Director Of Innovation Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Director of Innovation roles attract H-1B visa and O-1A sponsorship from technology companies, healthcare systems, and large enterprises building R&D functions. Most employers require a graduate degree and demonstrated track record of leading transformational initiatives at scale. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
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!
JOB DESCRIPTION: Chief Inventor, Drug Discovery & Innovation
As Elanco architects the future of animal health, the Senior Advisor, Chief Inventor – Drug Discovery & Innovation serves as a senior scientific advisor and primary engine for de novo breakthroughs. This top-tier scientific leadership role within the Mechanistic and Translational Biology innovation engine combines enterprise-level scientific influence with a clear mandate to identify, invent, and advance novel concepts that do not yet exist in the current market. This role is tasked with decoupling discovery from luck by institutionalizing a proactive innovation engine. The Inventor is responsible for securing the foundational IP for high-value assets and defining Elanco’s therapeutic frontier beyond 2030.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Pioneer De Novo Breakthroughs
- Innovation "White Space" Exploration: Proactively identify and explore revolutionary external and internal scientific opportunities that are 10 years away from current market solutions. This comprehensive scope includes:
- Novel Drug Targets & Pathways: Architecting first-in-class biological hypotheses and identifying untapped disease mechanisms.
- Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: Solving high-barrier challenges such as oral delivery of large molecules and targeted intracellular delivery.
- Next-Generation Drug Modalities: Pioneering new therapeutic categories and molecular formats (e.g., protein degraders, advanced biologics).
- Advanced Target ID & Discovery Platforms: Building proprietary systems and methodologies to institutionalize a proactive discovery engine.
- Beyond "Me-Too" Science: Move past the adaptation of proven human health targets to engineer original, proprietary veterinary-specific biological hypotheses that don't yet exist in any market.
- Foundational IP: Secure and engineer proprietary Intellectual Property across all innovative domains by navigating around legacy patents to ensure Elanco owns the foundational IP for every high-value candidate.
2. Solve High-Barrier Biology & Platform Invention
- Complex Problem Solving: Tackle the most challenging technical hurdles in discovery, such as oral delivery of large molecules or intracellular targeting.
- Scientific Challenger: Act as an internal scientific challenger to existing programs, ensuring Elanco pushes the boundaries of what is biologically possible.
- Biological Firsts: Establish "biological firsts" that set the standard for the animal health industry.
3. Architect the 2030 Frontier
- Pipeline Refill: Ensure a constant state of high-value pipeline refill by architecting new therapeutic categories.
- Strategic Modality Optimization: Optimize known modalities while simultaneously inventing novel delivery platforms and proprietary platform builds.
- Innovation Strategy: Transform discovery into a proactive, strategic process that defines the market rather than following it.
4. Cross-Functional Partnership & R&D Integration
- Novel Platform Partnership: Collaborate extensively across R&D to drive the development of novel therapeutic platforms. This includes partnering with:
- Technical Development: Ensuring the manufacturability and technical feasibility of pioneering modalities from early invention.
- Small Molecule & Large Molecule Teams: Working synchronously with modality-specific experts to integrate novel platforms (e.g., specialized delivery systems or molecular formats) into the discovery engine.
- Discovery Pillar Collaboration: Partner deeply across the Mechanistic and Translational Biology leadership pillars to transition revolutionary concepts into the pipeline. This includes:
- Working with Structural Biology to refine molecular drug design and delivery viability.
- Aligning with Target Intelligence & Discovery to validate novel pathways and transition from "white space" exploration to formal target assessment.
- Collaborating with Translational Biology to ensure de novo concepts are anchored in clinical unmet needs and species-specific physiology.
- Broader R&D Integration: Serve as a strategic scientific advisor across the wider R&D ecosystem, partnering with Global Clinical Stewardship (GCS), External Innovation (EI), and CMC/Manufacturing to ensure the scalability and technical feasibility of next-generation modalities.
- Scientific Challenger & Mentor: Act as a high-level scientific challenger during R&D program reviews, pushing the organization to maintain the highest standards of scientific rigor. Provide peer-to-peer mentorship to high-potential scientists across the Discovery organization.
- Special Strategic Projects: Lead special high-impact projects that require deep scientific expertise and visionary drug design.
WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED (minimum qualifications)
- Education: PhD and/or DVM in a life sciences field (e.g., Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or related discipline). A dual degree is highly preferred.
- Experience: 15+ years of distinguished experience in drug discovery and invention. A proven track record of moving from concept to successful candidate in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
- Scientific Pedigree: Recognized as a global expert in their field, with a documented portfolio of high-impact patents that have demonstrably moved the field forward. Must possess a track record of translating original concepts into protected, proprietary assets.
- Technical Mastery: Deep expertise in high-barrier biology, modality engineering, and predictive biological modeling.
- Individual Contributor Excellence: Ability to drive significant organizational impact without the need for a formal team structure; must be self-directed and capable of leading through influence and scientific authority.
- Strategic Vision: An innovation-focused mindset with the ability to foresee market needs a decade in advance.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Department: Mechanistic and Translational Biology
Role Type: Dedicated Individual Contributor (R5+ Level)
Location: Based in US or EU (Hybrid)
Travel: Up to 25% travel required
ADDITIONAL JOB DESCRIPTION
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented 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
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.
INTRODUCTION
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!
JOB DESCRIPTION: Chief Inventor, Drug Discovery & Innovation
As Elanco architects the future of animal health, the Senior Advisor, Chief Inventor – Drug Discovery & Innovation serves as a senior scientific advisor and primary engine for de novo breakthroughs. This top-tier scientific leadership role within the Mechanistic and Translational Biology innovation engine combines enterprise-level scientific influence with a clear mandate to identify, invent, and advance novel concepts that do not yet exist in the current market. This role is tasked with decoupling discovery from luck by institutionalizing a proactive innovation engine. The Inventor is responsible for securing the foundational IP for high-value assets and defining Elanco’s therapeutic frontier beyond 2030.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Pioneer De Novo Breakthroughs
- Innovation "White Space" Exploration: Proactively identify and explore revolutionary external and internal scientific opportunities that are 10 years away from current market solutions. This comprehensive scope includes:
- Novel Drug Targets & Pathways: Architecting first-in-class biological hypotheses and identifying untapped disease mechanisms.
- Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: Solving high-barrier challenges such as oral delivery of large molecules and targeted intracellular delivery.
- Next-Generation Drug Modalities: Pioneering new therapeutic categories and molecular formats (e.g., protein degraders, advanced biologics).
- Advanced Target ID & Discovery Platforms: Building proprietary systems and methodologies to institutionalize a proactive discovery engine.
- Beyond "Me-Too" Science: Move past the adaptation of proven human health targets to engineer original, proprietary veterinary-specific biological hypotheses that don't yet exist in any market.
- Foundational IP: Secure and engineer proprietary Intellectual Property across all innovative domains by navigating around legacy patents to ensure Elanco owns the foundational IP for every high-value candidate.
2. Solve High-Barrier Biology & Platform Invention
- Complex Problem Solving: Tackle the most challenging technical hurdles in discovery, such as oral delivery of large molecules or intracellular targeting.
- Scientific Challenger: Act as an internal scientific challenger to existing programs, ensuring Elanco pushes the boundaries of what is biologically possible.
- Biological Firsts: Establish "biological firsts" that set the standard for the animal health industry.
3. Architect the 2030 Frontier
- Pipeline Refill: Ensure a constant state of high-value pipeline refill by architecting new therapeutic categories.
- Strategic Modality Optimization: Optimize known modalities while simultaneously inventing novel delivery platforms and proprietary platform builds.
- Innovation Strategy: Transform discovery into a proactive, strategic process that defines the market rather than following it.
4. Cross-Functional Partnership & R&D Integration
- Novel Platform Partnership: Collaborate extensively across R&D to drive the development of novel therapeutic platforms. This includes partnering with:
- Technical Development: Ensuring the manufacturability and technical feasibility of pioneering modalities from early invention.
- Small Molecule & Large Molecule Teams: Working synchronously with modality-specific experts to integrate novel platforms (e.g., specialized delivery systems or molecular formats) into the discovery engine.
- Discovery Pillar Collaboration: Partner deeply across the Mechanistic and Translational Biology leadership pillars to transition revolutionary concepts into the pipeline. This includes:
- Working with Structural Biology to refine molecular drug design and delivery viability.
- Aligning with Target Intelligence & Discovery to validate novel pathways and transition from "white space" exploration to formal target assessment.
- Collaborating with Translational Biology to ensure de novo concepts are anchored in clinical unmet needs and species-specific physiology.
- Broader R&D Integration: Serve as a strategic scientific advisor across the wider R&D ecosystem, partnering with Global Clinical Stewardship (GCS), External Innovation (EI), and CMC/Manufacturing to ensure the scalability and technical feasibility of next-generation modalities.
- Scientific Challenger & Mentor: Act as a high-level scientific challenger during R&D program reviews, pushing the organization to maintain the highest standards of scientific rigor. Provide peer-to-peer mentorship to high-potential scientists across the Discovery organization.
- Special Strategic Projects: Lead special high-impact projects that require deep scientific expertise and visionary drug design.
WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED (minimum qualifications)
- Education: PhD and/or DVM in a life sciences field (e.g., Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or related discipline). A dual degree is highly preferred.
- Experience: 15+ years of distinguished experience in drug discovery and invention. A proven track record of moving from concept to successful candidate in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
- Scientific Pedigree: Recognized as a global expert in their field, with a documented portfolio of high-impact patents that have demonstrably moved the field forward. Must possess a track record of translating original concepts into protected, proprietary assets.
- Technical Mastery: Deep expertise in high-barrier biology, modality engineering, and predictive biological modeling.
- Individual Contributor Excellence: Ability to drive significant organizational impact without the need for a formal team structure; must be self-directed and capable of leading through influence and scientific authority.
- Strategic Vision: An innovation-focused mindset with the ability to foresee market needs a decade in advance.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Department: Mechanistic and Translational Biology
Role Type: Dedicated Individual Contributor (R5+ Level)
Location: Based in US or EU (Hybrid)
Travel: Up to 25% travel required
ADDITIONAL JOB DESCRIPTION
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented 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
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 7,181+ Director Of Innovation Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Director Of Innovation roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Director Of Innovation Jobs
Target large enterprises and R&D-intensive companies
Companies with dedicated innovation labs, Fortune 500 firms, and healthcare systems file the most Director of Innovation sponsorships. These employers have established immigration infrastructure and legal teams experienced with senior-level H-1B and O-1A petitions.
Position your role as a specialty occupation clearly
USCIS scrutinizes Director-level roles for specialty occupation status. Your offer letter and petition should specify that a graduate degree in a directly related field is required, not merely preferred, to strengthen the H-1B classification argument significantly.
Build a strong O-1A case alongside your H-1B
If you have published research, patents, awards, or industry recognition, the O-1A is a compelling alternative that bypasses the lottery entirely. Innovation leaders often meet multiple O-1A criteria through speaking engagements, publications, and high-salary evidence.
Document your organizational impact quantitatively
Sponsoring employers need to demonstrate your role's complexity. Prepare evidence of initiatives you led, revenue or efficiency outcomes you drove, and teams you managed. Specific metrics make the USCIS petition substantially stronger than qualitative descriptions alone.
Engage employers early on immigration timelines
H-1B cap registration opens in March with an October 1 start date. Raise sponsorship expectations during final interview rounds so the employer can plan accordingly. Late conversations create gaps, especially if you're transitioning out of OPT or another visa status.
Pursue cap-exempt employers to avoid the lottery
Universities, nonprofit research institutions, and government-affiliated organizations are cap-exempt and can file H-1B petitions year-round without lottery selection. Director of Innovation roles at these institutions offer a reliable sponsorship path that isn't subject to annual cap constraints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Director of Innovation role qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, but the petition needs to establish specialty occupation status clearly. USCIS expects the position to require at minimum a bachelor's degree, and ideally a master's degree, in a specific field such as engineering, computer science, or business strategy. Roles described as requiring broad leadership experience without a degree-specific requirement are more likely to face a Request for Evidence. Employers should document the theoretical and technical nature of the work.
What degree do I need for Director of Innovation visa sponsorship?
Most sponsoring employers require a master's degree in a field directly related to the innovation function, such as engineering, technology management, or business administration. A bachelor's degree combined with substantial progressive experience can qualify, but graduate credentials strengthen the H-1B visa specialty occupation argument considerably. Some roles in highly technical domains, such as biotech or advanced manufacturing, expect a PhD or equivalent research background.
Is the O-1A visa a realistic option for Director of Innovation candidates?
For many innovation leaders, yes. The O-1A requires extraordinary ability demonstrated through at least three of ten criteria, and Directors of Innovation frequently qualify through published work, patents, critical roles in distinguished organizations, high relative compensation, or judging others in the field. Unlike the H-1B, the O-1A has no annual cap or lottery, making it a strong alternative for candidates with a documented track record of industry recognition.
How hard is it to find employers who sponsor Director of Innovation roles?
Sponsorship at the Director level is more common than at entry level because employers are investing in senior talent and have more legal resources to support immigration. Technology companies, health systems, and large manufacturers are the most active sponsors for this title. Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for visa-sponsoring employers, so you can browse Director of Innovation openings without sorting through roles that won't consider international candidates.
What happens if USCIS issues a Request for Evidence on a Director of Innovation H-1B?
RFEs on Director-level H-1Bs typically challenge whether the position genuinely requires a specific degree, or whether duties are too broad to constitute a specialty occupation. Your employer's immigration attorney should respond with industry surveys confirming degree requirements for similar roles, a detailed breakdown of day-to-day duties tied to specialized knowledge, and internal job descriptions. Approval rates after RFE response for well-documented senior roles remain reasonably strong when handled by experienced counsel.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Director Of Innovation jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.