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.

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Requirements

• 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.

Skills

• 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.

Additional Information

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

Benefits

• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k) and 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.
• Well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).

Pay

The anticipated wage for this position is $58,000 - $123,200. Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).