Post-doctoral Computational ChemistLocation: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
Organization Overview:We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Computational Chemist to join our Advanced Molecular Design (AMD) team within Lilly Research Labs, Indianapolis, Indiana.
AMD applies cutting-edge computational methods to accelerate drug discovery across Lilly's portfolio. Our team integrates structure-based design, quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, free energy calculations, and AI/ML approaches to accelerate and advance molecules from hit identification through clinical candidate selection.
Responsibilities:The successful candidate will join an interactive, collaborative, and innovative scientific team to develop and apply computational methods that accelerate the discovery of new medicines.
- Execute advanced quantum mechanical calculations, molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to study protein motion, protein-ligand interactions, and protein-protein interactions in support of structure-based drug design.
- Build and maintain informatic infrastructure enabling broad utilization of quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, and free energy methods across drug discovery projects.
- Script and automate workflows across computational software platforms to maximize throughput and reproducibility of molecular calculations.
- Develop deep working knowledge of computational chemistry suites including Schrödinger, MOE, Gaussian/Orca/GAMESS, and one or more MD packages (OpenMM, AMBER, CHARMM, GROMACS, or Desmond).
- Stay current with emerging methods in computational drug discovery, including AI and machine learning models for molecular property prediction and design.
- Work as part of a multidisciplinary team-including medicinal chemists, structural biologists, biologists, statisticians, and toxicologists-to deliver computational insights that advance drug discovery projects.
- Maintain critical timelines and communicate progress clearly through oral and written presentations at internal and external team meetings.
- Collaborate with discovery scientists to advance portfolio molecules from leads to quality drug candidates.
Basic Requirements:- Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry, Computer Science, Cheminformatics, Bioinformatics, Biophysics or a related field
with all completed requirements by August 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:- Strong foundation in theoretical physical chemistry and organic chemistry
- Experience with molecular dynamics simulations, quantum mechanical or free energy calculation methods applied to protein-ligand systems
- Proficiency in Python and other scripting and programming languages
- Ability to work effectively both independently and in a collaborative team environment
- Knowledge of lead optimization using structure-based design and AI/ML models
- Familiarity with ADME and toxicology concepts in the context of drug discovery
- Experience working on HPC environment
- Experience with cheminformatics toolkits (RDKit, OpenEye) or structural analysis platforms (Schrodinger, ChemAxon)
- Proficiency in scientific computing libraries and APIs (MDAnalysis, NumPy, SciPy, pandas) beyond basic scripting
- Ability to build and automate computational workflows with minimal supervision
- Demonstrated experience with reproducible code practices and version control (GitHub/GitLab)
- Experience integrating structural biology data (cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, NMR or AI-predicted structures) into computational design workflows
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills
Additional Information:- This is an onsite position based in Indianapolis, Indiana
- This position is not permanent. It is a fixed term position up to a maximum of 2 years.
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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