Crystallization Process Development Engineer – Drug Substance SMDD

About the role

Lilly’s Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) team is seeking a talented crystallization engineer to join the Crystallization Science team. This role involves working in a new, innovative development facility in Indianapolis, collaborating with synthetic chemists, analytical scientists, formulation experts, and process engineers. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in crystallization science and engineering, a proven track record of scientific leadership, and a passion for collaborative, team-based problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Lead crystallization process design end-to-end, from first-principles science to robust, scalable processes.
• Innovate across a range of crystallization strategies, including cooling, antisolvent, reactive, and seeded crystallization, using modern PAT tools and QbD/DoE methodologies.
• Drive particle engineering strategy, including size distribution, morphology, polymorphic form, and impurity rejection, and influence regulatory filings through your own authored content.
• Partner with formulation, analytical, and manufacturing teams to ensure APIs translate into drug products that work, and lead scale-up and technology transfer to pilot plants and external CMOs.
• Grow as a scientific leader, mentoring emerging talent, publishing, and presenting in scientific venues, and shaping standards and control strategies across the organization.
• Engage with academic partners and contribute to the advancement of crystallization and particle engineering technologies.

Requirements

• PhD in Chemical Engineering
• MSc in Chemical Engineering with 7+ years of experience
• BSc in Chemical Engineering with 10+ years of experience

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience designing, developing, and optimizing crystallization processes for pharmaceutical APIs, including polymorph screening, solid-form selection, and particle engineering.
• Fluency with crystallization modeling and simulation tools (population balance modeling, thermodynamic solubility modeling), and a data-driven approach to DoE and process analytics.
• Experience working across both batch and continuous unit operations, with a solid grasp of equipment design, process monitoring, and PAT system integration.
• A natural communicator who can distill complex technical work into clear documentation and compelling presentations for various audiences.
• A collaborative, team-first attitude paired with strong interpersonal skills, and sharp problem-solving instincts with close attention to detail.

Skills and Preferences

• Leadership instincts: someone who leads through influence and clarity, clearing roadblocks and managing ambiguity.
• Passion for collaborative, multidisciplinary teams where influence comes from expertise and collaboration rather than title alone.
• Engagement with academic partners and contributions to the advancement of crystallization and particle engineering technologies.

Additional Information

Travel: 0 to 10%

Position Location: Indianapolis, IN

LTC-N, onsite work 5 days/week.

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).

Please note this is for individuals to request 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 $129,000 - $209,000.

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.