Senior Scientist, External Innovation & Partnerships

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Position Description

The Senior Scientist, External Innovation & Partnerships, plays a key role in identifying, evaluating, and advancing external innovation opportunities to strengthen Elanco’s R&D pipeline. This is an individual contributor role focused on scientific evaluation, external engagement, and cross-functional influence. This position does not include direct people management.

This role operates at the intersection of science and business, partnering closely with R&D, Commercial, Legal, and Business Development to assess and progress opportunities from external sources including biotech companies, startups, universities, and research institutions.

The primary responsibility is to source and evaluate external assets, lead cross-functional assessments, and support the advancement of high-potential opportunities through internal decision-making processes.
 

Your Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate external innovation opportunities aligned to strategic priorities

• Build and manage relationships with external partners including biotech, startups, and academic institutions

• Lead cross-functional assessments of external assets across R&D, Commercial, Legal, and BD

• Support due diligence activities including scientific evaluation and risk assessment

• Contribute to internal recommendations and advancement decisions (go/no-go)

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications)

• DVM or PhD in a relevant biological or life sciences field

• 3+ years of experience in animal health research, development, pharma, or related field

• Strong ability to evaluate scientific data and external opportunities

• Experience working cross-functionally and influencing without direct authority

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (preferred qualifications)

• Experience in external innovation, search and evaluation, or alliance management

• Experience engaging with external partners such as biotech, startups, or academic groups

• Ability to operate at the intersection of science and business

• Experience supporting due diligence or partnership discussions

• Familiarity with animal health markets (pet health and/or farm animal)

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages

• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)

• 8-week parental leave

• 9 Employee Resource Groups

• Annual bonus offering

• Up to 6% 401K matching

Elanco 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

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.

Elanco 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

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.