Sr. Director - ExploR&D Program Lead at Eli Lilly and Company

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Within ExploR&D our mission is unleash Lilly’s world-leading capabilities and know-how to accelerate the science of our biotech collaborators to value inflection, and to patients. Through a unique model that mixes dedicated headcount and flexible use of functional and therapeutic area expertise, we will provide the knowledge and services to enable our collaborator’s programs.  Through our work we ensure Lilly is networked with the brightest scientific minds around the world to continue to make Lilly smarter, create value for Lilly and the entire scientific ecosystem, and position Lilly as a partner of choice for biotechs to fuel our industry-leading pipeline with best external innovation.  With the pace of technological disruption accelerating, ExploR&D also affords Lilly an agile way to pilot and deploy new technologies and vendor solutions that can increase the speed and efficiency in the way drugs are discovered and developed, both for our biotech collaborators, and by providing de-risked opportunities to evolve how Lilly and LRL operates.

The ExploR&D Program Lead (EPL) is responsible for leading multiple collaboration projects within Lilly’s ExploR&D organization, from initial diligence through workplan development, execution, and program closeout. This role is critical in ensuring that all collaborative initiatives align with Lilly’s strategic objectives, deliver measurable outcomes, and create significant value. The EPL is a matrix team leader, serving as the single point of accountability for our biotech collaborators.   The EPL helps to define the strategy, develop aggressive and ambitious timelines and budgets, and then lead a cross-functional team drawn from across Catalyze360 and LRL (Lilly Research Laboratories) to deliver on time and on budget, without compromising on quality.

This role offers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of an unprecedented model of external collaboration. You will play a key role pioneering novel science and new technologies to help to develop the medicines of the future and drive innovation in how we conduct R&D.

Key Responsibilities

Collaboration & Team Leadership

• Lead multiple ExploR&D collaborations with teams comprising ExploR&D personnel, broader LRL subject matter experts and external biotech collaborators.  Create a high-performing team with a culture of trust, autonomy, collaboration, and inclusion, where diverse ideas are welcomed, and all team members feel empowered to contribute to the success of the project.
• Create and lead inclusive and high-performing teams, emphasizing team health and well-being while driving toward ambitious project goals.
• Serve as a mentor and coach for peers and cross-functional team members, fostering talent development across the organization and encouraging continuous shared learning and growth.

Project management and delivery of the integrated development plan

• Accountable for the ‘on time, on budget’, and within scope delivery of project milestones from ExploR&D portfolio entry through to proof-of-concept readout or study close out.

Scientific and technical leadership

• Identify and synthesize scientific information from multiple sources (e.g., literature, identifying and engaging appropriate content experts, effective interviewing of internal and external team members, critical evaluation of scientific data), and apply appropriately to ensure formulation of key questions and study design to address key questions.
• Provide scientific content to critical documents (Investigator Brochures, Risk Profiles, Study Protocols, Study Reports, Regulatory and Ethical filings and updates, Investigator updates, etc.).
• Serve as the internal ExploR&D scientific leader of the asset, responsible for presentation of scientific background, data, risk/benefit profile, conclusions, and applications across multiple forums.
• Integrate data from multiple scientific disciplines across the project (e.g., biology, chemistry SAR, pharmacokinetics and ADME, statistics, experimental medicine, and clinical study design) and leverage the expertise of the team to derive plans and in interpreting data.

Collaboration and Alliance Management:

• Serve as the primary liaison between Lilly and external biotech collaborators, fostering strong relationships, transparent communication and ensuring alignment on project goals.
• Guide cross-functional teams across internal and external stakeholders to navigate challenges, make strategic decisions, and drive projects forward.
• Anticipate and resolve barriers to success by identifying potential roadblocks early, offering innovative solutions, and ensuring that collaboration programs are executed with excellence.
• Create a ‘partner of choice’ experience for our biotech collaborators that takes into account their goals and priorities, but also involves respectful challenging where appropriate to ensure that the best plan ultimately goes forward.  Provide optionality for strategy and study designs to enable the best decision-making.

Project Strategy:

• Develop and drive innovative asset/collaboration-level strategies for the execution of high-priority programs, aligning them with Lilly’s broader R&D objectives and portfolio priorities.
• Lead due diligence efforts for potential collaboration opportunities, assessing the technical and strategic fit of new partnerships and integrating them into the ExploR&D portfolio.
• Contribute to asset strategy development, challenging the team’s thinking to exceed project goals and optimize outcomes for both Lilly and its external collaborators.
• Ensure that all collaborations are data-driven, leveraging insights and learnings to continuously improve processes and drive value creation.

Operational Excellence and Process Improvement:

• Drive operational excellence in program management by identifying and implementing process improvements that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of external collaborations.
• Ensure accurate tracking of program milestones, budget allocations, and deliverables, using portfolio management tools and systems to maintain up-to-date information on project progress.
• Optimize resource allocation on assigned project, leveraging flexible headcount from LRL functions to meet program needs without sacrificing quality or speed.

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Advanced graduate degree (PhD, MD, PharmD) in a health-related, scientific or engineering field or higher degrees or certifications (e.g. MS, MBA, Masters in Project Management or PMP-Project management certifications) or experience commensurate with such qualifications
• Experience: 6+ years of work experience in the pharmaceutical industry and/or drug development, with a proven track record of managing complex, cross-functional collaboration projects.
• Leadership Skills: Strong ability to lead and influence teams in a matrixed environment, driving collaboration across diverse functions and geographies.

Additional Preferences

• Practical experience performing project management for multiple cross-functional projects
• Learning Agility: Ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, learn from past experiences, and apply those learnings to new situations.
• External Collaboration Experience: Prior experience managing external collaborations, including working with biotechs, vendors, and academic partners, is highly desirable.
• Portfolio Mindset: Strong ability to think with a portfolio-level mentality, ensuring that individual program decisions align with the overall goals of ExploR&D and Catalyze360.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate project goals, strategies, and results to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate challenges, diagnose root causes, and implement creative solutions that drive project success.
• Strong intuition for business, with a deep understanding of asset strategy, portfolio management, and the broader pharmaceutical landscape.

Other Information:

• This is a US position based in Indianapolis with potential flexibility for San Francisco, San Diego, or Boston) and up to 15% travel required.

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