Post-doctoral Fellow - Device Sustainability

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. 

Organization Overview

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Position Overview

Sustainability is one of DDCS’s three strategic pillars, alongside Experience + Outcomes and Delivery Systems, and is now embedded within the Experience Design, Human Factors, and Sustainability team. Over the past six years, DDCS has built a rigorous scientific foundation across device design, packaging, materials, and end-of-life management — including recycling R&D, takeback programs, in-house lifecycle assessment (LCA) capability, renewable material qualifications, and regulatory readiness. In 2026, the organization is pivoting from building that scientific foundation to driving the business of sustainability: translating environmental science into credible, deployable solutions and evidence for design decisions.

This post-doctoral research position advances that pivot and is a crucial role for driving product sustainability across DDCS. Reporting to the DDCS Sustainability Engineering Lead, the post-doctoral researcher will lead two main projects: (1) advancing DDCS’s device recycling from exploration toward a commercially viable process that maximizes recycling efficiency and economy; and (2) building durable, in-house lifecycle assessment (LCA) capability and infrastructure that enables product development teams to quantify environmental impact and make more sustainable design decisions. Around these two projects, the researcher will also contribute to cross-functional enablement, external partnerships, and knowledge dissemination. The role combines hands-on, bench-to-pilot laboratory work with quantitative modeling, methodology, and tool development.

Lifecycle assessment is a powerful tool for measuring and reporting environmental impact and is central to the second project. While prior LCA experience is welcome, it is not a mandatory requirement; this role is deliberately positioned as a development opportunity for the right candidate to build and deepen LCA expertise alongside DDCS’s internal capability and external partners.

The appointment builds durable internal research capacity in circularity, recycling, and lifecycle assessment; complements the Lead’s strategic and operational focus with deep research execution and methodological rigor; and is expected to yield peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. It reduces reliance on external consultants for routine work while continuing to partner with them on broader strategy, and strengthens Lilly’s ability to design, evaluate, and defend credible sustainability evidence for design decisions, ESG reporting, and leadership review — capability that Lilly owns and maintains internally.

As part of Lilly’s commitment to innovation, the post-doctoral researcher will have the opportunity to build fluency with AI tools used across the business. We expect the researcher to approach these tools with curiosity, apply critical thinking to AI-assisted work, and always prioritize accuracy, confidentiality, and ethical standards in how they use them.

Responsibilities

The role is anchored by two main projects, each defined below, together with a set of cross-cutting additional involvements.

Device Recycling: From Innovation to Commercialization

DDCS’s device recycling capability is still in an exploration phase, with no established process yet in place. The researcher will pivot promising innovations toward commercialization — developing and scaling recycling processes so that maximized efficiency and economy are the outcome. This hands-on, bench-to-pilot project spans recycling process development and techno-economic analysis, and provides the technical inputs to DDCS’s HSE-led device take-back program.

• Recycling process development: Advance recycling processes for device and packaging polymers — spanning mechanical recycling, dissolution / solvent-based recycling, and chemical recycling (chemolysis) — from exploratory bench work toward commercially viable, scalable routes. Design and run experiments and characterize recyclate quality, yield, and material properties, prioritizing the process routes with the strongest combination of efficiency, material recovery, and path to scale.

• Take-back program technical input: Partner closely with the global HSE team, which leads DDCS’s device take-back program, and hold accountability for the technical inputs that shape it — assessing collection and reverse-logistics options, advising on device recovery feasibility, and connecting take-back design to downstream recycling performance.

• Techno-economic analysis: Build integrated techno-economic models — internalizing the LCA-to-finance methodology being developed for DDCS with an external partner — that combine process cost, yield, logistics, and environmental impact, so DDCS can weigh and improve the economics of recycling and take-back options and steer the pivot to commercialization.
  

In-House Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) Capability & Infrastructure

Build durable, in-house LCA capability and infrastructure that lets product development teams efficiently quantify the environmental impact of a product concept and understand how design choices affect that impact. Delivered in close collaboration with internal product development teams and external partners, this is a non-laboratory project centered on quantitative environmental modeling, methodology, and tool development.

• Approach definition & scoping: Evaluate and recommend the right LCA approach for DDCS — software/tools, system boundaries, functional units, impact assessment methods, data sources and strategy, and the balance of rigor vs. speed for different decision stages — establishing the foundation for the methodology, process, and tools.

• Methodology & infrastructure: Design, build, and validate a standardized, decision-grade LCA methodology for injectable delivery systems spanning cradle-to-grave scope. Establish parameterized, reusable SimaPro models and a maintained dataset/inventory library so LCAs for new platforms and design variants can be produced rapidly and consistently, with Monte Carlo simulation, sensitivity analysis, and hotspot identification as standard outputs.

• Process & workflow setup: Stand up a repeatable, documented LCA process — end-to-end workflow, data-collection templates, model configuration steps, review/QA gates, and SOP-level guidance — so assessments can be initiated, run, and interpreted consistently by the team rather than depending on a single specialist.

• Concept-stage tools & decision support: Create practical, fast-turnaround tools — for example, a next-generation “LCA Lite” capability — that let teams estimate impact early when design freedom is greatest, calibrated against full LCA results; and develop a framework and dashboards that translate LCA outputs into clear, comparable signals for design and gate reviews.

• AI-powered LCA: Assess and apply artificial intelligence and machine-learning methods to power and accelerate LCA — for example, automating data collection, estimating impacts, or speeding up modeling — so the capability can scale across the portfolio.
  

Additional Involvements

• Methodological rigor & standards: Apply and document ISO-conformant practice (e.g., ISO 14040/14044, EF 3.1, PAS 2090) so that methods, data, and results are transparent, reproducible, and defensible for internal design decisions, regulatory contexts, and external reporting.

• Cross-functional enablement: Partner with device and packaging engineering, portfolio leadership, and Global HSE/Regulatory to embed circularity and quantitative sustainability inputs into the development process, and train and support teams so these become part of routine practice.

• External collaboration & partnership stewardship: Support and help steward DDCS’s external sustainability partnerships and broader academic and industry collaborations, contributing technical depth and continuity.

• Knowledge building & dissemination: Capture and transfer results through internal whitepapers and SOPs, and training that builds team capability — building lasting internal expertise that outlives the appointment.
  

Basic Requirements:

• PhD (completed, or degree requirements substantially complete by the start date) in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field.

• Hands-on laboratory experience with polymer / plastics recycling or reprocessing — for example, mechanical recycling, dissolution / solvent-based recycling, or chemical recycling (chemolysis) — ideally at bench and/or pilot scale.

• Strong foundation in polymer materials science, including structure–property relationships, polymer degradation, and material characterization techniques.

• Demonstrated ability to design, execute, and interpret experimental work and translate results into practical guidance and decisions.

• Evidence of strong research capability, including a record of scholarly output appropriate to career stage (e.g., publications, theses, or conference work).

• Proficiency in written and verbal communication, including presentation and storytelling, and the ability to make technical findings accessible and influence stakeholder mindset.

• Ability to plan and execute an independent research project while coordinating with multiple internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.
  

Additional Preferences:

• Experience conducting lifecycle assessment (LCA) using dedicated LCA software (SimaPro, openLCA, or GaBi). This is welcomed as a plus rather than a requirement — the role is also positioned to develop this capability.

• Experience with techno-economic analysis or cost modeling of processes, systems, or products.

• Familiarity with takeback schemes, reverse logistics, or circular-economy design and end-of-life management.

• Familiarity with early-phase or streamlined LCA approaches (e.g., screening / “LCA Lite” methods) and with handling data gaps and uncertainty.

• Data analytics, scripting, and visualization skills (Python, R, or similar) and experience developing tools, calculators, or dashboards.

• Familiarity with AI and machine-learning methods and interest in applying them to scale and accelerate LCA (e.g., automating data collection, estimating impacts, or accelerating modeling).

• Knowledge of medical device, combination product, or pharmaceutical product development, including familiarity with quality systems and regulatory context.

• Familiarity with sustainability standards and frameworks (ISO 14040/14044, PAS 2090, EF 3.1, GHG Protocol).

• Systems-engineering mindset and experience collaborating with cross-functional engineering teams and academic partners.

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 (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) 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 (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).

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

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

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