Associate Director, ExploR&D Contracts & Partnerships

Eli Lilly and Company; Indiana (PA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

401(k) plan

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Lilly is seeking an Associate Director, ExploR&D Consultation Agreements to lead high-volume negotiation and execution of consultation agreements with external biotech partners. The role requires translating scientific scope into commercial terms and coordinating with Legal, Finance, and R&D leadership.

You will draft, redline, and finalize agreements, manage timelines, and drive process improvements to accelerate signatures while ensuring governance and risk controls are maintained.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required
• 7+ years in business development, contracting, or R&D consulting
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end negotiation of consultation agreements with biotech partners across preclinical and development matters, from initial term discussions through executed contract
• Move a high volume of agreements through negotiation to signature efficiently
• Serve as the primary interface for biotechs engaging ExploR&D through the consultation pathway, translating scientific scope into commercial terms
• Partner with ExploR&D leadership and subject-matter experts to structure consultations that align with Lilly's R&D capabilities
• Draft, redline, and finalize consultation agreements with Legal, ensuring terms reflect risk of the engagement
• Collaborate with Lilly scientists to translate technical scope into precise work plans, deliverables, and responsibilities
• Negotiate change orders and amendments as scope/timelines evolve
• Communicate with biotech counterparts regarding contract structure and timelines
• Maintain deal tracking, pipeline visibility, and cycle-time discipline
• Identify process improvements to shorten time-to-signature
• Ensure governance and approvals with Finance, Legal, and Compliance

Skills

Negotiation

Contracting

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (PhD/MD/MS)

Job description

Lilly is seeking an Associate Director, ExploR&D Consultation Agreements to lead high-volume negotiation and execution of consultation agreements with external biotech partners. The role requires translating scientific scope into commercial terms and coordinating with Legal, Finance, and R&D leadership.

You will draft, redline, and finalize agreements, manage timelines, and drive process improvements to accelerate signatures while ensuring governance and risk controls are maintained.