Lilly Research Laboratories TDA - 2027 Summer Undergraduate Internship

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. 

Functional Overview & Responsibilities

TDA Intern Overview:

Lilly’s internship program provides science students the unique opportunity to work in the Drug Discovery or Development areas of a world-class pharmaceutical company. Our internship program helps us identify future technical talent and leaders and allows interns to gain technical expertise and understanding of the drug development process, experience our culture and see the variety of career paths available at Lilly. This internship will take place during the Summer of 2027 with start dates in May and June 2027.

We are looking for students majoring in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, all fields of engineering, pharmaceutics, or a related discipline to join our team of scientists. As part of Lilly's commitment to innovation, interns will have the opportunity to build fluency with AI tools used across the business. We expect interns 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. As an intern you will have an opportunity to diversify your skillset while contributing to cutting edge research. 

 Your work or project may include but are not limited to the following:   

• AI/ML
• Analytical development 
• Bioassay development 
• Biological testing of compounds 
• Organic and Peptide synthesis 
• Chemical Modality 
• Computational biology 
• Computational chemistry
• Delivery devices 
• Molecular biology 
• Protein expression 
• Purification, characterization, analytical methods, and formulation 
• Flow chemistry 
• Drug product design and performance 

The internship positions are located at our corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, IN and may include other locations such as Lebanon, IN; Boston, MA; San Diego, CA; Pasadena, CA, and South San Francisco, CA. Each intern will be assigned a project providing the opportunity to actively contribute to the Discovery or Development organization, build a more comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, and the role Eli Lilly and Company scientists play in delivering innovative medicines to patients. 

Basic Qualifications

Requirements:  

• Enrolled in an undergraduate or Master’s degree program with a concentration in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline. 
• 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 Functional Job Skills & Preference

• Team player with excellent communication skills.
• Previous laboratory or pharmaceutical research experience in
  • AI/ML
  • Analytical development 
  • Bioassay development 
  • Biological testing of compounds 
  • Organic and Peptide synthesis 
  • Chemical Modality 
  • Computational biology 
  • Computational chemistry
  • Delivery devices 
  • Molecular biology 
  • Protein expression 
  • Purification, characterization, analytical methods, and formulation 
  • Flow chemistry 
  • Drug product design and performance 

• Prior experience using AI tools (e.g., generative AI platforms, automation tools, or AI-assisted research/analytics tools) in an academic, project, or work setting.

Additional Information

All interns will be considered for full-time positions based on their internship performance. 

• Lilly arranges various intern activities including sporting events, dinners, lunch and learns, volunteer activities etc. to provide opportunities for socializing, professional development, and learning more about Lilly.
• Interns will receive 1 week of paid time off during the Lilly summer shut-down (July 5th – July 9th, 2027)
• 1:1 mentoring from an experienced professional in the function

• Interns will receive a competitive salary and free parking at their work site, as well as access to Lilly’s LIFE fitness center, bike garage, and many other discounts
• If the intern's job position requires a move from another location, Lilly will provide subsidized housing

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

$43,000 - $123,200

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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