Target Intelligence & Discovery Lead

The Target Intelligence Lead will institutionalize a proactive 'Discover, Decide, Own' mandate. By leveraging advanced Target Intelligence and AI/ML partnerships, this leader will ensure Elanco can proactively define the market rather than follow it.

Your Responsibilities

1. People Leadership & Talent Development

• Direct People Leadership: Manage and develop a high-performing team of discovery scientists.
• Foster a culture of scientific excellence, intellectual curiosity, and rigorous check-and-balance within the discovery engine.
• Provide mentorship and strategic oversight to ensure the team's research outputs align with Elanco's long-term growth objectives.

2. The Discovery Engine & Target Intelligence (Discover)

• Target Intelligence: Lead the function for gathering and synthesizing emerging target selection and validation data.
• Novel Target ID: Drive the identification of first-in-class targets in innovation 'white space.'
• AI/ML Partnership: Serve as the primary partner to AI/ML teams, leveraging Predictive Modeling for Target, Disease, Toxicology, and Safety assessments.
• Advanced Model Development: Oversee the development and implementation of Organoid and 3D Cell Models to improve target translation and predictive accuracy.
• Emerging Approaches: Continuously evaluate and institutionalize emerging target selection and validation methodologies.

3. Scientific Gatekeeping & Assessment (Decide)

• Target Validation: Lead the comprehensive validation process, including the assessment of BioA needs and partner on foundational Intellectual Property (IP).
• Biological Assessments: Direct the execution of rigorous biological assessments to verify target relevance and mechanism of action.
• Scientific Check-and-Balance: Act as the institutional 'decider,' ensuring only scientifically sound and high-integrity targets advance through the pipeline.
• Target Assessments (TA): Oversee formal Target Assessments (TA) to de-risk early-stage programs before progression.

4. Phase Leadership & Strategic Ownership (Own)

• Lead projects at the beginning of the pipeline through target validation
• Discovery Strategy: Define the Discovery Approach and Modality Plan at CP0 for every program in the portfolio.
• Biomarkers & Biosignals: Drive the identification and early validation of biomarkers and biosignals to enable successful clinical translation.
• Strategic Alignment: Partner with RBI Integration and Performance to align discovery outputs with the broader portfolio.

Your Profile

• Education: PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in discovery research within the pharmaceutical or animal health industry, with a focus on target identification and validation.
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience in people leadership, with a track record of building and managing high-performing scientific teams.
• Technical Expertise: Strong background in AI/ML predictive modeling, 3D cell systems (organoids), and IP strategy for biological targets.
• Strategic Mindset: Ability to drive an innovation engine—securing proprietary breakthroughs rather than adapting existing science.