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 over 50,000 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.
Post-Doctoral Scientist - Molecular Pharmacology
Are you looking to make an impact in drug discovery at the frontier of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) science? We are seeking an ambitious post-doctoral scientist with strong research and communication skills to contribute to a high-visibility research program in quantitative GPCR pharmacology.
GPCRs represent the single largest gene family encoding targets for approved drugs, including several of Lilly’s most impactful medicines. Despite transformative advances in molecular pharmacology and structural biology, the theoretical frameworks used to describe GPCR drug action remain incomplete. This project will address that gap directly — developing new mechanistic models to explain binding mechanisms that existing pharmacological theory cannot adequately describe.
In this role, you will:
- Conduct innovative molecular pharmacology studies to characterize the mechanisms of action of GPCR ligands across multiple receptor systems of therapeutic relevance.
- Work with and be mentored by industry-leading molecular pharmacologists, structural biologists, computational scientists, and medicinal chemists.
- Present findings at internal and external scientific meetings and publish extensively in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.
This position provides the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research with world-class industry resources and technology, while gaining direct experience of the drug discovery process. The candidate will develop deep expertise in quantitative GPCR pharmacology at the intersection of molecular pharmacology, structural biology, and disease biology.
Basic Qualifications
- PhD in pharmacology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, or a closely related life science discipline
with all completed requirements by October 2026
- 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, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1
Additional Skills/Preferences
If you are described by these attributes, you could be an excellent fit for this role:
- Training or background in membrane receptor biology, receptor pharmacology, signal transduction, or quantitative pharmacology would be advantageous
- Self-directed and highly motivated, with a commitment to pursuing both technical excellence and publication goals
- Excellent communicator (oral and written) with a strong or developing publication record
- Proficient in data analysis, graphing, and scientific reporting (e.g., GraphPad Prism, Python, Excel, PyMOL, MOE)
- Experience with ligand binding techniques (competition, saturation, kinetic assays) in live cell or membrane formats
- Experience with cell-based GPCR signaling assays, including cAMP, IP1, β-arrestin recruitment, intracellular calcium measurement, or phosphoprotein measurement
- Familiarity with quantitative pharmacological modelling or kinetic simulation approaches
- Experience with mammalian cell culture and standard molecular biology techniques
- Understanding or practical experience of modern structural and computational biology approaches
- Interest in the mechanistic and theoretical foundations of receptor pharmacology
Additional Information:
- This is an onsite position based in Indianapolis, Indiana
- This position is not permanent. It is a fixed-term position up to 2 years with a possible 2 year extention.
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, ultimately bringing new solutions one step closer to reality.
Postdoctoral scientists help us continue this pursuit. During your experience you will receive:
- Top industry research experience in a world-class molecular pharmacology environment
- Mentoring by some of Lilly’s leading scientists in GPCR biology, structural pharmacology, and quantitative modelling
- Laboratory and professional training to further your scientific and career development
- Collaboration and networking across a vibrant community of postdoctoral scientists and research colleagues
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 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: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (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
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).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.
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