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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