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Location

Indianapolis, IN | United States

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Job description

Full job description

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.

Since 2014, Lilly has launched an unprecedented number of molecular entities globally, with several high value launches yet to come. This dramatic increase in R&D output has fueled sales growth and pipeline value, and Lilly is now the largest pharmaceutical company by market capitalization. Looking ahead we have a new challenge: to sustain this productivity and drive additional growth. To help accomplish this, we are making bold investments to expand our access to external innovation. Our vision is to enable the biotech ecosystem outside Lilly’s walls through financial support, cutting edge laboratory space, value-added R&D capabilities, and access to Lilly scientific expertise. We believe these relationships and enhanced visibility will create new business opportunities for Lilly and accelerate innovative medicines to patients.

Housed within the newly formed catalyze360 organization are three teams designed to enable the biotech ecosystem: Lilly Ventures, providing capital direct to biotechs, and also via a fund-of-funds investment strategy, Lilly Gateway Labs, a best-in-class network of biotech incubators, and ExploR&D, providing research and development expertise and solutions to biotechs. Within ExploR&D, the Chorus organization, with 21 years of early phase development history, is its flagship offering. Chorus is a virtual development engine that specializes in rapid and capital-efficient candidate-to-clinical proof-of-concept development and seeks to advance a portfolio of biotech-sponsored new molecular entities. Chorus is part of a growing suite of unique Lilly internal R&D capabilities we are providing to external collaborators, including molecule discovery and optimization, in vitro assays and in vivo animal models. Through our collaboration we aim to:

• accelerate the science of our collaborators to value inflection and to patients
• to network Lilly with brightest scientific minds around the world
• position Lilly as partner of choice to fuel our industry-leading pipeline and,
• create value for the scientific ecosystem.

The Chorus Asset Manager is responsible for the overarching scientific strategy, and execution of this strategy, for multiple external biotech assets across therapeutic areas and modalities. Leading a multi-functional team, they are responsible for constructing a plan to test key scientific hypotheses and discharge risks regarding asset safety and efficacy, and then delivering that plan on time and on budget. Working with biotech sponsors, the asset manager also has a key alliance management role, to ensure Chorus and Lilly create a ‘partner of choice’ experience.

For assigned assets, the Asset Manager is accountable for all phases of drug development. This includes diligence of potential opportunities, and then ownership of assets following portfolio entry, which can be at any point from pre-candidate selection through to Phase 2-ready, then throughout the duration of the Chorus collaboration scope, through to close out. This position contains elements of roles such as Alliance Manager, Novel Target Lead, Scientific Lead, and asset Chief Operating Officer at Eli Lilly and Company and requires a combination of scientific land team leadership with broad drug development and program management responsibilities, together with coordination of the cross functional teams and management of the associated partnerships. The Chorus Asset Manager reports to the ExploR&D Head of Strategy and Chief Medical Officer, Chorus.

The Chorus mindset requires:

• Curiosity

• Accountability

• Commitment to essentialism, simplicity, and focus

• The ability to lead, motivate, and empower the team

• The drive to innovate and a tolerance for risk to accelerate projects

Key Asset Manager Responsibilities include:

• Matrix team leadership
  • Lead multiple programs with teams comprising Chorus personnel, broader LRL subject matter experts and external biotech collaborators. Create a high-performing team with a culture that aligns with the Chorus values of trust, autonomy, collaboration, and inclusion.

• Alliance management
  • Create a ‘partner of choice’ experience for our biotech collaborators that takes into account their goals and priorities, but also involves respectful challenging where appropriate to ensure that the best plan ultimately goes forward. Provide optionality for strategy and study designs to enable the best decision-making.

• Developing asset strategy, decision criteria, and an integrated development plan through to proof of concept readout
  • Understand all the dimensions of the development of an asset (e.g., biology/pathway, patient needs, heterogeneity of disease, accepted development strategies, regulatory and clinical operational considerations, choice of clinical endpoints etc.) and leverage the team expertise to integrate this complexity into a research/development strategy that will help resolve the key uncertainties about an asset to determine its merit as a potential therapeutic agent.

• Project management and delivery of the integrated development plan
  • Accountable for the ‘on time, on budget’, and within scope delivery of project milestones from Chorus portfolio entry through to proof-of-concept readout and study close out.
  • Provide matrix leadership to the multi-functional development team including toxicology, biostatistics, clinical research consultants, quality, CMC, PK and Medical.
  • Partner with key asset stakeholders (both internal & external) in developing the plan and in communicating project developments and formulating changes in strategy where appropriate.

• Provide scientific and technical leadership
  • Identify and synthesize scientific information from multiple sources (literature, identifying and engaging appropriate content experts, effective interviewing of internal and external team members, critical evaluation of scientific data), and apply appropriately to ensure formulation of key questions and study design to address key questions.
  • Provide scientific content to critical documents (Investigator Brochures, Risk Profiles, Study Protocols, Study Reports, Regulatory and Ethical filings and updates, Investigator updates, etc.).
  • Responsible for the development of the Statistical Analysis Plans for Clinical Studies, in partnership with the Chorus Statistician.
  • Serve as the scientific leader of the asset, responsible for presentation of scientific background, data, conclusions, and applications across multiple forums.
  • Integrate data from multiple scientific disciplines across the project (e.g., biology, chemistry SAR, pharmacokinetics and ADME, statistics, experimental medicine, and clinical study design) to derive plans and in interpreting outcomes.

• Partner with internal and external subject matter experts to ensure the best science is accessed to inform selection of assets and the ultimate development plan.
• Conduct due diligence on candidate internal and external assets to assess scientific and business feasibility and fit with the Chorus model and portfolio strategy. Identify and network with internal and external experts to conduct such due diligence.
• Build networks within Lilly and externally to ensure Chorus has access to the best science to maximize opportunities to positively impact the Lilly pipeline.

Basic Requirements:

• Advanced degree (e.g. PhD, PharmD) in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacology, or a related discipline. Critical mass of work experience in multiple phases of drug development (
• 5 years industry experience).

Additional Skills/Preferences:

• Highly self-motivated.
• Proactively address potential issues.
• Excellent teamwork, organizational and negotiation skills.
• Experience in external vendor selection, contract management, and in effective vendor partnership.
• Experience contributing or leading external evaluation/diligence of assets/technology platforms.
• Business development experience highly desirable.
• Demonstrated leadership, organizational and administrative skills.
• Ability to influence others (both cross-functionally and within the function) in order to create a positive working environment.
• Strong computer skills; skilled at using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Project; capable of maintaining the appropriate project documentation.

Additional Information:

Willing to engage in limited domestic and international travel to the degree appropriate to support the business of the team, according to company travel guidance.

Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly USA, LLC and our wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively “Lilly”) are committed to help individuals with disabilities to participate in the workforce and ensure equal opportunity to compete for jobs. If you require an accommodation to submit a resume for positions at Lilly, please email Lilly Human Resources ( [email protected] ) for further assistance. Please note This email address is intended for use only to request an accommodation as part of the application process. Any other correspondence will not receive a response.


Lilly 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.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and help our company develop talented individuals for future leadership roles. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, African American Network, Chinese Culture Network, Early Career Professionals, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinos at Lilly, PRIDE (LGBTQ + Allies), Veterans Leadership Network, Women’s Network, Working and Living with Disabilities. Learn more about all of our groups.

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