Lab Analytical Automation Scientist
Eli Lilly · Shanghai
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 Analytical Automation Scientist will partner with external vendors to design, develop, and deploy high-throughput analytical automation modules (i.e., PCR, LC and LC/MS, etc.) to support the high-throughput chemistry/biology automation workcell. This role is pivotal in enabling rapid, high-quality analytical data generation that fuels iterative learning.
Working in Shanghai, the scientist will partner with external engineering companies to deliver state-of-the-art automation systems and collaborate internally to ensure consistent analytical strategy, workflow integration, and alignment with global standards.
Key Responsibilities
Automation System Development & Integration
- Partner with external automation and engineering vendors to design, build, and validate high-throughput analytical automation systems (i.e. LC and LC/MS).
- Define analytical workflow specifications and ensure seamless integration with the synthetic chemistry/structure biology automation workcell.
- Oversee installation, qualification, and performance verification to ensure robust data quality and operational reliability.
- Integrate analytical systems with other automation systems.
Automated Analytical Operations
- Develop automated workflows for compound identification, purity assessment, structural elucidation, and high-throughput screening.
- Establish and maintain SOPs aligned with relevant Lilly global standards.
- Optimize analytical turnaround time to accelerate data generation.
- Ensure structured FAIR data capture, semantic contextualization, and full data traceability within the Enterprise Data Lake (EDL).
Technical Leadership
- Apply deep expertise in LC, LC/MS, NMR, and related analytical techniques to guide automation design and scientific strategy.
- Evaluate and implement emerging analytical and automation technologies to enhance lab capability and throughput.
- Collaborate closely with global Data Foundry teams to connect analytical data streams with additional systems and models.
Qualifications & Experience
Required:
- Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field.
- 7+ years of experience in an analytical lab, supporting compound characterization, identification, and structure elucidation.
- Proven hands-on expertise with LC and LC/MS systems (Agilent, Waters, Sciex, Thermo).
- Strong understanding of data automation, system integration, and analytical digitalization.
- Excellent communication skills in English and Mandarin with demonstrated cross-functional collaboration.
Preferred:
- Experience in NMR, high-throughput screening, and early discovery analytical workflows.
- Background in automation design or robotics integration.
- Familiarity with data analytics and informatics platforms (e.g., Spotfire, R-Shiny, Pipeline Pilot).
- Prior experience collaborating with global teams and managing external engineering vendors.
- Experience establishing new analytical lab infrastructure is highly desirable.
Why Join Us
- Build and lead a state-of-the-art analytical automation platform within Lilly’s global discovery network.
- Collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers globally across chemistry, biology, and data science.
- Shape the future of autonomous drug discovery together with global teams, by integrating advanced analytics, automation, and computation.
- Be part of a mission-driven team accelerating the path from molecule design to life-changing medicines.
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