Associate Director, R&D Communications -Cardiometabolic Health

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 128,000 - 187,000; Full time

Job summary

Lilly in Indianapolis, IN, is seeking an Associate Director, R&D Cardiometabolic Health Communications to lead data communications strategy for the CMH pipeline, from pre-clinical to regulatory milestones. You will shape narratives, align with enterprise science, and ensure high-impact storytelling across data moments.

The role partners with senior leaders in R&D and TA, guiding media relations, congress and publications plans, and executive communications while maintaining a proactive,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, science, public relations, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of communications experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare environments.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States; Lilly does not anticipate visa sponsorship for this position.

Responsibilities

• Develop data communications and narrative strategy for the cardiometabolic health pipeline.
• Congress strategy: align with early Congress playbooks; Publications strategy with medical affairs and R&D.
• Executive communications and counsel: prepare executives for media interviews and high-stakes engagements.
• Media relations: proactive media strategy and relationships with journalists.
• Cross-TA and enterprise integration: collaborate with other teams to ensure integrated narratives.
• Issues management: create messaging frameworks and rapid-response protocols.
• Team collaboration: coordinate with communications and manage agency partners.

Skills

Executive communications

Data storytelling

Public relations

Regulatory communications

Media relations

Strategic advisory

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, science, public relations, or related field

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.

Company Overview:

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 are looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Responsibilities:

The Associate Director, R&D Cardiometabolic Health Communications is the dedicated communications lead for Lilly's cardiometabolic health pipeline, accountable for core deliverables: data congress strategy and milestone data communications. This role is embedded with LRL counterparts in cardiometabolic health and maintains a dotted-line relationship with the Cardiometabolic Health TA communications lead. Lilly's cardiometabolic portfolio is one of the most expansive in the industry, spanning incretins, cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and related conditions. This therapeutic area sits at the center of Lilly's growth story and public narrative. Reporting to the Senior Director, Global Data Storytelling Communications, the Associate Director leads communications across the scientific lifecycle for cardiometabolic health assets, from pre-clinical through first regulatory approval, ensuring every data moment is strategically planned, narratively connected to the enterprise science story, and executed with the quality and ambition that reflects Lilly's position as the world's most valuable healthcare company. This is a trusted advisor to senior R&D and TA leaders.

Specific responsibilities include

• DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NARRATIVE STRATEGY: Develop and own the early, mid- and late-stage communications strategy and positioning for the cardiometabolic health pipeline. Architect narratives before milestones land, ensuring Lilly shapes how the science is understood rather than reacting to it. Connect every data readout to the broader Lilly enterprise science story.

• CONGRESS STRATEGY: Follow early Congress playbooks to show up with Lilly’s CMH data where and how it matters.

  PUBLICATIONS STRATEGY: Partner with medical affairs and R&D to align publications strategy with communications objectives. Ensure peer-reviewed data disclosures reinforce the corporate narrative and are supported by proactive media and stakeholder engagement.

• EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND COUNSEL: Serve as a trusted advisor to senior cardiometabolic health R&D and TA leaders. Prepare executives for media interviews, scientific congresses, and other high-stakes engagements. Develop executive visibility strategies and supporting materials.

• MEDIA RELATIONS: Develop and execute proactive media strategy for cardiometabolic health pipeline milestones. Build and maintain relationships with key journalists covering the therapeutic area. Manage reactive media inquiries in partnership with the broader media relations team.

• CROSS-TA AND ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION: Partner with fellow TA leads, the Emerging and Portfolio Science team, and the Global Consumer Science Communications and Scientific Storytelling Communications pillars to ensure narratives are integrated. Contribute to the enterprise data release playbook and unified congress presence.

• ISSUES MANAGEMENT: Develop messaging frameworks, scenario plans, and rapid-response protocols for competitive and reputational issues specific to the therapeutic area. Serve as a trusted expert for issues navigation within the communications function.

• TEAM COLLABORATION: Partner across communications to execute plans. Manage agency partners and external resources effectively.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, science, public relations, or related field

• Minimum 5 years of communications experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare environments

• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position.

Additional Skills/Preferences

• Strong understanding of the cardiometabolic landscape, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular outcomes, and MASH. Familiarity with the competitive dynamics in this rapidly evolving space.

• Demonstrated experience in cardiometabolic health or closely related therapeutic area communications

• Proven experience with clinical data communications, congress strategy, and media relations

• Experience providing strategic communications counsel to senior executives

• Exceptional ability to translate complex scientific and clinical data into compelling narratives for diverse audiences, including media, investors, policymakers, and patients

• Demonstrated ability to architect proactive narratives around data milestones rather than responding reactively

• Strong media relations skills with experience engaging top-tier science, health, and business journalists

• Experience with publication planning and medical affairs collaboration

• Proven judgment in high-pressure situations with significant reputational implications

• Proactive, anticipatory mindset with the discipline to prepare for emerging issues and competitive dynamics

• Track record of communications work that drove measurable business outcomes

• Strong executive presence and credibility with senior stakeholders across R&D, commercial, and corporate functions

Additional Information

Location: Indianapolis, IN.

Domestic and international travel expected (15-25%).

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 $127,500 - $187,000 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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