Director - Product Development

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!

About the Role

As the Director of Formulation Development within Small Molecule Technical Development (SMTD), you will lead a high-performing team responsible for advancing Elanco’s small molecule formulation pipeline.

This role is central to driving innovation, and ensuring strong scientific and operational execution across key pharmaceutical development programs.

Your leadership will help bring impactful animal health products to market while strengthening Elanco’s technical capabilities.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a local team of 5–10 scientists and technical experts as part of our global formulation development team, fostering innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee formulation and manufacturing process development for small molecule products from early-stage development through tech transfer, across dosage forms such as in-feed, injectables, and polymer-based systems.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in formulation development, providing technical guidance within project teams and across R&D.
• Shape and implement short- and long-term Formulation Development strategies aligned with SMTD and Elanco’s pipeline objectives.
• Partner cross-functionally (R&D, TSMS, Manufacturing, Regulatory, and external collaborators) to drive project alignment and successful execution.
• Ensure all CMC activities meet GMP, VICH, and ICH standards while adhering to Elanco’s internal technical governance framework.
• Partner with Research and Intellectual Property teams to assess new product concepts and technology opportunities.
• Oversee and contribute to critical CMC technical documentation and represent Elanco in regulatory interactions when required.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications)

• Education: PhD or Master’s in a scientific discipline.
• Experience:
– PhD with a minimum of 8 years of progressive pharmaceutical product development experience, or
– Master’s degree with a minimum of 12 years of experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience developing scientific teams and managing complex projects.
• Deep expertise i...