Your Role: Senior Advisor, External InnovationAs the Sr. Advisor for External Innovation, you will be a critical expert at the forefront of shaping Elanco's future pipeline. You will be instrumental in our mission to improve the health of animals by identifying and advocating for the next generation of solutions for infectious diseases. Partnering closely with R&D, global strategy teams, and senior leadership, you will scout, evaluate, and guide the assessment of cutting-edge technologies and assets from biotechnology, pharmaceutical companies, and academia. This is a key strategic role where you will leverage your deep scientific expertise to build de-risking experiments and resourcing plans to influence the direction of our innovation efforts for both pet and farm animals.
Your Responsibilities:- Identify and evaluate external assets and technologies, with a primary focus on infectious diseases, novel vaccine platforms, and future solutions from biotech, pharma, and academia for both pet and farm animals.
- Lead the landscaping of opportunities and coordinate deep technical assessments with internal teams, including R&D, Marketing, Legal, and global strategy teams, to ensure timely and thorough evaluation of new opportunities.
- Establish and manage key relationships with biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and pharmaceutical partners to build a robust external innovation pipeline.
- Create compelling proposals for funding and governance, including the development of scientific de-risking strategies and high-level business plans aligned with target product profiles.
- As an individual contributor and originator, make strategic go/no-go recommendations to governance and provide timely, accurate updates on external innovation efforts and project progress.
What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):- Education: An advanced degree in life sciences (PhD, or DVM).
- Experience: A minimum of 7 years of experience in external innovation, technology scouting, or alliance management within the animal health, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology industry experience directly in R&D project leadership in Animal Health.
- Expertise: Deep scientific expertise in infectious diseases, vaccines, or related immunology/virology fields. Proven ability to guide complex, cross-functional project evaluations from identification through to strategic recommendation.
What will set you apart (preferred qualifications):- Demonstrated experience in competitive intelligence, using tools from biotech, pharma, and consulting to build therapeutic area landscapes, including the use of visualization tools.
- Experience with RNA technology, novel expression platforms for vaccines and biologics, and/or nucleic acid targeted delivery.
- A robust and existing network of contacts in academia, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies.
- Direct experience in the Farm Animal health industry
Additional Information:- Travel: 20-30%
- Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN - On-Site Work Environment
Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!
Elanco Benefits and Perks:We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:
- Multiple relocation packages
- Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
- 8-week parental leave
- 9 Employee Resource Groups
- Annual bonus offering
- Flexible work arrangements
- Up to 6% 401K matching
