Sr. Director - Strategic Alliances (SMDD)

Responsibilities

• Implement and maintain strategic partnerships: Foster collaboration with external partners for the rapid design and development of drug substance and drug product for pre-clinical/clinical phase assets.
• Ensure alignment: Work closely with cross-functional leaders across Lilly CMC, Quality, Procurement, and Safety to translate PRD/SMDD strategic requirements into actionable results with external collaboration partners to ensure delivery of Lilly’s growing portfolio.
• Drive implementation of novel technology: Integrate with leadership and technical staff at CDMOs to successfully transfer novel SMDD technology for GMP production. Enable collaborative business relationships to achieve speed and flawless execution to transform molecules into medicines.
• Champion operational excellence: Monitor capacity, quality, and performance in alignment with business contracts and perform trend analysis. Develop and drive governance of external operations with CDMOs. Manage and facilitate efficient and effective business processes across supply chain, R&D, compliance, and contractual obligations. Identify and champion best practices.
• Relationship Management: Serve as an advocate for partnerships and their objectives. Mitigate business risk, legal uncertainties, and human relationship risks. Work to reduce inefficiencies out of operations and monitor resources devoted to the alliances. Engage in frequent communication to seek 360⁰ feedback from external partners and internal stakeholders on alliance performance/issues. Coach Lilly team members on development of relationship with partners.
• Laboratory Informatics: Partner with Tech@Lilly on lab design and data/knowledge capture while assuring alignment with SMDD strategic goals and compliance requirements. Leverage technical laboratory experience and knowledge to advance SMDD practices into state-of-the-art capabilities. Ensure alignment between CDMOs and SMDD.
• Oversee activities related to business operations, including cross-functional issue management, audit support, contract adherence, and ensure alignment with alliance goals. Milestone tracking and awareness.
• Partner with internal Lilly stakeholders to address issues/gaps and ensure alliances are meeting intended goals. Help identify and resolve conflicts. Drive “Voice of the Alliance/Customer” to diagnose relationship health.
• Bridge cultural gaps between Lilly and partner. Coach Lilly team members on development of relationship with partners and vice versa.

Qualifications

• Minimum B.S. (Chemistry / Engineering / Biosciences).
• Minimum 15 years’ CMC experience in pharma with minimum of 5 years’ experience of enabling novel CMC technologies/supply chain via contract manufacturing organizations.