Associate Director - Site MQ Learning & Development (L&D) Leader

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve.

About the role

Lilly is currently constructing an advanced manufacturing facility for monoclonal antibodies, bioconjugates, and aseptic drug product manufacturing in Goochland County, Virginia. This facility is intended to provide capacity for current and future products. The successful candidate will help to build the organization, the facility, and the culture to enable a successful startup into GMP manufacturing operations.

The Global Manufacturing and Quality Learning and Development (GMQLD) team is dedicated to delivering learning solutions that empower Lilly’s Manufacturing and Quality organizations to achieve our mission: making medicine with safety first and quality always. The Site Learning & Development (L&D) leader will drive excellence in learning and capability-building at our sites. This role will lead a team of L&D professionals and is responsible for aligning site L&D strategies with global policies and procedures, while ensuring compliance, operational effectiveness, and workforce development. This leader will be a key connector between the sites, network L&D team, and global Center of Excellence (CoE), ensuring standard methodologies, governance, and innovation in learning are effectively delivered at the local level. The role requires a strategic problem solver and hands-on leader who can balance global strategies with site-specific needs while ensuring a high level of audit and inspection readiness.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary L&D Leader at the site, ensuring alignment with global L&D strategies, policies, and procedures while meeting local operational needs.
• Report to and partner with the Network L&D lead and global CoE to implement future-facing learning solutions that drive performance, compliance, and operational excellence.
• Ensure governance frameworks are driven at the site level, maintaining inspection and audit readiness in real time.
• Act as a champion for a modern learning culture, shifting away from traditional document-based training toward interactive, digital, and experiential learning solutions.
• Lead, develop, and inspire the site L&D team, ensuring they are equipped to complete high-quality learning initiatives that support business objectives.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation, demonstrating sophisticated learning technologies, AI-driven learning analytics, and immersive training methods.
• Ensure strong capability-building within the L&D team, upskilling them in learning sciences, digital learning tools, and manufacturing-specific training methodologies.
• Create initial project scope documents, appropriately demonstrating learning services suppliers for outsourced work to achieve business objectives.
• Design and implement site-specific L&D initiatives that support compliance, manufacturing excellence, and employee development.
• Drive learning effectiveness measurement using real-time data and analytics to ensure programs deliver measurable business impact.
• Partner cross-functionally with Quality, Operations, HR, and Technical Training teams/SMEs to embed a learning attitude across the site.
• Ensure audit and inspection readiness, proactively addressing training gaps and regulatory expectations.
• Advocate for technology-enabled learning, including AI, immersive simulations, digital academies, and just-in-time learning solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 5+ years of experience in Learning & Development, Talent Development, and/or Manufacturing Training with a focus on regulated environments.
• 5+ years of experience with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), regulatory requirements, or compliance training.
• 2+ years of experience managing and developing L&D teams.
• 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.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred, in Instructional Systems Technology, Performance Technology, Adult Learning, Human Resources, or related experience/education.
• Experience in governance, audit readiness, and inspection preparedness related to training programs.
• Expertise in modern learning methodologies (e.g., competency-based training, AI-driven learning platforms, immersive technologies).
• Ability to balance global strategy with local execution ensuring both alignment and agility.
• Strong collaborator management skills, with experience partnering across Operations, Quality, HR, Global L&D functions.
• Experience leading learning transformation initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with learning technologies, LMS, digital learning tools, and AI-driven analytics.
• Certification in learning and development (CPTD, ATD, or similar) is a plus.
• Experience implementing skills-based training and workforce upskilling initiatives.
• Ability to lead and influence others at all levels, with and without authority, particularly on broad and complex issues.
• Ability to work cross-functionally, cross-culturally, and with individuals at all levels across a matrixed organization.
• Ability to think strategically, successfully navigate ambiguity and complexity, solve problems, and complete tasks.
• Ability to effectively partner globally.
• Change management experience.
• Excellent communication and project management skills.
• Strong business acumen.
• Ability to perform data analysis and construct relevant insights that drive decisions and strategic plans.
• Human Performance Improvement (HPI) Certification.

Benefits

• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k).
• Pension plan.
• 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.
• Well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).
• Company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).

Pay

The anticipated wage for this position is $127,500 - $187,000.

Schedule

• Full-time.
• Travel: 15%.

Position Location: Site Based.