Discovery Lab Synthetic Chemistry Automation Scientist

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.

About the Role

The Discovery Synthetic Chemistry Automation Scientist will be responsible for designing, developing, and deploying high-throughput synthesis automation workcells to accelerate AI-driven drug design. This role bridges chemistry and automation, ensuring robust, scalable, and high-quality synthetic workflows that feed directly into automated analytical and design feedback loops.

Located in Shanghai, this scientist will partner with external engineering companies to build and integrate automation systems, and internally collaborate with the Discovery Lab Operations Lead, Discovery Analytical Automation scientist, and the global Discovery teams to ensure seamless alignment of scientific design principles, data workflows, and automation standards across sites.

Automation System Development & Integration

• Partner with external automation engineering vendors to design, test, and deploy modular high-throughput synthesis automation systems.
• Define chemical workflow requirements, system interfaces, and safety standards for automated synthesis operations.
• Oversee installation, qualification, and performance optimization of automation platforms.
• Integrate synthesis workflows with downstream automated analytical and data pipelines to enable closed-loop AI learning.

Discovery Operations Enablement

• Develop and implement scalable automated synthesis workflows supporting iterative compound generation for medicinal chemistry and AI-driven drug design.
• Collaborate with the Discovery Analytical Automation Scientist to ensure seamless sample handoff and data flow between synthesis and testing.
• Work with global Discovery teams to align on chemistry strategy, automation standards, and FAIR data integration.
• Define and maintain SOPs and digital workflow documentation in compliance with global discovery and safety standards.

Scientific & Technical Leadership

• Apply deep expertise in organic synthesis to guide system design and chemical workflow optimization.
• Evaluate and implement emerging automation, robotics, and lab informatics technologies to enhance speed, quality, and reproducibility.
• Collaborate closely with global Discovery and informatics groups to connect synthesis data streams with predictive modeling and design algorithms.
• Represent Shanghai lab's synthetic automation capabilities in global technical forums, cross-site strategy discussions, and scientific collaborations.

Required:

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in pharmaceutical discovery synthesis, with strong hands-on experience in chemical design and execution.
• Proven understanding of lab automation, robotics, and workflow integration in a research environment.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across scientific and engineering disciplines.
• Proficiency in English and Mandarin for cross-site collaboration.

Preferred:

• Prior experience in automation system design or implementation in a discovery chemistry lab.
• Working knowledge of biological assays, DMPK workflows, or AI-enabled discovery platforms.
• Experience collaborating with global Discovery and Engineering teams.
• Familiarity with digital tools for experiment tracking, data management, and workflow control (e.g., ELN, LIMS, data lakes).
• Experience establishing or scaling new laboratory automation infrastructures.

• Lead the development of a state-of-the-art synthetic automation lab within Lilly's global discovery network.
• Collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers across chemistry, biology, and AI.
• Shape the future of autonomous drug discovery, accelerating the design–make–test–analyze cycle.
• Be part of a mission-driven team delivering data-rich, AI-empowered innovation for faster, smarter drug discovery.

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Lilly 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.

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