Lilly

Director/Sr. Director—Immunology Research Cutaneous Biology

US, San Diego CA Full time

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.

We are seeking a highly motivated, creative, and accomplished Director/Sr. Director to help drive our Cutaneous Biology discovery effort within the Immunology Research Therapeutic Area.  This role will be part of a dynamic, cross-functional team that is focused on driving scientific innovation in skin and hair biology that results in a robust research portfolio of therapeutic candidates for dermatology/aesthetics. 

Key Responsibilities

Scientific Guidance and Project Management

  • Provide scientific direction for cutaneous biology discovery research for skin and hair disorders
  • Lead the design and execution of research projects focused on skin/hair follicle biology
  • Contribute to external innovation and business development (BD) due diligence activities pertaining to skin and hair biology that drive our decision making around BD opportunities

Research Development & Execution

  • Help identify novel targets based on human causal biology and validate their contribution to skin quality and hair disorders using relevant in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models
  • Guide the design, optimization, and implementation of preclinical models that capture translational biology, integrating insights from human tissue profiling data
  • Design and implement flow schemes to characterize potential therapeutics for effects on cutaneous biology, leveraging both internal and external resources
  • Partner with the Immunology in vivo pharmacology team to execute critical experiments
  • Work with a cross-functional team to generate comprehensive data packages that advance novel therapeutic approaches and support Go/No Go decision-making

Team Building & Management

  • Foster a collaborative, creative, and scientifically rigorous team culture committed to excellence and innovation
  • Develop team capabilities and ensure appropriate resource allocation

Required Qualifications

  • Degree in PhD, PharmD in immunology, molecular biology, or related scientific discipline
  • 10+ years of relevant experience in biotech or pharma

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience leading discovery research programs from early-stage research through candidate selection
  • Knowledge of current therapeutic landscape in dermatology and medical aesthetics
  • Experience with novel therapeutic modalities (cell therapy, genetic medicine, precision medicine, local delivery technologies, etc.)
  • Experience with IND submission and preclinical data package generation
  • Deep expertise in cutaneous biology with demonstrated experience in developing complex ex vivo human skin/hair follicle assays and in vivo models of skin/hair disorders
  • Familiarity with data-driven discovery approaches, including integration of genetic or multi-omics insights
  • Experience building and managing research projects with proven success in project execution in a multi-disciplinary team environment
  • High degree of organizational skills, attention to detail, and critical thinking, with ability to prioritize work and meet target timelines
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to drive cross-site collaboration in a matrixed research environment

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 Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

$163,500 - $281,600

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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