Associate Director, Research and Development Communications

Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: June 23, 2025

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 Director, Research and Development Communications (R&D) is a critical member of Lilly’s External Communications team. This position is responsible for developing and implementing external, employee, executive and change management communications to support Lilly Research Laboratories (LRL) and the Product Research and Development (PR&D) teams, as we work to bring our medicines to millions of patients around the world. This role will work closely with cross-functional colleagues in Global Communications, LRL, Lilly Medicine Foundry, HR, Brand, Legal, Public Affairs, Manufacturing & Quality, and other relevant functions across the company. The Associate Director will be responsible for helping drive visibility and understanding of how Lilly is working to turn scientific innovations into medicines faster to help make life better for patients. A skilled communicator with a strong understanding of external scientific communications and media relations, the Associate Director should have experience navigating a complex, highly matrixed organization, and providing strategic counsel to business partners. This role reports to the Senior Director of R&D Communications. Serve as a trusted communications advisor to PR&D and Lilly Medicine Foundry executives and sit on their respective leadership teams Partner with various communications colleagues and business partners to develop and implement a strategic and holistic communications plan for the PR&D organization Successfully communicate Lilly’s scientific leadership and commitment to innovation externally and internally, especially in areas of high priority for the company Develop content to support Lilly’s scientific strategies and initiatives externally and internally, including proactive and reactive media messaging, press releases, key messages, standby statements, Q&A documents, fact sheets, infographics, backgrounders, presentations, videos, medical meetings, scientific disclosures, internal news content, employee engagement activities, etc. Support executive visibility for PR&D senior executive(s), including identification of opportunities, presentations, talking points, etc. Lead on external and internal disclosures of key events and milestones for Lilly Medicine Foundry throughout its construction process; serve as core communications lead once completed and operational Drive and operationalize change management programs in partnership with PR&D leadership and the R&D Communications teams Partner with PR&D and Lilly Medicine Foundry leadership team and HR to develop and bring-to-life an employee engagement strategy that fosters a sense of belonging, establishes Lilly and PR&D as an employer of choice, and helps drive forward our Team Lilly culture Work collaboratively with the Internal Communications team to leverage existing information and programs to share PR&D’s scientific stories internally Work collaboratively with other teams across Global Communications to implement social and digital strategies, including optimizing digital spokespersons externally Evaluate and recommend new ideas to drive Lilly’s voice externally and internally while strategically connecting dots Partner with and provide direction to external agencies and vendors, as needed Use metrics to measure results, adjust tactics and update content to continually improve Minimum Requirements: Bachelor's degree in communications, Public Relations or related field Pharmaceutical, biotech and/or healthcare experience and with basic understanding of drug development 5 years of external communications experience, within corporate or public relations agency environments Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position Additional Preferences: Demonstrated proficiency in scientific communications with proven success in translating complex information to make it more understandable to all audiences Proficiency in both external and internal communications skills and channels, including employee engagement, change management and social/digital platforms Demonstrated expertise of media relations and media management skills, especially with top-tier business, consumer, trade and national broadcast outlets Experience working closely with senior executives, with demonstrated ability to influence up, in order to provide strategic, persuasive and appropriate communications counsel Strong executive presence and business acumen Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams across a matrixed organization, establishing strong working relationships Superb verbal and written communication skills Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills Highly organized, independent thinker with the ability to manage multiple tasks Ability to be a flexible team player, work quickly with accuracy and urgency to meet deadlines with the highest ethical and business standards Proven ability to be innovative and creative Meticulous attention to detail, with ability to grasp and focus on the big picture Project management capabilities that include process development and improvement, communications of best practices, and measurement Familiarity with pharmaceutical and/or biotech industry as well as knowledge of pharma competitive landscape Familiarity with pre-clinical drug discovery and/or early-phase external innovation Additional Information: Located in Indianapolis, IN Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. 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 $122,250 - $179,300 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

Keywords: , Indianapolis , Associate Director, Research and Development Communications, PR / Public Relations , Indianapolis, Indiana