Discovery Oncology Scientific Lead

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 Summary:

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced scientist to join our Discovery Oncology biology team in South San Francisco, focused on advancing next-generation genetic medicine technologies for oncology applications. The Scientific Lead will be responsible for creating and executing strategies toward the discovery and credentialing of oncology targets enabled by new therapeutic modalities, through close collaboration with other discovery and translational functions. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of oncogenic pathways and experience in designing experiments to evaluate molecular interactions and cellular pathways. The Scientific Lead, Discovery Oncology will be part of a multi-disciplinary effort focused on bringing forward innovative cancer drug therapy.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Position:

• Conceive and execute experiments for target discovery, validation, and credentialing across emerging therapeutic modalities — including, but not limited to, oligonucleotide conjugates, lipid nanoparticles, and engineered cell therapies

• Interrogate mechanism of action, biomarkers of response, and mechanisms of resistance or sensitivity for genetic medicine modalities applied to oncology

• Design and execute functional and genetic perturbation experiments to nominate and credential targets, leveraging gene editing, RNA interference, and primary or engineered cell systems as appropriate

• Analyze, interpret, and present data clearly to the team and broader organization, and contribute to cross-functional program strategy

• Actively participate in group discussions and collaborate with colleagues across discovery, translational, and external partner functions

• Contribute to a safe, efficient, and rigorous workplace

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in immunology, cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, or a related discipline with all completed requirements by August 2026 and 5+ years of lab-based experience (including graduate lab work)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of oncogenic and/or immune signaling pathways, with demonstrated ability to design experiments that interrogate molecular mechanism in primary or engineered cell systems

• Hands-on experience with gene perturbation platforms — including CRISPR-based gene editing and RNA interference (siRNA, shRNA)

• Experience with multi-color flow cytometry, including panel design and analysis

• Experience with general molecular biology techniques (PCR, cloning, Western blot)

• Experience designing and executing in vivo experiments, including study design, model selection, and interpretation of pharmacodynamic and efficacy endpoints

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivated, with strong presentation and documentation skills

• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, vendors, scientific advisors, and staff at all levels

• Background in immunology and/or immuno-oncology, immune cell engineering, or tumor immune microenvironment

• Familiarity with in vivo gene delivery and modification approaches, including lipid nanoparticles, viral vectors (lentivirus, AAV), or related platforms

• Prior experience working with emerging therapeutic modalities such as oligonucleotide conjugates, mRNA therapeutics, or cell therapies

• Experience designing and executing functional or genetic screens, including hit triage, deconvolution, and downstream validation strategies

Work Environment:

• This position’s work environment is in a Laboratory
• 5-day office policy

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

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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