Sr. Director – Infectious Disease External Innovation & Strategy

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: February 20, 2026

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. The Senior Director – Infectious Disease External Innovation & Strategy, reporting to SVP Molecule Discovery and Head Infectious Disease, will play a critical role in identifying relevant opportunities in Infectious Disease, leading detailed scientific assessments, representing Lilly externally at partnering conferences and working with external and internal stakeholders to deliver effective partnerships. They will cultivate relationships within the external innovation community and use their detailed understanding of both discovery and development processes and Lilly’s internal portfolio to identify and prioritize high-value external assets, disruptive innovation and opportunities for future investment. Key Responsibilities: Source, identify, and coordinate evaluation of innovative external assets for infectious diseases, in particular vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and novel modalities Build long-term trusted relationships and act as Lilly Infectious Disease team representative with external partners as well as internal peers and collaborators Actively engage and examine the global innovation ecosystem for partnering, licensing, and/or acquisition possibilities to augment innovation within Lilly Infectious Disease Lead interactions with selected external organizations; represent Lilly strategies and needs to external organizations (companies, investment groups, and academic Execute of key projects when working with external groups including design and oversight of key de-risking experiments Map external competitive landscape and cultivating platforms for growth in new-to-Lilly indications or progressive technologies that could change treatment paradigms Work closely with peers across affiliates to ensure coordination of efforts and consistent communications to senior leadership Conduct analyses to support decision-making for prioritization and indication planning; develop frameworks and processes for evaluating new targets / programs Basic Requirements: Degree in area related to pharmaceutical drug discovery and development, e.g., Biochemistry, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics or related field with one of the following: Ph.D. and 5 years of demonstrated ability (no more than 2 years of relevant postdoctoral fellowship) in the biopharmaceutical industry or related fields (life sciences VC, life science technology transfer, etc.) MS and 7 years of demonstrated ability in the biopharmaceutical industry or related fields (life sciences VC, life science technology transfer, etc.) Additional Qualifications: Direct experience in search and evaluation or business development transactions (deal sheet required) Specific research experience in the development or evaluation of infectious disease products including vaccines Direct experience participating in business development contracting from scientific/technical perspective Outstanding EQ, problem-solving, analytical, project management, communication and leadership skills, ability to influence other without authority Highly organized self-starter being able to multitask effectively with concurrent processing and implementation of many active programs at various stages of evaluation and business discussions Demonstrated knowledge of the biotech and academic ecosystem Solid understanding of new technologies, and knowledge of drug discovery processes, stages of projects, and external deal structures. Outstanding interpersonal and negotiation skills and willingness/ability to deal with conflicts. Strong interpersonal and leadership skills with ability to represent Lilly at international meetings. 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 $169,500 - $248,600 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. WeAreLilly

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