Associate Director-Tech@Lilly MES

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.

Patients are at the center of everything we do at Lilly. We are currently hiring a Associate Director-Tech@Lilly MES

This role supports critical work that helps bring medicines and solutions to patients responsibly and efficiently. #WeAreLilly

Position Brand Description

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader with 38,000 employees working to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first.

As Sr. Principal Analyst - System Engineering you will be at the center of that transformation and well beyond it — shaping the digital manufacturing footprint of PR05, governing MES change and problem management, coaching and mentoring, as well as serving as a key technology partner to the site and Lilly’s global Tech@Lilly organization. If you’re ready to drive the systems that make medicine, this role is for you.

You will be part of Tech at Lilly MQ (Manufacturing and Quality), an organization that drives manufacturing operational excellence and productivity through technology. Tech at Lilly MQ strives to enable the making of medicine “with safety first and quality always.”

As Sr. Principal Analyst - System Engineering, you will formulate direction for Tech@Lilly strategies, plans, and architectures within Manufacturing Execution Systems and adjacent manufacturing/lab platforms. You will understand the current state and future direction for the area and the enterprise, and influence business, technical, and administrative leadership to deliver solutions aligned with enterprise and business goals while driving speed to value. You will ensure projects make appropriate use of internal and external standards in their designs and implementations, and work with other architects so that the direction of each initiative considers broader contexts.

Key responsibilities include:

• Design MES solutions and platforms that meet business goals, deliver with a bias for speed, and ensure technical feasibility and risk mitigation are ready for engineering and delivery teams.
• Develop, steward, and manage current- and future-state architecture roadmaps aligned to business goals and technical requirements.
• Lead architecture design reviews for solutions and platforms in scope, driving alignment to the technology roadmap.
• Explore emerging technology and major external technical changes to identify applicability and impact to business needs.
• Champion and drive reuse of existing capabilities to achieve initiative goals.
• Configure, implement, enhance, and maintain MES systems, electronic master batch records, workflows, and electronic logbooks; analyze and improve system performance and troubleshoot issues.
• Build solutions using an Agile framework across the full lifecycle: design, implementation, automation, modernization, maintenance, and optimization.
• Conduct testing, troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance to ensure system reliability and data accuracy.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation using modern automated solutions to meet quality and compliance standards.
• Communicate complex technical information to technical and non-technical stakeholders and influence decision-making at senior leadership level.
• Coach and mentor peers (Lilly colleagues and external consultants) on architecture considerations relevant to their area of responsibility.
• Review and approve documentation related to areas of responsibility (validation lifecycle documents, SOPs, policies, IQ/OQ/PQ protocols) as appropriate.
• Ensure appropriate balance between business value and enterprise scale, escalating as needed, and ensure compliance with data privacy and security regulations.

Success in this role means delivering architecture that enables PR05 to execute Project Indigo and the broader manufacturing technology roadmap. You will succeed by:

• Translating complex business and manufacturing requirements into scalable, compliant MES architectures that are ready for validation and regulatory submission.
• Building trusted partnerships with PR05 site leadership, Quality, Engineering, and the Project functional team to align technology investments with program milestones.
• Driving reuse of enterprise platforms and patterns while adapting solutions to the unique demands of injectable manufacturing and insulin modernization.
• Leading architecture reviews and influencing cross-functional decision-making at senior leadership level.
• Ensuring MES and automation systems readiness for key program milestones, including BHI process validation, PAI, and commercial-scale campaigns.
• Continuously scanning the technology environment for innovations applicable to pharmaceutical manufacturing and communicating findings to peers and leadership.
• Mentoring and coaching peers and external consultants on architecture best practices relevant to GMP systems.

• Demonstrated communication, leadership, teamwork, project delivery, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong knowledge of key platforms and concepts: SQL and other database technologies, cloud (Azure/AWS), AI/ML, advanced analytics and visualization, augmented reality, robotics, and Python, JSON, GitHub, REST APIs, and data modeling.
• Track record with foundational manufacturing and lab platforms such as Syncade, LabVantage LIMS/LES, MODA Environmental Monitoring, Binocs Lab Scheduling, Empower Chromatography, and Tulip for guided execution / eLogbooks, plus integration technologies enabling data flow with up/downstream systems (e.g., SAP, MES, MQTT, data lakes, and process monitoring tools).
• Experience with computer systems validation and supporting critical GMP processes in a regulated industry.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and to quickly learn new technology areas.
• Demonstrated execution using Agile and Hybrid Agile frameworks (e.g., Scrum, SAFe).
• Experience with user-centric design and identifying technical risks affecting functionality or security.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams of business SMEs and third-party vendors, including supervision of direct reports where applicable.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and investigative skills; learning agility; and the ability to manage conflict and self-manage in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Depth in technical design best practices, including Cyber, Privacy, Legal, Quality, TCO, and serviceability.
• Health care industry knowledge and business acumen.
• A high level of intellectual curiosity, external perspective, and innovation interest.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Computer Information, or a related technical field, or equivalent work experience.
• 10+ years of professional experience implementing and maintaining MES or other GMP systems.
• Position will be based on-site at PR05 in Puerto Rico, with the ability to travel within Puerto Rico, to the United States, and to other global Lilly sites as required.
• Role is primarily Monday through Friday; must be flexible to accommodate production schedules, shutdowns, and other inputs. Occasional extended-hour or off-hour work may be required.
• Ability to work across multiple business areas based on organizational needs.

Important Notice: In order to maintain the excellent reputation of our company, the quality of our products, and the safety of our working environment, the company will take all reasonable measures to ensure that drug abuse by employees or other persons does not jeopardize the safety of our operations or the quality of our products or adversely affect in any way the company or its employees. The company recognizes that drug use both on and off the job can be detrimental to the company and its efforts to provide a drug-free workplace. Even if prescribed under a state medical marijuana law, marijuana remains illegal under federal law. Marijuana is considered unauthorized by Lilly.

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 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

$118,500 - $173,800

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.

#WeAreLilly