Research Scientist Jobs in Indiana
Research Scientist jobs in Indiana concentrate in pharmaceutical and life sciences, agricultural biotechnology, and medical device research, with demand at every level from entry-level associate researcher to principal scientist. The strongest hiring is in Indianapolis, West Lafayette, and Bloomington, where employers like Eli Lilly, Corteva Agriscience, and Indiana University Health anchor the market. Computational biology, drug discovery, and crop science are among the most consistently posted specialties across the state. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 15+ Research Scientist jobs
At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!
As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!
Your Role:
As a Senior Scientist in the Transitional and Early Development team, you will be a strategic and technical leader focused on the critical transition from early research to development. In this role, you will lead early-formulation work to identify optimal formulations for physical stability of lead molecules in support of pre-clinical study material generation.
In this laboratory-based leadership role, you will drive the biophysical characterization and formulation selection process for diverse biopharmaceutical modalities, including monoclonal antibodies and other complex biologics. You will be responsible for leading a small characterization team that performs the biophysical and functional assays used to evaluate and de-risk lead candidates before they enter full development as well as designing and conducting the formulation selection studies.
Your Responsibilities
Strategic Pre-Formulation: Lead formulation programs for lead molecules, applying deep expertise in protein chemistry and thermodynamics to identify formulations for each lead with superior solubility, stability, and freeze-thaw potential.
Team Leadership: Direct and mentor a small characterization team; establish robust analytical workflows and acceptance criteria for biophysical and functional assays.
Risk Mitigation: Identify and mitigate formulation-related risks such as aggregation, precipitation, and viscosity at high concentrations using first-principles understanding of solution behavior.
Technical Innovation: Evaluate and implement novel formulation technologies and high-throughput screening platforms to accelerate the lead selection process.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the technical formulation lead on concurrent project teams, interfacing with Discovery Research, Process Development, Analytical Development, and Formulation Development.
Data Excellence: Maintain exemplary ELN documentation, author technical reports, and provide data-driven recommendations to enable the successful transition of molecules into the development pipeline.
What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications)
Education:
PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
Experience:
3+ years of biopharmaceutical industry experience with a specific focus on protein formulation and characterization.
Proven experience leading formulation projects from concept through execution.
Technical Skills:
Deep expertise in protein chemistry, physical biochemistry, and colloidal science.
Hands-on mastery of protein characterization techniques (e.g., DLS/Zetasizer, DSC, DSF, SEC, and spectroscopy).
Demonstrated ability to thrive in fast-paced environments with evolving priorities.
Excellent scientific communication skills and a strong foundation in data integrity practices.
What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
Formulation Platforms: Experience developing advanced or high-concentration formulation platforms for monoclonal antibodies.
Process Insight: Understanding of how early formulation choices impact future unit operations like lyophilization or technology transfer.
Digital Tools: Experience using Design of Experiments (DoE) and statistical analysis (e.g., JMP) to optimize formulation behavior.
Leadership Track Record: Experience mentoring junior scientists and building analytical capabilities within a research or development setting.
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.
At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!
As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!
Your Role:
As a Senior Scientist in the Transitional and Early Development team, you will be a strategic and technical leader focused on the critical transition from early research to development. In this role, you will lead early-formulation work to identify optimal formulations for physical stability of lead molecules in support of pre-clinical study material generation.
In this laboratory-based leadership role, you will drive the biophysical characterization and formulation selection process for diverse biopharmaceutical modalities, including monoclonal antibodies and other complex biologics. You will be responsible for leading a small characterization team that performs the biophysical and functional assays used to evaluate and de-risk lead candidates before they enter full development as well as designing and conducting the formulation selection studies.
Your Responsibilities
Strategic Pre-Formulation: Lead formulation programs for lead molecules, applying deep expertise in protein chemistry and thermodynamics to identify formulations for each lead with superior solubility, stability, and freeze-thaw potential.
Team Leadership: Direct and mentor a small characterization team; establish robust analytical workflows and acceptance criteria for biophysical and functional assays.
Risk Mitigation: Identify and mitigate formulation-related risks such as aggregation, precipitation, and viscosity at high concentrations using first-principles understanding of solution behavior.
Technical Innovation: Evaluate and implement novel formulation technologies and high-throughput screening platforms to accelerate the lead selection process.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the technical formulation lead on concurrent project teams, interfacing with Discovery Research, Process Development, Analytical Development, and Formulation Development.
Data Excellence: Maintain exemplary ELN documentation, author technical reports, and provide data-driven recommendations to enable the successful transition of molecules into the development pipeline.
What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications)
Education:
PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
Experience:
3+ years of biopharmaceutical industry experience with a specific focus on protein formulation and characterization.
Proven experience leading formulation projects from concept through execution.
Technical Skills:
Deep expertise in protein chemistry, physical biochemistry, and colloidal science.
Hands-on mastery of protein characterization techniques (e.g., DLS/Zetasizer, DSC, DSF, SEC, and spectroscopy).
Demonstrated ability to thrive in fast-paced environments with evolving priorities.
Excellent scientific communication skills and a strong foundation in data integrity practices.
What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
Formulation Platforms: Experience developing advanced or high-concentration formulation platforms for monoclonal antibodies.
Process Insight: Understanding of how early formulation choices impact future unit operations like lyophilization or technology transfer.
Digital Tools: Experience using Design of Experiments (DoE) and statistical analysis (e.g., JMP) to optimize formulation behavior.
Leadership Track Record: Experience mentoring junior scientists and building analytical capabilities within a research or development setting.
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.
See All 15 Research Scientist Jobs in Indiana
Find roles in Indiana that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Scientist JobsResearch Scientist Jobs by City in Indiana
Where Indiana roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Research Scientist Job Market in Indiana
A snapshot from current Indiana openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Elanco10
- Indiana University3
- Eli Lilly2
Top Industries Hiring
- Science & Research
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
What Indiana Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in research scientist jobs across Indiana.
- PhD or master's degree in a relevant scientific discipline such as biology, chemistry, or biochemistry
- Hands-on laboratory experience with techniques relevant to the position's core research area
- Demonstrated ability to design experiments, analyze data, and interpret results independently
- Proficiency with statistical software and data analysis tools used in life sciences or agricultural research
- Record of contributing to peer-reviewed publications, patents, or internal research reports
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for presenting findings to cross-functional teams
Research Scientist Jobs in Indiana: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a research scientist in Indiana?
Most research scientist roles in Indiana require at minimum a master's degree, and positions at pharmaceutical, agricultural, or medical device companies typically require a PhD in a relevant field such as chemistry, biology, or biomedical engineering. Indiana does not issue a state license specifically for research scientists, so hiring decisions hinge on academic credentials, laboratory expertise, and a demonstrated research record. Candidates targeting industry roles in Indianapolis or West Lafayette should build experience through university research programs or industry internships before applying.
Which companies hire research scientists in Indiana?
Employers hiring research scientists in Indiana right now include Elanco, Indiana University, and Eli Lilly, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Indiana's pharmaceutical corridor around Indianapolis and its agricultural research presence in West Lafayette mean that life sciences and crop science companies are among the most consistent sources of openings in the state.
Which Indiana cities have the most research scientist jobs?
Indianapolis and Bloomington have the most research scientist openings in Indiana. Indianapolis drives volume through its concentration of pharmaceutical and medical device employers, while West Lafayette benefits from Purdue University's research enterprise and the agricultural biotechnology companies clustered nearby, and Bloomington's openings are anchored by Indiana University's research programs and affiliated life sciences organizations.
Are there remote research scientist jobs in Indiana?
Yes, but they're rare. Research scientist work is largely hands-on, requiring access to laboratory equipment, biological samples, or specialized instruments that cannot be replicated at home. About 88% of research scientist openings tied to Indiana are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those positions tend to be in computational biology, bioinformatics, or data analysis roles where the core work involves software and modeling rather than bench science.
How can I get hired as a research scientist in Indiana with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a research associate or laboratory technician role, which large Indiana employers like Eli Lilly and Corteva Agriscience use as a pipeline for early-career scientists. Completing a thesis-based master's program at Purdue University, Indiana University, or Notre Dame gives candidates both hands-on research experience and direct access to employer recruiting networks. Applying to co-op and internship programs during graduate study, or moving laterally from a quality control analyst or lab coordinator position, are the most common doors into a full research scientist title.
Where can I find and apply to research scientist jobs in Indiana?
You can find and apply to research scientist jobs in Indiana on Migrate Mate, which lists current Indiana openings. Search the available roles, find the ones that match your background and target location, and apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 15 Research Scientist Jobs in Indiana
Find roles in Indiana that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Research Scientist Jobs