Senior Director, Discovery Toxicology
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.
Overview:
At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.
Position Summary: We are seeking an experienced toxicology leader for our Advanced Molecule Design (AMD) group. The Senior Director, Discovery Toxicology will be responsible for guiding early stage through advanced drug discovery programs through all stages of toxicology assessments from early discovery to IND. The AMD team executes projects across the breadth of cancer biology and delivers medicines across drug modalities, including small molecules, degraders, ADC’s, and radioligand therapies. This role demands a blend of deep scientific expertise, strong people leadership, and a synergistic collaborative style to ensure the identification, evaluation, and mitigation of toxicological risks across the oncology portfolio.
Responsibilities:
Toxicology Strategy and Execution
Conduct in-depth literature reviews to understand potential toxicological liabilities of targets and modalities to inform overall portfolio strategy.
Lead the team to design and oversee toxicology studies (in vitro and in vivo) to assess on-target and off-target toxicities, from early discovery to IND filing.
Utilize mechanistic assays (e.g., CEREP panel, hERG) and in silico methods (e.g., DEREK) for early identification of risk for chemical leads series. Implement screening cascades that allow for optimization to mitigate tox risks.
Lead the discussion on clinical risk vs benefit from a toxicology point of view.
Lead the discussion on portfolio level strategy for new targets and modalities
Lead the team in developing and maintaining strong relationships with toxicology CRO’s worldwide. Work to expand our network of quality providers to enhance our ability to execute on competitive timelines.
Team Leadership and Development
Lead the oncology tox team in their day-to-day execution of toxicology projects.
Assign projects based on individual strengths and experiences.
Foster a collaborative environment, facilitating meetings to troubleshoot and plan across projects.
Mentor the toxicology team for professional and career growth.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with discovery leaders and teams (e.g., DMPK, Chemistry, CMC, Pharmacology, PBPK modeling) to advise on and coordinate toxicology strategy, plans, study designs, and timeline.
Be willing to engage leaders from outside the tox domain on obstacles and opportunities to deliver better results faster.
Engage with broader teams across the organization, Subject matter experts and safety advisory committees to glean mechanistic understand of toxicology readouts and use that understanding to predict likelihood and severity of clinical AE risk.
Work with clinicians and the development team to assess the risk benefit analysis and monitoring strategies.
Communication and Reporting
Lead the team to present transparent, organized and contextualized toxicology findings, assessments and plans forward in working core meetings, project teams and leadership strategy discussions.
Develop and use effective presentation methods to put tox findings in context of efficacy exposure, predicted anti-targets and benchmark molecules.
Guide the team to write clear and concise IND reports. Maintains excellence in recordkeeping and documentation to support regulatory filings.
Innovation and Improvement
Identify areas for technological advancements and process improvements within the toxicology domain to further our ability to obtain accurate assessment of toxically risk.
Champion processes that allow the organization to speed the delivery of quality medicines to patients. Identify time sinks and bottlenecks and actively propose processes to resolve them.
A highly engaged, positive, can-do mindset is a requirement for this position.
Basic Requirements:
Advanced degree (PhD, MD, MSc) in Toxicology or related discipline required
10+ years of deep experience in Toxicology work within the Pharmaceutical and/or biotech industry
Proven track record of success in leading toxicology assessments from early discovery through to IND submission.
Deep understanding of toxicology regulatory requirements for IND-enabling studies.
Strong leadership skills with experience in team development and mentorship.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse teams.
Drive to overcome challenges
Strong desire to provide impactful drugs to patients living with cancer.
Additional Preferences:
Additional Information:
Physical Demands/Travel:
The physical demands of this job are consistent with an office environment.
The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Work Environment:
This position’s work environment is in an office.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
Lilly currently anticipates that the base salary for this position could range from between $139,500 to $246,400 and will depend, in part, on the successful candidate’s qualifications for the role, including education and experience. 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).Of course, the compensation described above is subject to change and could be higher or lower than the range described above. Further, 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.
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 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.
Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and help our company develop talented individuals for future leadership roles. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, African American Network, Chinese Culture Network, Early Career Professionals, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinos at Lilly, PRIDE (LGBTQ + Allies), Veterans Leadership Network, Women’s Network, Working and Living with Disabilities. Learn more about all of our groups.
