Sr Director-External Innovation

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: February 13, 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 for Immunology External R&D will collaborate with our Immunology External Innovation team and Immunology R&D leaders to coordinate our Immunology external search and evaluation efforts to identify programs that will complement our internal portfolio with innovative agents, technologies, platforms or targets that have potential to address critical unmet patient needs. The Senior Director needs to have a broad understanding of our internal clinical, discovery and technology portfolios in order to be able to identify and prioritize high-value external opportunities. He/she will also need to be able to leverage a clear understanding of the regulatory environments, pharmaceutical standards of care in the target markets, critical relationships, and emerging technologies to provide Lilly with competitive access to potential opportunities of strategic interest. Key Objectives/Deliverables: Lead the identification and rigorous, objective assessment of potential in-licensing opportunities, identification of key issues and appropriate expertise to facilitate resolution. Coordinate potential out-incensing opportunities for Lilly Immunology assets Understand and effectively use the external competitive landscapes for target areas. Lead and/or participate in partnering meetings and visits to external companies with senior leadership, functional groups, business development, and diligence team members. Leadership in the development of project concepts and execution of these projects when working with external groups. Lead the communication of the results of technical evaluations to internal and external stakeholders. Lead the development of relationships within the external pharmaceutical community including in pharma and biotech companies, research institutes, academic and other scientific organizations. Ensure integration of efforts through effective teamwork, collaboration with Lilly groups and a commitment to serving customers both through the BU’s, therapeutic areas and outside the Company. Strategic thinking and planning related to target molecules, platforms and pipelines. Anticipate the evolution of the competition to gain advantage as it pertains to innovation acquisition and collaborations. Development and maintenance of portfolio projects. 10-25% travel anticipated (including OUS). Basic Qualifications: PhD in Life Science required (e.g. Biochemistry, Immunology, Pharmacology). Master’s Degree with 5 years of experience in the Search and Evaluate space will be considered. 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. ?Additional Skills/Preferences: At least five years of experience in the pharmaceutical or related industry; experience in search and evaluation of external innovation opportunities preferred. Demonstrated scientific knowledge of Pharmaceutical Drug Discovery, Clinical Development and Intellectual Property Processes. Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex information and analyses to a variety of scientific and non-scientific audiences. Strong interpersonal & leadership skills and ability to represent Lilly in a highly professional manner. Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to multitask efficiently and prioritize quickly. Strong oral and written communication skills. Strong problem solving, project management and leadership skills. Experience working in a matrix environment as well as leading and leveraging the matrix. Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in highly integrated cross-functional teams. Demonstrated strong database and computer skills. 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 - $275,000 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: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis , Sr Director-External Innovation, Science, Research & Development , Indianapolis, Indiana