Advisor - mRNA and circRNA Process Development

The Lilly Gene Therapy group is seeking an independent, self-motivated, and highly skilled scientist with a proven track record in designing, developing, and implementing methods and processes to improve mRNA and circRNA quality and production platform. This role will help build the company’s mRNA and circRNA production and technology exploration platform. The successful candidate will support R&D efforts within the company, focused on pre-clinical mRNA and circRNA production and exploration of therapeutic mRNA and circRNA optimization strategies. A deep technical background in RNA chemistry, mRNA synthesis, and mRNA purification are required. Strong organizational and communication skills, creative problem-solving, and flexibility are essential.  

Job Responsibilities:  

• Execute process development projects to establish mRNA and circRNA production capabilities at research to pre-clinical scales.  

• Produce RNA samples to support internal and external collaborations.  

• Design and perform routine biochemistry experiments, including in vitro transcription, purification, quality evaluation, etc.  

• Collaborate with CMC and production teams to harmonize pre-clinical and clinical grade production technology and quality metrics.  

• Develop and utilize strategies to synthesize and modify RNA molecules to achieve desired properties.  

• Clearly communicate results and recommendations to collaborators, colleagues, managers, and senior management, leading project decision-making.  

• Contribute to the company’s intellectual property portfolio by generating new ideas, recommending technical strategy, reading broadly in relevant fields, and diligently maintaining organized records.  

Basic Qualifications:  

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or related scientific discipline with 1+ years of academic or pharmaceutical industry experience in mRNA or circRNA process development. Alternativley, Masters degree in those areas with 12+ years of relevant post-graduate work experience, or Bachelors degrees in those areas with 15+ years of relevant post-graduate work experience. 

Additional Skills/Preferences:  

• In-depth understanding and hands-on experience with RNA chemistry are required.  

• Expertise with production and characterization of mRNA or circRNA molecules using state-of-the-art techniques is required.  

• Expertise with different approaches for RNA modification and their application in mRNA or circRNA therapeutics is required.  

• Experience and understanding of technical challenges with mRNA or circRNA as a therapeutic modality is required. Experience with several mRNA modalities (linear mRNA, saRNA, circRNA, etc.) is an advantage.  

• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills are required, as well as the ability to work both independently and in a collaborative work environment.  

• User-level experience with automated liquid handlers is a plus.  

• Familiarity with Design-of-Experiments (DOE) is a plus.  

• Relevant publication record in academic and/or patent literature is a plus.