Principal Associate Engineer - HSE (Environmental)

About the role

Lilly is constructing an advanced manufacturing facility to produce API molecules that support current and future products, including new modalities. The Environmental Engineer - Associate will support the development, implementation, and sustainment of site environmental programs, permits, plans, procedures, and management systems, with an emphasis on waste management and water compliance. During construction, commissioning, qualification, pre-startup, and startup, this role will partner with Project Delivery, Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and HSE teams to help establish environmental compliance systems and integrate environmental requirements into site readiness activities. After startup, the role will transition into an operational environmental support position focused on supporting compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and corporate environmental requirements, including but not limited to TPDES, POTW, and RCRA; supporting assigned environmental programs; preparing required records and reports; and contributing to continuous improvement across site operations.

Responsibilities

Pre-Startup and Startup Phase

• Support the development and implementation of site environmental programs, procedures, training, tools, and management systems required for successful startup and long-term compliance, including waste and water management programs.
• Provide environmental technical input during facility design, construction, commissioning, qualification, and startup to ensure applicable permit, regulatory, and corporate requirements are identified and incorporated before transition to GMP operations.
• Support environmental permitting strategies for projects and startup activities, including waste and water permitting; help identify required permits, review applications, track commitments, prepare regulatory documentation, and support required calculations, records, and reports.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and HSE teams to integrate environmental requirements into startup readiness plans, operational procedures, training, equipment handover, governance processes, and assigned environmental program implementation.
• Participate in design reviews, environmental reviews, process hazard reviews, change evaluations, and project impact assessments; support onboarding, training, and knowledge-sharing activities to build environmental capability and reinforce compliant work practices.

Post-Startup Phase

• Provide environmental technical support for API manufacturing operations to help maintain compliance with applicable permits, regulations, corporate standards, and assigned environmental programs, including EPA and TCEQ hazardous and non-hazardous waste requirements.
• Support the maintenance and administration of assigned environmental program documents, procedures, permits, records, tools, metrics, training materials, and compliance deliverables, including reports, permit renewals, regulatory documentation, emissions calculations, and waste records.
• Support operational areas in understanding and implementing environmental requirements, including troubleshooting, field engagement, periodic inspections, coaching, corrective and preventive action follow-up, and waste classification and disposal outlet confirmation.
• Support evaluation of process changes, capital projects, chemical substances, deviations, and events to identify potential environmental impacts, required controls, permit implications, reporting obligations, and prevention or improvement opportunities.
• Participate in incident investigations, root cause analyses, environmental reviews, self-assessments, audits, regulatory inspections, agency interactions, environmental release reporting on-call rotation, metrics review, trend analysis, and continuous improvement planning.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, or related engineering field.
• Minimum of 5 years of environmental, engineering, manufacturing, or compliance-related experience; experience in chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturing support preferred.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting environmental programs, permitting, compliance reporting, inspections, audits, or environmental calculations in a manufacturing or industrial setting.
• Engineer in Training (EIT) or Professional Engineer (PE) certification preferred.
• Working knowledge of environmental regulatory requirements and programs such as air emissions, wastewater, stormwater, hazardous and non-hazardous waste, spill prevention, refrigerants, and DOT hazardous materials.
• Experience preparing or supporting environmental records, regulatory reports, permit applications, permit renewals, calculations, or second-person verifications.
• Previous experience interfacing with HSE-related regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, or corporate environmental resources.
• Strong technical writing, documentation, data analysis, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across cross-functional teams and communicate environmental requirements effectively to diverse audiences.
• Strong organizational, time management, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic startup environment.
• Willingness to operate in a dynamic, greenfield startup environment requiring creativity, flexibility, and resilience as organizational systems and culture are being built.

Additional Information

• This role supports a greenfield facility currently under construction. The scope and day-to-day responsibilities will evolve from the project/startup phase through full GMP operations.
• Candidate will provide environmental engineering and compliance support for site readiness, program development, permitting, operational support, and continuous improvement activities.
• Position Location: US: Houston TX
• Travel Percentage: 5%