Director of Process Engineering - Oligonucleotides

Eli Lilly and Company; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 123,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Lilly is constructing a greenfield GMP manufacturing site in Houston. We seek an Associate Director of Process Engineering – Oligonucleotides to lead a growing team, ensure qualified equipment and processes, and support startup and ongoing operations for API production.

The role drives alignment across engineering and quality, builds a capable organization, and ensures compliance with cGMPs while delivering a competitive site operating model.

Qualifications

• BS in Chemical Engineering or other engineering discipline with extensive API or chemical manufacturing experience.
• 3+ years of experience in Oligonucleotides or similar GMP manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing leadership.

Responsibilities

• Attract, hire, and onboard a significant number of top talents to the Oligonucleotides Process Engineering team.
• Build the organization with capability, capacity, and culture to operate the facility to high safety, quality, and operational standards.
• Develop and implement business systems and processes to run the site, leveraging Lilly knowledge and external experience.
• Establish lean practices and a continuous improvement mindset in operations and supporting organizations.
• Support the project team to deliver the facility by providing feedback on design decisions, commissioning and qualification strategies.
• Collaborate with project teams to meet deliverables and long-term site goals.
• Organize and implement SOPs for startup and post-startup phases.
• Plan and manage operating expenses, capital, and headcount targets.
• Post startup: supervise and coach process engineering staff, conduct performance reviews, and development planning.
• Provide staffing oversight, recruitment, and succession planning.
• Coordinate process engineering work and input to key functional groups and partners.
• Set and reinforce standards for engineering work products and document control.
• Identify, track, and report functional performance indicators.
• Oversee engineering-related deviations, change controls, SOPs, and document approvals.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Job description

Lilly is constructing a greenfield GMP manufacturing site in Houston. We seek an Associate Director of Process Engineering – Oligonucleotides to lead a growing team, ensure qualified equipment and processes, and support startup and ongoing operations for API production.

The role drives alignment across engineering and quality, builds a capable organization, and ensures compliance with cGMPs while delivering a competitive site operating model.