Associate Director - Oncology Discovery Contracting

About the role

The Associate Director, Oncology Discovery Contracting in the Business Operations team serves as a recognized contracting, internal business process and S2P partner within the Early Phase Oncology organization, supporting drug discovery and development through the drafting, negotiation, and management of complex procurement-facing agreements. This individual will support custom scientific engagements across key discovery research areas spanning early phase biology, chemistry and scientific technologies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key contracting resource within the Early Phase Oncology organization, leading cross-functional collaboration with Project Management, Scientific, Legal, Subject Matter Experts, Business Operations, and Finance to support Lilly Oncology’s pipeline needs and functional objectives in compliance with established internal policies and risk mitigation strategies
• Drive custom scientific contracting engagements across early phase biology, chemistry and scientific technology business areas, partnering closely with research and operations teams to understand scope and independently lead negotiation of the full range of applicable agreement types
• Develop tailored contracting solutions and scalable processes that address the evolving needs of supported business areas and close gaps before they become operational issues
• Independently lead all phases of contract drafting and negotiation, effectively coordinating Legal and SME input and making sound, risk-based decisions that impact the function or geography
• Oversee regular engagements with PM teams to proactively advise on upcoming third-party contracting needs, including scope, deliverables, timelines, prioritization, and risk considerations impacting the business area
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with third-party suppliers, identifying requirements and influencing contracting approaches that advance the business area’s interests while anticipating and resolving key operational and business risks, partnering with the third-party risk management team and exercising independent judgment to escalate or mitigate issues with functional impact
• Provide expertise and guidance to business partners in the procure-to-pay process including purchase requisition submission, managing budgets, invoicing reconciliations to ensure internal compliance, and identifying opportunities to optimize financial stewardship
• Manage and develop a small team of contracting professionals, fostering their growth through active coaching, timely feedback, and adherence to Lilly’s Performance Management system; set clear expectations, hold team members accountable, and proactively address performance issues to ensure team effectiveness

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in biology or a related scientific discipline and/or MBA preferred, along with scientific literacy and/or background in a relevant biological discipline and the ability to engage credibly with research scientists in areas such as exploratory research, translational science, and large molecule biology
• 5+ years of applicable experience, including contract management and research experience, with an advanced degree (MBA, master's, or Ph.D.), or 7+ years without an advanced degree, including procurement facing contracting to support discovery and development efforts in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical setting

Qualifications

• 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

Skills

• Demonstrated experience making independent, risk-based decisions on complex contracting matters with functional or cross-organizational impact, knowing when to escalate and when to act
• Strong contract drafting, review, analysis and negotiation skills across a variety of contract types
• Recognized ability to serve as a key resource, influence complex issues across the business area or function, and interact effectively with senior stakeholders
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to independently manage and lead a team across a high volume of concurrent workstreams; approaches work with an owner’s mindset and consistent sense of urgency, takes initiative to anticipate issues, meets strict deadlines, and drives tasks to completion while maintaining quality
• Experience with project management, finance, procurement, and contract lifecycle management software
• Experience in software licensing procurement, including negotiating SaaS, data platform, and AI/ML tool agreements in a life sciences or research context
• Fluency with AI tools and a demonstrated willingness to embrace and apply emerging AI and technology solutions to improve the efficiency and quality of contracting work
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to proactively communicate status, risks, and issues to stakeholders at all levels to drive work forward and resolve matters in a timely manner
• Excellent attention to detail and critical thinking skills
• MS Office skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)