Senior Director, Oncology Communications

Eli Lilly and Company; Indiana; Remote; USD 167,000 - 244,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus potential

401(k) plan

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking a Senior Director to lead Lilly Oncology’s above-brand narrative and global communications, shaping external and internal storytelling across campaigns, data readouts, and priority initiatives. The role emphasizes strategic vision, scientific fluency, and cross-functional leadership with enterprise partners.

The position involves managing global media strategy, developing portfolio-level communications, and coordinating with disease leads, internal teams, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least 10 years of communications experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare environments.

Responsibilities

• Drive Lilly Oncology’s above-brand strategy and execution across storytelling, media and audience ecosystems.
• Own external media strategy and engagement for oncology assets, partnering with disease area leads and enterprise media teams.
• Lead internal/external spokespeople and support crisis readiness.
• Develop strategies for Congresses, data moments and data communications with bold scientific storytelling.
• Oversee digital and channel strategy across owned channels and social platforms.
• Lead internal/executive communications to connect employees with portfolio progress.
• Collaborate with marketing, medical affairs, regulatory, legal and investor relations.

Skills

10 years of communications experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

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—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 Senior Director drives Lilly Oncology’s above-brand strategy and execution, a core focus of the Oncology Communications team. This role will be actively shaping the Oncology story – both externally and internally – as this franchise continues to grow. This role requires strategic vision, scientific fluency, speed and agility. The Senior Director must be as comfortable working across the enterprise to launch a bold consumer campaign as they are managing a pipeline readout.

Reporting to the AVP, Oncology Communications, this role will own the overall Oncology narrative, media and audience ecosystem, emerging data and congress storytelling and priority initiatives. This role leads external media strategy and engagement for approved and investigational Oncology assets, working in close partnership with disease area leads and across the full Communications team. This position requires a communicator who can flex across workstreams to actively contribute to the broader Oncology and Communications teams as priorities shift and evolve.

Key Objectives / Deliverables

• Oncology Narrative Strategy: Develop and bring to life overarching Oncology narrative with an audience-first, channel-optimized mindset. Lead creative, impactful above-product storytelling across portfolio and pipeline. Maintain pulse on Oncology landscape and competitive space to bring forward breakthrough communications strategies. Ensure enterprise connection and pull-through.
• Priority Above-Brand Initiatives: Develop and lead high-impact initiatives, including partnering across the enterprise and with Lilly Masterbrand, by bringing depth in Oncology together with a bold, consumer mindset.
• Oncology Media Relations and Issues Management: Own Global media strategy across portfolio, partnering with disease area leads and affiliates. Develop and nurture media relations with key media and influencers, across trade and top-tier outlets. Partner with enterprise media team to amplify Oncology news moments. Work with Issues & Crisis team to ensure communications readiness. Support and develop internal and external spokespeople.
• Congress and Data Communications: Own strategy for top-tier Congresses, as well as key data moments as needed, bringing best-in-class scientific storytelling to readouts and disclosures. Contribute and collaborate across broader organization, with a focus on best practices and bold approaches to how Lilly shows up at top-tier Oncology meetings.
• Digital and Channel Strategy: Own and optimize Oncology channel ecosystem and digital, LLM and social content strategy. Effectively partner cross-functionally across business and enterprise to amplify priority oncology narratives, build share of voice and thought leadership in channels that matter. Work with Intelligence and Analytics partners to measure and report impact.
• Oncology Internal and Executive Communications: Lead internal and executive communications strategy to keep employees connected to Oncology portfolio progress and priorities. Partner closely with Internal Communications team to reflect enterprise priorities across Oncology and drive share of voice for Oncology across the enterprise.
• Team and Cross-Functional Leadership: Operate as an active and flexible member of the Oncology Communications team and Global Corporate Communications team contributing to pipeline, internal, and enterprise projects as the workload demands. Partner closely with marketing, medical affairs, regulatory, legal, and investor relations teams to align communications with business objectives.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• 10 years of communications experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare environments

Additional Skills / Preferences

• Experience in the oncology space
• Experience with scientific or clinical data communications
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex scientific information into clear, compelling content for diverse audiences
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and shift priorities rapidly
• Collaborative mindset with comfort operating across projects and functional boundaries
• Proactive, solutions-oriented approach
• Impeccable attention to detail
• Experience working in a matrixed organization with complex stakeholder dynamics
• Deep understanding of traditional and emerging communication approaches and channels, including digital and social media platforms
• Strong digital and social acumen, with experience developing content strategies for owned digital channels
• Experience developing portfolio-level communications narratives that connect across multiple products and programs
• Executive and leadership communications experience, including message development for senior leaders

Additional Information

Lilly may provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role for internal applicants only.

Located in Indianapolis, IN or Remote.

Domestic and international travel expected.

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

$166,500 - $244,200

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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