Senior Director, Healthcare Improvement Lead

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: January 24, 2026

Job Description:

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. Purpose of the Job The Sr. Director, Healthcare Improvement Lead, will act as the strategic partner to the Lilly Business Units (BU) with the goal of developing and delivering effective, impactful, cost-effective Healthcare Improvement (HCI) initiatives globally. In this role, the HCI Lead will be accountable for strategic planning and coordination for centralized execution of US initiatives along with Global initiatives involving more than one country. In addition, the HCI Lead will be a member of the HCI Hub/Implementation Science Center of Excellence. The HCI Hub is designed to provide support, expertise and coaching throughout the organization, ensuring understanding and adherence to compliance while serving as experts on methodology, design, delivery, measurement and reporting, communication, and partnerships. Key Responsibilities: Partner with the BU through the development of brand strategic priorities and lead the coordination of central medical affairs capabilities to develop the HCI strategy to be incorporated into the integrated plan Serve as expert in identifying root causes to Clinical Care Gaps (CCG) that relate to system-level barriers to optimal care and drive HCI solutions that are data driven, patient-focused and quantifiable Partner with the Innovation Readiness team to identify opportunities for HCIs as early as phase 2, and continue the identification of appropriate opportunities throughout the lifecycle Based on the CCG root causes, identify and distinguish when HCIs vs. other solutions are the most appropriate, impactful solution Evaluate and ensure there is a strong design for scaling and ensuring sustainability for all HCI initiatives and that there is a robust plan to broadly and externally disseminate findings. Shape communications on progress towards goals (activity and impact) across all levels of the organization, including but not limited to TA/BU Medical Affairs Leaders, Medical Affairs Leadership Teams and Affiliate Forums, and various Transformation Leadership Forums Identify long-and-short environmental trends and how to leverage HCIs accordingly Ensure HCI measurements are a part of the larger ecosystem to be developed, ensuring effective measurement of the HCI initiatives through comprehensive assessments that include system level changes and patient level outcomes. Promote sharing and implementation of best practices through a regular exchange with other colleagues in GMAO and beyond Precise budget management and understanding of regulations (internal and external) regarding funding options Organizational and External Influence: Foster cross-functional business partnerships to ensure the organization works together to meet the needs of healthcare systems through HCIs Be creative in developing ideas to ensure optimal planning and execution of HCIs, including such formats as QI Collaboratives Engage with professional societies and external organizations who have expertise in or influence upon HCI strategies; apply understanding of external environment to Lilly’s strategic plan Compliantly and professionally represent Lilly when engaging directly with health systems, government, etc. regarding potential opportunities and/or during setup and execution of HCIs Communicate regularly with cross-functional leadership teams to ensure broad awareness of the value of HCIs and alignment with Innovation Readiness as part of Accelerate Reach & Scale efforts Maximize the budget through unique approaches and scalable efforts HCI coaching & training for affiliate and upskilling of teams across the enterprise Prepare for and participate in forums with HCI Steering Committee, HCI Ambassadors, etc. Be actively engaged in external offerings related to HCI, networking and building new relationships for Lilly Operational Excellence / HCI Hub Serve as an active member of the HCI Hub Support the maintenance of the applicable compliance framework in collaboration with Ethics & Compliance; ensure global HCI quality and compliance is prioritized and maintained Contribute to HCI guidance creation – including playbooks; business processes; communication and engagement; and measurement & reporting to support the HCI scope of work globally Provide central support and consultation for local OUS HCIs while supporting execution locally Support for HCI technology & ecosystem building Dimensions of Responsibilities: Ability to influence functional or cross-functional plans and priorities in response to changes in strategic direction Ability to seek diverse input from multiple constituents and stakeholders, internal and external, to drive innovative solutions Ability to incorporate feedback and ensure decisions are made swiftly to yield flawless execution Strong communications skills to support complex interactions with stakeholders at all levels of the organization along with external executive leadership and teams within healthcare institutions Ability to identify opportunities and anticipate changes in the business landscape through an understanding and ongoing assessment and knowledge of the external environment Deep understanding of Lilly’s Accelerate Reach & Scale efforts, Innovation Readiness and how HCIs fit into the bigger picture to get our medicines to patients faster Minimum qualification requirements Bachelor’s degree 5 year experience working with external stakeholders / customers in some capacity 5 years in roles with direct work or partnerships with external healthcare systems, research institutes, medical societies, non-governmental organizations, and/or across pharmaceutical industry 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 and/or visas for this role. Additional Preferences Appreciation of and experience in compliance-driven environment 5 years of pharmaceutical experience Experience leading implementation science, improvement science, and/or health services research initiatives at scale, preferably with experience across multiple healthcare systems Experience leading large scale strategic public-private partnerships with measurable impact (from either the public or private side) Experience conducting and publishing implementation research as it relates to gaps in clinical care Experience driving successful transformation in/for healthcare systems, with measurable impact and focus on scale and sustainment Familiarity with implementation science frameworks/models and/or the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) models Track record of leading cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences Strong leadership, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including conflict management and negotiation skills Critical thinking skills and ability to understand strategy development and implementation; ability to influence up and embodies a growth mindset Self-directed, comfortable working in ambiguous environments, and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment where multi-tasking and prioritizing are necessary Outstanding EQ, problem-solving, analytical, project management, communication and leadership skills, ability to influence others without authority Advanced degree preferred – including healthcare professions, MBA Global experience preferred, including working with Affiliates around the world Certifications / trainings in healthcare quality / healthcare improvement (e.g. CPHQ) / Implementation Science Note: Travel required, approximately 20% including some weekends, with some international travel 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 Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $154,500 - $226,600 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. WeAreLilly

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