Senior Data Scientist

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!

Your Role: Senior Data Scientist 

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Data Scientist to join our Enterprise Analytics and Governance organization. This role is critical in transforming complex data into strategic insights and scalable solutions that drive business value. The ideal candidate will combine strong expertise in advanced analytics, operations research, and AI/ML with the ability to translate ambiguous business challenges into impactful, production-ready solutions. 

Your Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end data science initiatives - from problem definition and data exploration to deployment of scalable, production-grade solutions. 
• Apply advanced modeling techniques, including machine learning, deep learning, statistical methods and operations research (e.g., optimization, simulation), to solve complex business problems. 
• Partner with cross-functional business stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into actionable analytical solutions. 
• Design and develop robust data pipelines and models leveraging platforms such as Databricks, Azure Synapse, and SAP. 
• Build and maintain interactive dashboards and data products using Databricks dashboard, Power BI or Tableau to enable real-time decision-making. 
• Implement best practices in software engineering, including modular code design, testing, version control, and CI/CD pipelines. 
• Ensure model transparency, explainability and interpretability using Explainable AI (XAI) approaches. 
• Monitor, evaluate, and optimize model performance in production environments, including establishing observability and feedback loops. 
• Communicate complex analytical insights clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. 
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior team members. 

What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Education/Required Experience: PhD in Statistics, Data Science, Computer Science, Operations Research or a related STEM field with 2+ year of experience, OR Master’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience. 
• Strong expertise in machine learning, deep learning, statistics and/or optimization. 
• Advanced proficiency in Python (and /or R), SQL, with experience building and maintaining data pipelines in Databricks or similar environments. 
• Solid foundation in software engineering best practices, including Git, unit and integration testing, CI/CD and model deployment capabilities. 
• Proficiency in data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau or Databricks Dashboard. 
• Proven ability to deploy and manage high-performance models in production environments using machine learning ops tools and technologies. 

What Will Give You the Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications):

• Experience building end-to-end observability frameworks, including model monitoring, drift detection, and business performance tracking. 
• Familiarity with Natural Language Processing, Generative AI techniques (e.g., LLMs, RAG architectures, AI Agents). 
• Experience working with large-scale enterprise data platforms and cloud ecosystems (Azure, AWS, GCP). 
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced environments. 

Additional Information:

• Location: Indianapolis, IN Global HQ (Hybrid Environment)
• Travel: Minimal

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized 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
• Flexible work arrangements
• 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.