Lilly

Scientist - Immunology

US, San Francisco 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.

Organizational Overview:

At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. For more than 140 years, we have worked tirelessly to discover medicines that make life better. These discoveries start in Lilly Research Laboratories, where our scientists work to create new medicines that will help solve our world’s greatest health challenges

Lilly Immunology Discovery is dedicated to identifying novel therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases impacting patients around the globe. We are seeking a motivated scientist to join our immunology team in South San Francisco as an integral member supporting small-molecule programs across our San Diego, Boston, and Indianapolis locations.

Position Summary:

This role will contribute to assay development and execution using whole blood, primary cells, and flow cytometry–based readouts. The ideal candidate brings hands-on experience with in vitro biology techniques, strong experimental rigor, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent assay workflows.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Design, execute, and troubleshoot in vitro cellular biology experiments to investigate disease-relevant biology and mechanisms of action of small-molecule candidates using flow cytometry and biochemical readouts
  • Develop and optimize medium- to high-throughput cellular assays for evaluating small-molecule inhibitors in mouse and human systems
  • Perform whole blood–based assays and cytokine profiling
  • Isolate, culture, and maintain primary and immortalized cell lines from mouse and human sources
  • Analyze, interpret, and clearly communicate experimental results to project leads and cross-functional teams
  • Maintain accurate, well-organized experimental records and protocols in electronic lab notebooks
  • Work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research teams

Required Qualifications:

  • BS or MS in immunology, biology, or a related field with 3+ years of laboratory experience (primarily in industry settings)

Additional Skills/Preferences:

  • Hands-on experience with immunoassay platforms (ELISA, Ella, MSD, or Luminex)
  • Experience with cell lines, whole blood, and primary cell isolation and culture
  • Experience with flow cytometry and analysis software (e.g., FlowJo)
  • Familiarity with data analysis tools (e.g., GraphPad Prism)
  • Strong quantitative and organizational skills
  • Demonstrated ability to learn new assay platforms, troubleshoot experiments, and manage multi-step workflows
  • Excellent record-keeping and communication skills, with a proven ability to work collaboratively
  • Experience with small-molecule drug development
  • Experience with multi-assay or high-throughput workflows

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

$65,250 - $169,400

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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