Post-Doctoral Scientist – Delivery, Devices & Connected Solutions (DDCS) Inhaled Drug Formulation & Aerosol Science Full-time

Post-Doctoral Scientist

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it's work worth doing. If you're driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

We are seeking an ambitious post-doctoral scientist with strong research and communication skills to contribute to highly visible research projects. This role sits at the intersection of pulmonary physiology, inhaled formulation science and computational aerosol modeling, supporting the advancement of next-generation inhalation therapies. The successful candidate will work within a multidisciplinary team to characterize device performance and develop predictive computational models of aerosol deposition — contributing directly to formulation design decisions and preclinical-to-clinical translation strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and execute in vitro aerosol characterization experiments using pulmonary and nasal device platforms, including droplet size distribution (laser diffraction, cascade impaction), delivered dose, and delivery efficiency assessments.
• Develop, validate, and apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or physiologically based pharmacokinetic/deposition (PBPK/PBPD) models to predict regional aerosol deposition across patient-representative airway geometries.
• Integrate experimental aerosol data with in-silico deposition predictions to support formulation optimization and design space definition.
• Develop and validate IVIVC frameworks linking in vitro aerosol metrics (MMAD, FPF, delivered dose) to predicted in vivo regional deposition and, where feasible, to pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic endpoints.
• Apply uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis to computational models to characterize inter-subject and inter-effort variability in predicted deposition outcomes.
• Collaborate with formulation scientists, device engineers, and translational scientists to interpret results and generate actionable insights.
• Communicate findings through internal technical reports, cross-functional presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.
• Participate in structured mentorship and professional development programming within Lilly's postdoctoral research community.

Basic Requirements:

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Aerosol Science, or a closely related field, conferred within the past three years.
• Hands-on experience with pulmonary and/or nasal device characterization techniques (e.g., next-generation impactor [NGI], laser diffraction, DUSA) and/or experimental fluid dynamics.
• Demonstrated proficiency in computational modeling of aerosol transport and/or deposition (e.g., CFD using ANSYS Fluent/OpenFOAM, or lung deposition models such as MPPD).
• Strong publication record commensurate with career stage.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, matrix-based environment.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role.

Additional Preferences:

• Experience with realistic or idealized airway geometry models (e.g., Weibel, stochastic, or CT-derived anatomical models).
• Prior industry internship or academic–industry collaborative research experience.
• Self-directed and highly motivated individual who wants to learn new techniques while continually pursuing research and publication goals.
• Excellent communicator (oral and written) with presentation experience, along with a strong publication record.
• Proficient in data analysis and reporting

Other Information:

• This is a fixed-term role for one-year, extendable up to four years, with eligibility to apply for full-time positions upon completion.
• 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.

About Eli Lilly's Postdoctoral Scientist Program:

When it comes to research and development, our goal is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that make life better for people around the world. It's challenging, expensive and often filled with failure. But even when we fail, we advance medical science and understanding by learning more about diseases, biology and chemistry – ultimately bringing new solutions one step closer to reality.

Over the course of our history, we have shed light on some of the toughest health care problems known to man – diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, neuroscience disorders, cancer and more. We could not pursue this without our research and development team.

Postdoctoral scientists help us continue this pursuit. During your experience you will get:

• Top industry research experience
• Mentoring by some of Lilly's top scientists
• Laboratory and classroom training and education to further your development
• Collaboration and networking across dozens of postdoctoral scientists and other researchers

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 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: AMECA, BE@Lilly, CCN, EnAble, Evolve, LIN, OLA, Pride, VLN, and WILL.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate's education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $58,000 – $123,200.