Lab Analytical Automation Scientist Full-time

Discovery Analytical Automation Scientist

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.

The Discovery Analytical Automation Scientist will design, develop, and deploy high-throughput analytical automation modules (i.e., PCR, LC and LC/MS, etc.) to support the discovery high-throughput chemistry/biology automation workcell. This role is pivotal in enabling AI-driven drug design and lead optimization, ensuring rapid, high-quality analytical data generation that fuels iterative learning and predictive design.

Working in Shanghai, the scientist will partner with external engineering companies to deliver state-of-the-art automation systems and collaborate internally with the Discovery Lab Operations Lead, Discovery Synthetic Chemistry/Biology Automation Scientist, and global Discovery and Analytical teams to ensure consistent analytical strategy, workflow integration, and alignment with Lilly's global standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with external automation and engineering vendors to design, build, and validate high-throughput analytical automation systems (i.e. LC and LC/MS).
• Define analytical workflow specifications and ensure seamless integration with the synthetic chemistry/structure biology automation workcell.
• Oversee installation, qualification, and performance verification to ensure robust data quality and operational reliability.
• Integrate analytical systems with AI-driven data and feedback pipelines to support automated decision-making.

• Develop automated workflows for compound identification, purity assessment, structural elucidation, and high-throughput screening.
• Establish and maintain SOPs aligned with Lilly global Discovery and Analytical standards.
• Partner with the Discovery Synthetic Chemistry/Biology Scientist to optimize analytical turnaround time for iterative DMTA cycles.
• Ensure structured FAIR data capture, semantic contextualization, and full data traceability within the Enterprise Data Lake (EDL).

• Apply deep expertise in LC, LC/MS, NMR, and related analytical techniques to guide automation design and scientific strategy.
• Evaluate and implement emerging analytical and automation technologies to enhance lab capability and throughput.
• Collaborate closely with global Discovery and informatics teams to connect analytical data streams with predictive modeling, knowledge extraction, and design algorithms.
• Represent Shanghai’s analytical automation capabilities in global cross-site technical forums and strategy discussions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Required: Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field.
• 7 + years of experience in a pharma discovery analytical lab, supporting compound characterization, identification, and structure elucidation.
• Proven hands-on expertise with LC and LC/MS systems (Agilent, Waters, Sciex, Thermo).
• Strong understanding of data automation, system integration, and analytical digitalization.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Mandarin with demonstrated cross-functional collaboration.

• Preferred: Experience in NMR, high-throughput screening, and early discovery analytical workflows.
• Background in automation design or robotics integration.
• Familiarity with data analytics and informatics platforms (e.g., Spotfire, R-Shiny, Pipeline Pilot).
• Prior experience collaborating with global discovery teams and managing external engineering vendors.
• Experience establishing new analytical lab infrastructure is highly desirable.

Why Join Us

• Build and lead a state-of-the-art analytical automation platform within Lilly's global discovery network.
• Collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers across chemistry, biology, and AI.
• Shape the future of autonomous drug discovery by integrating advanced analytics, automation, and AI.
• Be part of a mission-driven team accelerating the path from molecule design to life-changing medicines.

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Lilly 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.

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