MES Architect

About the Role

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. Lilly is investing $6.5 billion to build a new state-of-the-art active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing site at Generation Park in Houston, Texas. The new site will produce APIs for small-molecule medicines for cardiometabolic health and will be built with the latest high-tech equipment, highly integrated and automated manufacturing systems, and a focus on minimizing environmental impact. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help build and start up a new site.

The MES Architect owns the technical architecture and provides hands-on leadership for Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) at the new Houston API facility. You will define the site's MES architecture and standards, lead and mentor the technical team delivering it, and hold deep accountability for validation rigor across the system's lifecycle. You will bring both strong platform expertise and strong leadership skills — partnering with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and the broader Tech at Lilly team to stand up and sustain MES capabilities for a greenfield site.

Primary Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end MES architecture for the Houston site — recipes, workflows, electronic work instructions, and electronic batch records (EBRs) — aligned to ISA-95/88 standards and operational, quality, and compliance needs.
• Define technical standards, design patterns, and configuration best practices for the site's MES platform, partnering with global MES architects and platform teams.
• Lead requirements gathering, solution design, and technical decision-making across the full implementation lifecycle, from concept through deployment.
• Architect integrations between the MES platform and adjacent enterprise and shop-floor systems (e.g., ERP, SCADA/DCS such as Emerson DeltaV) to ensure seamless, reliable data flow.
• Execute and support site-level testing and validation efforts (e.g., Installation Qualification, Performance Qualification) to confirm system readiness.
• Own Computer System Validation (CSV) rigor across the full system lifecycle, including 21 CFR Part 11 and GAMP 5 requirements.
• Lead and mentor a team of MES engineers, providing technical direction and quality review of designs and deliverables.
• Serve as the site's MES System Custodian and primary technical point of contact, representing Houston's MES needs to global platform and architecture forums.
• Build strong working relationships with Operations, Quality, Engineering, and site leadership to align priorities, gain buy-in, and drive adoption of MES capabilities.
• Support MES startup, site readiness, and go-live activities, including hypercare support and frontline troubleshooting.

What You Should Bring

• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and cGMP regulatory requirements.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience guiding technical teams and driving decisions in a matrixed, cross-functional environment.
• Good working knowledge of validation practices, including MBR/EBR authoring and CSV lifecycle expectations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills across applications, configurations, and integrations.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to work closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, and IT teams to translate operational needs into executable MES solutions.
• Experience with tier-one MES platforms, in particular Emerson Syncade/DeltaV.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience with MES system Syncade in design, implementation, and validation in a GMP-regulated industry, including experience leading or architecting solutions.
• Experience authoring and validating Master Batch Records (MBRs) and electronic batch records (EBRs) in a regulated environment.
• Experience with tier-one MES platform Emerson Syncade.

Additional Preferences

• Experience with no-code/low-code frontline platforms, in particular Tulip, and with distributed control systems such as Emerson DeltaV, including recipe and batch interfaces to MES.
• Proven leadership ability, including mentoring technical staff, leading design decisions, and driving stakeholder alignment.
• Strong knowledge of the Computer System Validation (CSV) lifecycle, including 21 CFR Part 11, GAMP 5, and IQ/OQ/PQ testing.
• Prior Agile project experience.
• Experience commissioning and qualifying systems at a new site, and supporting API, small molecule, oligonucleotide operations.
• Familiarity with related technologies and standards, including ISA-95/88, OPC, and data historians.
• Professional experience working in a GxP-regulated pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing environment.

Pay and Benefits

The anticipated wage for this position is $129,000 - $189,200. 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).

Other Information

Role is based onsite at Houston, Texas — API Manufacturing Site.