Advisor-Construction Manager-GFD

Eli Lilly and Company; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 129,000 - 209,000; Full time

Job summary

Eli Lilly and Company in Allentown is seeking a senior Construction Manager to lead field delivery of global capital projects valued at $1B+ with safety, quality, and regulatory compliance at the core. You will supervise a team of 3–5 and coordinate with site leadership to ensure on-time, on-budget execution across Brownfield and Greenfield sites.

The role requires 15+ years in capital project construction, experience managing multiple contractors, and willingness to relocate or travel

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, or related field.
• 15+ years in capital project construction delivery, including large-scale programs.
• Directly overseeing multiple contractors or CM firms.
• Willingness to relocate and travel to project locations.

Responsibilities

• Construction Oversight: supervise 3–5 direct reports to safely execute large-scale capital programs of $1BN+; manage field execution from design to turnover with cost, schedule, and quality control.
• Interface/Communication: liaison between field teams and program leadership; maintain clear communication with stakeholders and governance bodies.
• Compliance: enforce company policies and GMP considerations; ensure adherence to regulatory frameworks and quality standards.
• Safety/Environment: develop safety and environmental plans; lead site safety initiatives and compliance throughout mobilization to turnover.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Contractor management

Safety leadership

Project controls

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Construction Management

PE or CCM preferred

Tools

LEAN construction

GMP experience

Regulatory compliance

Job description

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

This position is a full-time, regular (FTE) Construction Management position in Global Facilities Delivery (GFD). GFD is an internal Eli Lilly project management organization responsible for executing on a global capital project portfolio to meet business needs. GFD is part of Corporate Engineering and delivers new and renovated capital assets around the world. Our mission is accomplished through a highly leveraged organization of design, construction, and qualification contract partners. Many of the assets delivered focus on medical innovation and delivering innovative solutions to patients. Some of the assets delivered will expand the supply of existing medicines or strengthen the supply chain.

Key Objectives/Deliverables

Construction Oversight: Directly supervise and manage a team of 3–5 direct reports (a combination of Lilly employees and contract Construction Managers) to safely execute large-scale capital programs of at least $1BN USD or more in business‑critical capital assets. Accountable for field construction execution from detailed design through mechanical completion, ensuring contractor teams deliver on safety, cost, schedule, and quality objectives on both Brownfield and Greenfield sites. Hold accountability for the field execution budget and capital spend across assigned programs, including cost forecasting, change management, and adherence to financial controls.

Interface/Communication: Report directly to the GFD Senior Director/Project Leader and serve as the primary point of contact between field construction teams and program leadership. Develop and maintain effective communication with GFD, project leadership, project teams, governance bodies, business partners, and site stakeholders. Facilitate issue resolution, proactively identify scope changes, and implement construction work safely with quality, speed, and value.

Compliance: Lead with a disciplined, structured approach to construction management based on compliance with Company Policies and Procedures, including construction quality standards, GMP requirements where applicable, and applicable regulatory frameworks.

Safety/Environment: Develop and maintain safety and environmental execution plans for all construction scopes. Ensure compliance with safety and environmental policies, procedures, and work rules for project personnel, contractors, and subcontractors from mobilization through construction completion and turnover. Serve as an active member of the site safety leadership team.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 15+ years of experience in capital project construction delivery in industrial or manufacturing facilities, preferably including direct field supervision of projects or programs greater than $500MM in size.
• Previous experience executing greenfield and large-scale brownfield construction projects.
• Demonstrated experience directly managing or overseeing multiple construction contractors or construction management firms simultaneously.
• Willingness to relocate and/or travel to project locations outside of home state/country.

Additional Preferences

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing construction experience.
• Construction execution experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities such as: Bulk API, sterile products, secondary packaging, devices, and to a lesser extent lab projects.
• Experience in the following areas: GMP construction, LEAN construction principles, construction quality systems, project controls, civil/structural/mechanical/electrical disciplines, safety leadership, and scheduling.
• Proven ability to achieve results and influence through people, including contractor workforces not under direct administrative authority.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and drive accountability across contract construction management organizations.
• Must exhibit sound judgment in field decision‑making without requiring management approval for routine issues, while keeping the AVP and program leadership informed and engaged on critical matters.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, across all levels of project and organizational hierarchy.
• Competency in a foreign language(s).
• Professional Engineer (PE), Certified Construction Manager (CCM), or equivalent technical certification.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Construction Management certification preferred.
• Experience working and/or living outside the U.S.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement and serving as a change agent within construction operations.

Additional Information

• International and domestic travel is expected in this role and may include weekends and multi‑week stays (~15% to 30%).
• This position will require full relocation to the project site, as onsite presence is required.
• This position reports directly to the Associate Vice President, Global Facilities Delivery.
• This requisition is part of an AI Candidate Skills Matching Pilot. Candidates dispositioned as "RESUME NOT REVIEWED" have not been reviewed by a human; however, AI has been used to prioritize candidates for review based on how closely their skillset matches the skills needed for the role.

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 $129,000 - $209,000.

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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