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Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Onsite
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 a Senior Packaging Engineer – Drug Product Development, you will lead the design, development, and implementation of packaging solutions supporting Elanco’s global pipeline. This role focuses on pharmaceutical, biologics, and vaccine products, partnering across R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory to bring therapies from development through commercialization.
You will own packaging strategy and execution for assigned programs, ensuring solutions meet performance, regulatory, and manufacturability requirements. This is a high-impact role for a packaging engineer who thrives in a GMP-regulated, cross-functional environment and wants end-to-end ownership.
Your Responsibilities
Lead primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging development from early-stage design through commercialization
Serve as the packaging Subject Matter Expert (SME) on cross-functional drug product development teams
Support sterile and non-sterile packaging systems, including parenteral packaging formats
Partner with R&D and Manufacturing to assess technical feasibility, scalability, and process transfer to commercial production
Design and execute packaging studies, validation activities, and equipment trials, analyzing data to drive decisions
Author and support regulatory documentation and submissions, including packaging sections for global filings
Evaluate and qualify packaging materials, components, and suppliers to ensure quality, compliance, and supply continuity
Ensure alignment with GMP, FDA, EMA, and global regulatory requirements
Collaborate with global teams and external partners to meet development timelines and program milestones
What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications)
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Packaging Engineering, Packaging Science, or related field
5+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, or vaccine drug product development
Experience with sterile/parenteral packaging systems and associated regulatory expectations
Strong knowledge of packaging materials, container closure systems, and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes
Working knowledge of GMP and regulated development environments
Proven ability to operate in cross-functional, global teams with strong communication skills
What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
Experience supporting biologics, vaccines, or combination products
Knowledge of Container Closure Integrity (CCI), extractables/leachables, and stability requirements
Experience authoring or contributing to IND, BLA, or global regulatory submissions
Background in technology transfer and scale-up into commercial manufacturing
Ability to manage multiple development programs in a fast-paced environment
Additional Information
Location: Indianapolis, IN (Hybrid)
Travel: 10–20%
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.
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.