Post-Doctoral Scientist - T Cell Biology - Immunology Discovery Research

  • Lilly
  • San Diego, California
  • Full Time

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. Were looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Are you passionate about making a meaningful impact in the development of next-generation therapeutics? If so, this could be the ideal opportunity for you. In this role, you will contribute to advancing our understanding of therapeutic molecule attributes that enable the development of safe and effective T cell-based therapies .

At Lilly Biotechnology and Immunology, we are committed to creating innovative, transformative treatments for autoimmune diseases by harnessing the power of T cells. We are seeking a driven and talented postdoctoral scientist with strong research and communication skills to join our team to work on projects at the interface of immunology and antibody engineering and contribute to high-visibility research initiatives.

Responsibilities

Your work will play a key role in shaping the future of autoimmune therapeutics and biotechnology platform strategies.

  • Advance the understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying T cell activation , with the goal of informing the design of novel biotechnology platform strategies for T cell-based therapeutics.

  • Collaborate closely with Lilly Discovery Scientists and engage with cross-functional therapeutic project teams to drive scientific innovation.

  • Identify key opportunity areas and champion creative, science-driven solutions to address unmet needs in T cell-based therapy development.

  • Maintain strong external awareness by staying current with scientific advancements and integrating new insights to benefit internal research efforts.

  • Communicate research findings through presentations at scientific conferences and publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.

Basic Qualifications

  • PhD in life science related field

  • Strong background in immunology with working knowledge in molecular or structural biology or related area

  • Hands-on experience with flow cytometry, including experimental design, data acquisition, and analysis.

  • T cell in vitro assays experience

Additional Skills/Preferences

  • Skilled in primary T cell in vitro assays , with a solid understanding of T cell biology and functional readouts.

  • Proficient in data analysis and reporting , with the ability to interpret complex datasets and communicate insights effectively.

  • A self-directed and highly motivated individual with a strong desire to learn new techniques while actively pursuing impactful research and publication goals.

  • An excellent communicator , both oral and written, with experience presenting scientific findings and a strong record of peer-reviewed publications

  • Proficient in standard molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology techniques such as cloning, SDS-PAGE and tissue culture.

  • Experience in antibody and bispecific antibody design and engineering is highly desirable.

  • Familiarity with protein structure modeling software such as PyMol is a plus.

  • A genuine interest in human pathologies, particularly autoimmune diseases, combined with a passion for advancing therapeutic innovation through scientific rigor, curiosity, and a commitment to uncovering deep mechanistic insights that enable next-generation therapeutics.

Additional Information

  • This position is not permanent. It is for a fixed duration of two years with potential to extend to 3 years and for maximum of up to 4 years. You will have opportunities to apply for full time positions after your duration is complete.

About Eli Lillys Postdoctoral Scientist Program

When it comes to research and development, our goal is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that make life better for people around the world. Its challenging, expensive and often filled with failure. But even when we fail, we advance medical science and understanding by learning more about diseases, biology and chemistry ultimately bringing new solutions one step closer to reality.

Over the course of our history, we have shed light on some of the toughest health care problems known to man diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, neuroscience disorders, cancer and more. We could not pursue this without our research and development team.

Postdoctoral scientists help us continue this pursuit. During your experience you will get:

  • Top industry research experience

  • Mentoring by some of Lillys top scientists

  • Laboratory and classroom training and education to further your development

  • Collaboration and networking across dozens of postdoctoral scientists and other researchers

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form ( ) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, 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 are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Womens Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidates education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is

$58,000 - $100,320

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 Lillys compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

#WeAreLilly

Job ID: 487768986
Originally Posted on: 8/1/2025

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