Principal Scientist, External Innovation – Infectious Disease & Vaccines.
Quick Summary
Identify and evaluate external assets and technologies, with a primary focus on infectious diseases, novel vaccine platforms, and future solutions from biotech, pharma,
Education: An advanced degree in life sciences (PhD, or DVM). Experience: A minimum of 7 years of experience in external innovation, technology scouting,
Requirements
~1 min read- 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.
- 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
Responsibilities
~1 min read- →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.
- 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
#LI-RH1
Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status
Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.
Location & Eligibility
About this job
- Who can apply
- United States
- Posted
- Today
Listing Details
- Posted
- October 28, 2026
- First seen
- October 28, 2026
- Last seen
- October 28, 2026
Posting Health
- Days active
- 0
- Repost count
- 0
- Trust Level
- 56%
- Scored at
- October 28, 2026
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