Senior Director – Drug Delivery Science & Delivery Physiology

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: March 11, 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. Organization Overview: The Delivery, Device & Connected Solutions (DDCS) organization serves as Lilly’s center of excellence for delivery science, device engineering, combination product development, and digital health integration. DDCS operates under a matrix organizational model in which strong disciplinary and functional horizontals—spanning Delivery Sciences, Computational Engineering, Measurement Systems, Embedded Systems, Data Sciences, and Sustainability—support innovation and commercialization verticals across all therapeutic areas and business units. The Drug Delivery group is a critical horizontal capability within DDCS. It serves as the scientific engine that generates the foundational biophysical and physiological knowledge required to translate molecular, cellular, and tissue-level insights into breakthrough delivery platforms. DDCS establishes strategic partnerships across all therapeutic areas and maintains an active external technology scouting and licensing function aligned to Lilly’s pipeline priorities. Position Overview: The Senior Director, Drug Delivery Science & Delivery Physiology is a senior scientific leader and people manager responsible for defining and executing the strategic research agenda at the intersection of delivery physiology, advanced drug delivery technologies, and next-generation therapeutic modalities. This role leads a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers who generate the mechanistic and translational knowledge base required to inform platform strategies across Lilly’s pipeline. The Senior Director operates as a horizontal capability leader within the DDCS matrix, embedding scientific rigor into the innovation verticals that serve Lilly’s therapeutic area units. Areas of scientific focus span the full range of physiological routes of administration—subcutaneous, intradermal, and transdermal—as well as emerging nanomedicine constructs, including nanoparticles, molecular devices, and biofunctional material systems. Critically, this leader will establish and own capabilities in bio-nano interface science—including protein biocorona formation, biomaterial biofunctionality, and nanoparticles — to ensure Lilly’s delivery strategies are grounded in predictive mechanistic science. This is a technical, people-leadership, and strategic-influence role. The Senior Director will build and develop a high-performing team, represent the DDCS in executive forums, and serve as Lilly’s internal and external scientific authority on delivery physiology and advanced delivery technologies. Responsibilities: Lead & Develop a World-Class Delivery Science Team Build and Inspire a High-Impact Team: Recruit, develop, and retain a diverse team of scientists and engineers with expertise spanning injection physiology, nanomedicine, transdermal science, and biofunctional materials. Establish a culture of scientific rigor, psychological safety, and continuous learning. Coach & Mentor Scientific Talent: Design individual development plans, provide real-time coaching, and actively sponsor high-potential team members for career advancement and cross-functional visibility within the DDCS matrix. Manage Team Performance Against Strategic Goals: Translate DDCS strategic pillars into team-level objectives and key results; hold accountability for scientific deliverables, milestone attainment, and resource utilization across the team’s portfolio. Foster Cross-Matrix Integration: Serve as a senior representative for DDCS in cross-functional program teams and governance forums; ensure delivery physiology and nanomedicine insights are integrated early in product development cycles across all innovation verticals. Define & Advance the Delivery Physiology Research Agenda Build the Foundational Physiology Knowledge Base: Establish and continuously expand a mechanistic understanding of the physiological barriers, tissue microenvironments, and fluid dynamics that govern drug absorption and distribution across all relevant routes of administration, including subcutaneous, intradermal, intrathecal, intracochlear, oral, and transdermal pathways. Lead Transdermal Delivery Science: Develop a structured research agenda for transdermal and microneedle-based delivery systems, including the characterization of stratum corneum and skin appendage physiology, formulation penetration enhancement, and the development of validated permeation models for diverse therapeutic modalities. Advance Translational ADME & PK Science: Design and oversee preclinical and early clinical studies integrating ADME science, tissue pharmacokinetics, and mechanistic PK/PD modeling to generate predictive frameworks that inform device design, dose selection, and formulation strategy for biologics, oligonucleotides, synthetic peptides, and small molecules. Drive Injection Physiology & Device-Physiology Interplay: Lead research programs that quantify the impact of injection parameters—flow rate, volume, needle gauge, formulation viscosity, injection depth—on local tissue deformation, immune activation, drug distribution, and systemic exposure. Lead Nanomedicine, Biocorona, & Molecular Device Science Establish Nanoparticle Delivery Expertise: Build and own a research program spanning lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic nanocarriers, and hybrid nanostructures. Define design criteria for nanoparticle-based delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics (mRNA, siRNA, ASO), monoclonal antibodies, peptides, and novel modalities. Own Biocorona & Bio-Nano Interface Science: Establish mechanistic capabilities to characterize and engineer the protein biocorona—the dynamic layer of adsorbed proteins that forms on nanoparticle surfaces in biological fluids—and its effects on biodistribution, cellular uptake, immunogenicity, and in vivo efficacy. Apply this understanding to rationally design biofunctional surface chemistries. Advance Molecular Device Platforms: Lead feasibility and concept validation studies for emerging molecular device constructs, including DNA/RNA origami structures, protein nanocages, lipid assemblies, and responsive supramolecular systems. Evaluate suitability for therapeutic payloads and establish a roadmap for integration into Lilly’s pipeline. Characterize Material Biofunctionality: Oversee the development and validation of in vitro and ex vivo assays that characterize the biological performance of delivery materials—including cell uptake kinetics, endosomal escape efficiency, intracellular trafficking, immunostimulation potential, and biocompatibility—to generate decision-quality data for platform selection. Build & Scale Delivery Technology Capabilities Develop the Delivery Technology Toolbox: Build and manage the scientific infrastructure, in vitro models, ex vivo tissue platforms, analytical capabilities, and computational tools required to systematically evaluate and de-risk novel delivery technologies from concept through early clinical translation. Enable Clinical Translation of Novel Platforms: Develop the translational strategy and regulatory science frameworks (CMC interface, regulatory precedent, nonclinical package) that enable novel delivery platforms—including nanoparticle systems, molecular devices, and transdermal formats—to advance from discovery through first-in-human studies. Identify & Integrate Enabling Technologies: Maintain an active awareness of academic and industry advances in delivery science, biofunctional materials, nanomedicine, and molecular engineering. Lead business case development and execute appropriate academic collaborations, technology licensing, and external partnerships. Influence Strategy & Drive Cross-Functional Integration Shape the DDCS Delivery Technology Strategy: Serve as a senior voice in defining DDCS’s multi-year roadmap for delivery platform investment, capability building, and externalization strategy. Provide evidence-based scientific input to prioritization decisions across innovation and commercialization verticals. Embed Delivery Science in Therapeutic Area Programs: Build trusted, strategic relationships with Discovery, Drug Product Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Regulatory, and Clinical Science teams across all TAs and business units to ensure delivery considerations are integrated from the earliest stages of drug development. Communicate with Executive-Level Impact: Synthesize complex scientific portfolios into clear strategic narratives; present delivery science strategy, risk assessments, and technology recommendations to senior and executive leadership, including the Chief Scientific Officer and Global Development leadership. Represent Lilly Externally: Serve as an external scientific ambassador for DDCS; present at international scientific conferences, publish in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, serve on advisory boards, and build Lilly’s reputation as a leader in delivery science and nanomedicine. Basic Requirements: Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Biophysics, or closely related discipline. 10 years of progressive experience in drug research, delivery physiology, and/or nanomedicine, with experience in a people leadership role managing multidisciplinary scientists. Track record of translating basic delivery science into product-relevant insights that advanced drug development programs through IND-enabling studies and/or clinical proof-of-concept. Experience designing and overseeing preclinical in vivo studies (rodent, large animal) and integrating findings with clinical datasets. Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a matrix organization, leading across functional boundaries without formal reporting authority. Additional Preferences: Post-doctoral training is strongly preferred expereince Demonstrated scientific expertise in at least three of the following: injection physiology and subcutaneous delivery; transdermal and topical delivery; nanoparticle drug delivery systems; biocorona characterization and bio-nano interface; nucleic acid delivery; ADME/PK sciences; molecular devices or supramolecular delivery constructs. Scientific publication record in delivery physiology, nanomedicine, biocorona science, or related fields; evidence of thought leadership (i.e. invited talks, patents, advisory roles). Experience with regulatory submissions (IND, NDA/BLA, ANDA) involving combination products or novel delivery systems; familiarity with FDA Office of Combination Products guidance. Demonstrated expertise in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation and in vivo characterization, particularly for nucleic acid therapeutic payloads. Experience leading technology licensing, external academic collaborations, and strategic vendor partnerships in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology setting. Cross-Matrix influence and collaboration, including executive-level communication and persuasion across teams and stakeholders, visible scientific rigor and data integrity, and strategic systems thinking Other Information: Travel: Approximately 15–25% domestic and international Eli Lilly and Company is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. 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 $156,000 - $228,800 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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