Senior Director, Emerging + Portfolio Scientific Communications

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

The Senior Director, Emerging + Portfolio Scientific Communications leads two connected areas of work: building the communications strategy for Lilly's next-generation science platforms and helping to tell the stories that define how Lilly's science is understood at the highest levels.

• Emerging Science: Own the narrative for Lilly's genetic medicines (siRNA, gene therapies, in vivo genome editing), novel modalities, platforms, new focus areas, and white-space scientific exploration. This is category-creation work: architecting how the world understands Lilly's emerging science capabilities, not as a pipeline segment, but as a defining feature of the company's identity.
• Portfolio Storytelling: Partner with the AVP, Scientific Innovations Communications, Chief Scientific Officer, BU Leaders, and LRL Leadership Team to develop the speeches, presentations, and storytelling modules that travel across the enterprise and shape how Lilly's early and current scientific portfolios are perceived externally.

This is a strategic communications leader who is passionate about science and thrives in shaping how it is presented to the world, ensuring that every high-stakes external engagement reflects both scientific rigor and narrative clarity. Reporting to the AVP, Scientific Innovation Communications, this leader serves as a critical integrator across the Scientific Innovation Communications function.

Responsibilities

• Platform Narrative Strategy: Develop the overarching communications strategy for Lilly's emerging science portfolio. Build platform-level narratives (e.g., 'genetic medicines,' 'platform/new modalities,' 'infectious disease') that establish Lilly's scientific leadership independent of any single asset.
• Executive Storytelling and Presentations: Support the development of executive speeches, presentations, and storytelling modules for the Chief Scientific Officer, BU Leaders, and LRL Leadership Team. Partner with the Global Comms Strategy, Innovation and Operations team for design and creative production.
• Enterprise Scientific Narrative: Develop reusable storytelling modules that travel across the enterprise, equipping leaders and communicators across Global Communications with the building blocks to tell Lilly's science story consistently and compellingly. Support storytelling for LRL and R&D achievements, building narrative modules adaptable for media, scientific, and other external audiences.
• Scientific Community and Congress Engagement: Drive communications strategy for emerging science at key scientific forums. Develop early-stage narrative to build awareness and credibility.
• Competitive Intelligence and Proactive Positioning: Monitor the competitive landscape across new areas of scientific interest and focus. Develop proactive positioning and messaging frameworks that define the category on Lilly's terms.
• Media Relations: Develop media strategy for emerging science landmarks and platform stories. Build relationships with journalists covering genetic medicines, biotech innovation, and the future of drug development.
• Cross-Pillar Partnership: Work closely with the Global Data Storytelling Communications and Global Consumer Science Communications pillars to ensure emerging science narratives and executive storytelling are grounded in the latest data and aligned with consumer-facing narrative strategy.
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop the Associate Director, Emerging + Portfolio Science, the cross-pillar Scientific Innovations Manager (P1-P3), and Associate Director, LRL Internal Communications. Manage agency partners and external resources. Contribute to the talent pipeline for the broader Scientific Innovation Communications team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in communications, science, public relations, or related field.
• 10+ years of communications experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare environments.
• Demonstrated expertise in emerging science, genetic medicines, new modalities, and related communications.
• Experience developing executive presentations, speeches, and narrative frameworks for senior R&D or C-suite leaders.
• Proven experience navigating high-stakes communications in emerging or novel therapeutic spaces.
• Experience providing strategic counsel to senior R&D executives.
• Deep understanding of the scientific landscape.
• Exceptional ability to translate highly complex scientific concepts into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
• Proven record of building platform-level or category-creation narratives, not just asset-specific messaging.
• Strong editorial judgment and the ability to shape how science is presented at the executive level, from narrative arc to final content.
• Experience developing reusable storytelling frameworks and modules for enterprise-wide use.
• Familiarity with the evolving regulatory, investor, and payer perspectives on genetic and regenerative medicines, infectious diseases, oncology, and other scientific topics.
• Strong media relations skills, particularly with science and biotech journalists.
• Proactive, anticipatory attitude capable of building narratives years ahead of late-stage readouts.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the rigor to communicate emerging science responsibly without overcommitting on timelines.
• Strong executive presence and credibility across R&D, commercial, and corporate collaborator audiences.

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.

Benefits

• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k) and pension plan.
• Vacation benefits.
• 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 $154,500 - $226,600.

Schedule

• Location: Indianapolis, IN preferred. Remote candidates will be considered for the right experience.
• Hybrid work schedule for Indianapolis-based candidates.
• Domestic travel expected (15-25%).