Associate Vice President, External Manufacturing API

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: March 27, 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 Associate Vice President - External Manufacturing is a critical leadership role accountable for Lilly’s global external manufacturing network across the API portfolio. This executive will serve as Lilly’s ambassador to CMOs and strategic manufacturing partners, forging high-impact collaborations that ensure reliable, high-quality delivery of medicines to patients worldwide. This leader will architect and drive the transformation of external manufacturing strategy, operating models, and capabilities to support Lilly’s unprecedented pipeline growth and wave of new product launches. Key Deliverables include Develop and execute a forward-looking Business and Strategic Plan that accelerates cycle time, elevates quality, and enhances performance across external partnerships. Lead quality excellence with CMOs through proactive process monitoring, trending, and deviation management to enable seamless commercialization. Oversee timely tech transfer and launch readiness for externally manufactured products, scaling with Lilly’s expanding global footprint. Build a high-performing global organization grounded in lean principles, manufacturing excellence, and joint governance with CMOs. Establish and lead CMO governance frameworks, including executive reviews, contract negotiations in partnership with procurement, and strategic relationship management. Apply Lilly’s internal governance rigor to external operations, ensuring parity in process discipline, performance oversight, and accountability. Implement systems for production scheduling, quality oversight, regulatory compliance, technical agenda execution, and contract lifecycle management. Continuously evolve Contract Manufacturing Standards to reflect commercialization dynamics and launch complexity. Support business development by evaluating new CMOs and leading transition plans for integration into Lilly’s oversight model. Attract, develop, and retain exceptional talent across technical, operational, and leadership domains to build a resilient and future-ready organization. Education Requirements: MBA preferred, minimum Bachelor's Degree or higher in Engineering, Scientific, or Life Sciences field. Minimum Requirements: Minimum of 15 years of progressive pharmaceutical manufacturing experience. Deep expertise in chemical synthesis, peptide synthesis and purification, small molecule production, and large-scale biotech production. Expertise in API operations, including site leadership and external manufacturing. Proven success managing complex manufacturing networks and scaling global supply. Demonstrated ability to lead diverse, cross-functional teams with clarity and purpose. Strong negotiation and partnership-building skills with internal and external stakeholders. Technical mastery in design, manufacturing, validation, and quality systems. Exceptional organizational and project leadership capabilities Extensive knowledge of cGMPs, global regulatory standards, and industry best practices. Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with executive presence. Additional Preferences: Strategic mindset with a bias for execution and continuous improvement. Proven ability to unify multiple functions toward a shared mission. High tolerance for ambiguity and a positive, resilient leadership style. Other Information: Opportunity is based in Indianapolis. Requires travel 30–50%. 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 $241,500 - $354,200 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. WeAreLilly

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