Associate Director - Small Molecule Operations - Lilly Medicine Foundry

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: July 16, 2025

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. Organization and Position Overview Lilly recently announced a $4.5 billion investment to create the Lilly Medicine Foundry, a new center for advanced manufacturing and drug development. The first-ever facility of its kind, combining research and manufacturing in a single location, the Medicine Foundry will allow Lilly to further develop innovative solutions to optimize manufacturing processes and increase capacity for clinical trial medicines, while also reducing costs and environmental impact. The Associate Director – Small Molecule Operations is directly responsible for managing the day-to-day manufacturing operations Small Molecule and provides oversight for the operational resources assigned to the Process Team. The role is responsible for the leadership of frontline leaders in direct execution of manufacturing instructions (e.g., batch production record, SOP’s, etc.) to safely and compliantly manufacture high-quality medicine. The role serves as the key integrator of the cross-functional team to drive safety, quality, and continuous improvement in pursuit of Operational Excellence. The Associate Director – Small Molecule Operations provides leadership, acts as a key integrator, has accountability for the cross functional Process Team, and ensures that appropriate staffing is in place In the project delivery phase and startup phase of the project (startup expected 2025 to 2027), leadership roles will be fluid and dynamic as we endeavor to support the project delivery, build a new organization, develop and implement the necessary systems and business processes required to support GMP operations, and build the site culture. This will require significant collaboration, creativity and resilience as the site grows to a full scale GMP manufacturing through start up. Key Responsibilities: Build and promote a strong Safety and Quality culture. Maintain a safe working environment and conduct production activities in a manner that protects safety, environment and quality. Ensure consistency of operations across shifts through active engagement on the production floor. Own the implementation of the change and improvement agenda for the assigned area, ensuring cross functional support and integration. Set objectives and development plans for Operations staff, including Operations Leaders and Operators. Manage events as required, ensuring appropriate communication within the team and with external teams. Provide input and approve investigations. Ensure that team members are appropriately trained, and that operating procedures and training material are available and current. Ensure regulatory compliance and operational excellence by supporting lean principles. Participate in development and delivery of the medium- and long-term strategic direction for the site. Ensure Small Molecule operations remain compliant with all applicable regulatory requirements. (e.g. Safety, Quality/cGMP, Environmental, Financial, Legal, HR.) Support site governance through participation, influence and leadership in cross functional meetings and initiatives. Specifically, during the startup phase of the Lilly Medicine Foundry (2025 to 2027) leadership will be expected to be collaborative, inclusive, and support the broader team to: Attract, hire and onboard a significant number of top talent to the Foundry team establishing the right attitude, curiosity and learning agility to deliver on the Foundry mission. Build the organization with the necessary capability, capacity and culture to operate this facility to the highest standards of safety, quality, and operational excellence. Develop and implement the systems and processes needed to run the site, leveraging existing Lilly knowledge where necessary, but also incorporating external learning. Ability to work with a team, make independent decisions, and influence diverse groups. Support the project team to deliver the facility to you as the end user, by providing feedback and support on design decisions, commissioning strategies etc. Collaborate with them to ensure the right decisions are made to meet project deliverables and longer-term strategic goals for the site. Basic Requirements: Minimum of a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant scientific, engineering or operations discipline and a minimum of 5 years of experience in a leadership role managing operations or relevant experience within the pharmaceutical industry. Additional Preferences: Ability to work with a team, make independent decisions, and influence diverse groups. Ability to instill teamwork within the department and demonstrate key interpersonal skills. Ability to provide innovative solutions to plant, divisional, and corporate issues and leverage ideas from other functional areas. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing to various audiences, particularly one-on-one coaching and feedback with direct reports and technical process team members Ability to function in a cross functional team environment as a leader. Other Information: Initial location at Lilly Technology Center, Indianapolis. Permanent location at the new Lilly Medicine Foundry in Lebanon, Indiana. 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 $118,500 - $173,800 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

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Cincinnati , Associate Director - Small Molecule Operations - Lilly Medicine Foundry, Manufacturing , Indianapolis, Ohio