Scientist/Senior Scientist, In vitro Assay Development

Location: Indianapolis, IN

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

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: Scientist / Senior Scientist, In Vitro Assay Development

As a Scientist or Senior Scientist within Research and Breakthrough Innovation, you will be a key contributor to the Assay Development team, responsible for designing, developing, and executing high-quality biochemical and cell-based assays. In this lab-based role, you will generate critical data to support inhibitor characterization, mechanism of action studies, and medicinal chemistry optimization, directly advancing Elanco’s innovation pipeline.

Your Responsibilities

• Design, develop, optimize, and validate robust biochemical and cell-based assays, including enzymatic, immunoassay, receptor binding, and reporter assays, suitable for high-throughput screening.

• Characterize small molecule inhibitors by determining potency, IC50 and Ki values, and mechanisms of inhibition.

• Execute screening funnels and dose-response studies, generating reproducible, high-quality data to support SAR and drug discovery decisions.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with protein production, medicinal chemistry, and project teams to ensure assay readiness and data alignment.

• Analyze, interpret, and clearly present experimental data while maintaining accurate documentation in electronic lab notebooks.

What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications)

• Education and experience:

  • Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a closely related discipline, or

  • M.S. with 3 or more years of relevant industry experience, or

  • B.S. with 5 or more years of relevant industry experience.

• Hands-on experience with assay detection technologies, including absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence.

• Strong data analysis skills with experience using scientific data analysis software.

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Demonstrated expertise in enzymology and enzyme kinetics.

• Hands-on experience developing and running a variety of cell-based assays.

• Experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry environment.

• Familiarity with medicinal chemistry and small molecule drug discovery principles.

• Experience with method transfer and collaboration across internal and external partners.

Additional Information

• Travel: Minimal.

• Location: Global Elanco Headquarters, Indianapolis, IN, hybrid work environment.

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