Associate Director - Digital & Data Lead

Eli Lilly and Company; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 183,000; Full time

Job summary

Lilly is seeking an accomplished IT program/portfolio leader to drive digital initiatives across new manufacturing facilities. The role emphasizes strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration with site leadership, and governance of MES, Data & Analytics, and LIMS solutions to enable compliant, efficient operations.

With a focus on GxP and regulatory standards, the Delivery Lead will align programs with LP1 startup goals, manage interdependencies, and communicate status to executives while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Project Management or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in program or portfolio management.
• Experience managing large-scale, cross-functional projects and programs, with Agile, Waterfall, Scrum methodologies.
• Experience in Pharma and GMP Manufacturing industry.

Responsibilities

• Oversee multiple programs to ensure they meet objectives, timelines, budgets and impacts.
• Identify interdependencies and ensure seamless integration between initiatives.
• Provide executive-level input to site leadership on digital strategy and investment.
• Lead IT solution architecture and governance for MES, Data & Analytics, LIMS and related platforms.
• Ensure all digital programs adhere to GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, Annex 11 and GAMP 5 standards.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Leadership

Communication

Lean Six Sigma

Regulated industry experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT / Project Management or related field

Tools

MES

Data & Analytics

LIMS

IDS delivery

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.

This is an opportunity you don’t want to miss!

Lilly is entering an exciting period of growth, and we are committed to delivering innovative medicines to patients around the world. Lilly is investing to create several new state-of-the-art manufacturing sites. These brand-new facilities will utilize the latest technology for API and Dry products Manufacturing and will include several platforms including Peptides, Small Molecules, Bio Conjugates, Oligonucleotides and Drug Substance Manufacturing, as well as Dry Products Manufacturing. This is an exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help build and operate a new site. These new sites will be built using the latest high-tech equipment, advanced highly integrated and automated manufacturing systems, and have a focus on minimizing the impact to our environment.

What You’ll Be Doing

You will be part of Technology at Lilly MQ (Manufacturing and Quality), an organization that drives manufacturing operational excellence and productivity efforts through utilization of technology. Technology at Lilly MQ strives to enable the making of medicine “with safety first and quality always”.

The Delivery for MQ Technology at Lilly will play a crucial role in overseeing and aligning multiple programs to ensure they meet their intended objectives, timelines, budgets and impacts. This role requires a deep understanding of each Digital solution, it’s program’s goals and how they connect with others across the portfolio. Additionally, identifies interdependencies and ensures seamless integration between various initiatives. By proactively managing potential risks, cross-connections, and resource exchanges, they drive cohesive execution across the organization, balancing strategic priorities with practical deliverables to maximize value. This position is vital for ensuring all programs are aligned with the overall Strategy for New facilities and deliver desired outcomes efficiently and within budget. The Delivery Lead will also have an active participation in driving business and strategic financial plan conversations related to programs/projects for new facilities.

How You’ll Succeed

• Digital Plant Vision & Strategy: Champion and drive the digital plant strategy for new manufacturing sites, partnering with senior site leadership and global M&Q stakeholders to define and evolve long-term digital roadmaps that are aligned with site strategic initiatives and LP1 start-up objectives.
• Lead and manage the definition of digital needs and ensure the corresponding business processes and roles are in place. Maintain strategic oversight of multiple concurrent workstreams, proactively resolving interdependencies and escalations.
• Senior Leadership Influence: Act as a key strategic advisor to site and IT leadership on digital technology direction, championing technology as a critical enabler of manufacturing strategic initiatives and long-term site competitiveness.
• Strategic Business Planning: Provide substantive input to Business Plan and site strategic planning exercises at an executive level, setting direction and priorities for the digital agenda and securing investment aligned with LP1 start-up and long-term operational goals.
• Deep Business Process Mastery: Develop and maintain an expert-level understanding of manufacturing, lab, and quality processes. Apply this knowledge to shape and govern digital solutions that maximize business value, partnering with Process Engineers, Operations, Quality, and TS/MS on complex cross-functional issues.
• Strategic Business Needs Assessment: Lead the critical evaluation of complex stakeholder requests, leveraging deep technical and process expertise to identify true underlying business needs. Translate ambiguous requirements into actionable digital strategies that balance usability, performance, and compliance priorities.
• IT Solution Architecture & Integration Leadership: Provide executive-level technical vision and governance for the design, development, and integration of enterprise IT solutions (MES, Data & Analytics, LIMS, and related platforms) supporting manufacturing and quality business processes across LP1.
• GxP Compliance & Quality Leadership: Ensure all digital programs and solutions adhere to GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, Annex 11, and GAMP 5 standards. Lead the validation and compliance strategy across IQ/OQ/PQ activities, maintaining the highest levels of regulatory integrity across the LP1 digital portfolio.
• Stakeholder Management & Executive Communication: Build and sustain strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels—from site operators to senior leadership—providing clear, data-driven communication on program status, risks, and strategic decisions. Influence executive decision-making on digital investments and priorities.
• Risk, Trade-off & Resource Management: Proactively identify and manage strategic risks across the digital portfolio; develop executive-level mitigation plans. Drive prioritization decisions and resource allocation across programs, balancing competing demands to optimize delivery outcomes and maximize business value.
• Continuous Improvement & Technology Innovation: Own the long-term continuous improvement IT roadmap for the site, evaluating emerging technologies and methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, advanced analytics) to drive operational excellence and maintain competitive advantage for the site.
• Global Network & Site Alignment: Establish and maintain a high-impact network across the global M&Q IT organization, site leadership, and external partners. Ensure site-level digital programs are aligned with and informed by global IT strategy, standards, and best practices.
• Site Digital Adoption & Change Leadership: Drive site-wide adoption of digital solutions, developing and executing organizational change management strategies that ensure sustained benefit realization. Champion internal and external digital trends in partnership with Business SMEs to keep LP1 at the forefront of manufacturing technology.

Basic Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in IT, Project Management or related field
• Experience: Minimum 10 years of experience in program or portfolio management, with a proven track record of successfully overseeing multiple projects
• Knowledge: Experience managing large-scale, cross-functional projects and programs, Strong understanding of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, etc) as well as software development methodologies.
• Experience in Pharma and GMP Manufacturing industry.

Additional Preferences

• Experience: 10+ years of experience in IT program or portfolio management within the pharmaceutical or regulated manufacturing industry, with demonstrated success in MES, Data & Analytics, LIMS, or related IDS solution delivery. Previous experience leading digital enablement for a new manufacturing facility or clinical development site strongly preferred.
• Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risks, manage trade-offs, and make sound decisions. Excellent communication and leadership skills to interact with stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Leadership Skills: Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire large cross-functional teams including IT SMEs, contractors, and business representatives. Track record of guiding teams through complex problem resolution, digital solution design, and implementation in a regulated environment. Strong continuous improvement mindset (Lean, Six Sigma) applied to IT delivery.
• Industry Engagement : Active participation in industry forums, standards organizations, and global M&Q IT networks. Proven ability to network at both site and global levels to shape digital strategy and bring external best practices into LP1.

Other Information

• Role is Monday through Friday and based on-site. Must be flexible in providing support to accommodate other inputs (production schedules, shutdowns, etc.). Occasional extended hour and / or off-hour work may be required.
• Position will be based out of Richmond Virginia but will require intially extended travel to Lilly’s corporate center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• 25% of Business Travel time.

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

$124,500 - $182,600

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.

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