Sr. Principal Scientist - MES Process Area Lead

Eli Lilly and Company; Lebanon (KY); On-site; USD 66,000 - 172,000; Full time

Job summary

Lilly Lebanon API is seeking an MES Process Area Lead to drive the digital manufacturing foundation for GMP operations at the Lebanon, IN site. You will own the MES agenda for your process areas, translating manufacturing requirements into executable MES solutions to enable compliant, data-driven production at scale.

This role demands deep pharma regulatory knowledge and a track record of cross-functional collaboration with engineering, operations, QA, and validation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years in manufacturing with at least 2 years in GMP or equivalent.
• Experience working across multi-disciplinary teams in Automation/MES.
• U.S. work authorization required; Lilly will not sponsor visas.

Responsibilities

• Own the MES technical agenda from design through readiness.
• Shape digital batch records and align across engineering, ops, QA.
• Provide system owner and support for MES environments during startup.
• Support risk assessments, deviations, and problem resolution related to MES.
• Partner with Operations, QA, QC, Engineering, Automation, and Validation.
• Build playbooks and best practices for site-wide MES adoption.
• Develop and deploy training to turn operators into confident MES users.
• Leverage MES data for continuous improvement and decision-making.

Skills

MES/Manufacturing Execution

GMP manufacturing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering

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.

Lilly is currently constructing an advanced manufacturing facility for production of API molecules located in Lebanon, IN (Lilly Lebanon API). This facility is Lilly’s largest investment in manufacturing capacity and is intended to provide APIs for current and future products, including new modalities. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of the startup team for a greenfield manufacturing site, and the successful candidate will help to build the processes and facility to enable a successful startup into GMP manufacturing operations.

Position Description

Lilly’s Lebanon API site is our first large-scale API manufacturing facility designed from day one to be digitally native — where Manufacturing Execution System (MES)/Electronic Batch Record (EBR) isn’t a retrofit, it’s the foundation that every compliant batch is built on. As the MES Process Area Lead, you’ll be at the intersection of pharmaceutical science and digital manufacturing — translating process knowledge into the intelligent systems that make compliant, data-driven production possible at scale. Syncade MES is foundational to enabling compliant, efficient, and digital-first GMP operations for the future of Lilly, and the successful candidate will play a key role in translating manufacturing requirements into executable MES solutions. This position requires comprehensive knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory requirements, and the essential role scientists and engineers play in making medicine and creating real-world solutions.

This role is positioned at the leading edge of Lilly’s digital manufacturing buildout — offering rare visibility into site startup and long-term ownership of a foundational system.

Key Objectives/Deliverables

• Own the MES technical agenda for your process areas — from design through operational readiness.
• Shape how digital batch records are designed, challenging assumptions and driving alignment across engineering, ops, and QA.
• Provide system owner and support model leadership for MES production environments during manufacturing start-up phases.
• Support risk assessments, deviation investigations, and problem resolution related to MES-enabled operations.
• Partner with Operations, QA, QC, Engineering, Automation, and Validation to ensure integrated execution and issue resolution.
• Build the playbook — establish best practices that will scale across the site and potentially influence Lilly’s broader MES network.
• Enable the people who run these systems — develop and deploy training that turns operators into confident MES users.
• Leverage MES-generated process data to support continuous improvement, performance trending, and operational decision-making.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years experience including 2 years within a GMP manufacturing environment or equivalent regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated history of working across multi-disciplinary teams in the Automation/MES space.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.

Preferences

• Prior experience implementing electronic batch records preferred but not required
• Demonstrated capability to critically evaluate technical issues, manage multiple priorities, and meet project deadlines.
• Oral and written communication skills that demonstrate an ability to effectively (clearly, succinctly) communicate with all levels of the organization.

Additional Information

• Language Requirements: Fluent in English
• This is a fully on-site position located in Lebanon, IN. Standard 8-hour shift, 5 days/week; occasional night and weekend work may be required.
• Travel to other Lilly domestic and international locations generally not exceeding 10%

This is a rare chance to build something from the ground up — helping establish the digital manufacturing foundation for one of Lilly’s most strategically important sites. If that’s the kind of work that drives you, we want to talk!

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

$66,000 - $171,600

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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