Technical Product Lead

About the role

Lilly's product commercialization spans a growing global manufacturing network, dozens of specialized functions, and an expanding portfolio of transformative medicines. The gap: no single leader owns the full picture. The Product Leader fills that gap. You are the single point of accountability for a product's entire commercialization lifecycle — from post-Phase 2 through launch and beyond. You own the manufacturing CMC strategy, lead the Product Core Team, collaborate with development and serve as the go-to interface for senior executives who need clarity, not noise. This is a strategic leadership role, not a coordination role. It demands deep pharma development and/or manufacturing knowledge, executive presence, and the ability to drive alignment across a powerful, matrixed organization — without direct authority.

Key Responsibilities

• Manufacturing CMC Strategy & Commercialization Ownership

• Own the Manufacturing CMC Commercialization Strategy across Development, Manufacturing, and the Business Units.
• Lead the Product Core Team and oversee its technical execution, ensuring clear ownership, milestone accountability, and proactive risk management.
• Drive alignment of launch presentation and commercial image strategy across relevant functional and affiliate stakeholders.
• Ensure gate deliverables are clearly defined, plans are in place, and execution is on track — proactively identifying and resolving gaps.

• Governance & Executive Visibility

• Serve as the accountable representative for the product at all Governance and Oversight Forums, providing clear, confident updates on progress, risks, and decisions required.
• As the primary interface for senior executives seeking visibility into commercialization status — translate technical complexity into concise, actionable insight.
• Ensure escalations are surfaced proactively and resolved with appropriate speed and rigor.

• Cross-Functional Alignment & Stakeholder Leadership

• Ensure sustained alignment across Development, Manufacturing, and Business Unit stakeholders throughout the product’s lifecycle, including global manufacturing site teams and CMC Regulatory.
• Influence without authority across a complex, matrixed organization — build trust, resolve conflict, and drive decisions through collaboration rather than directive.
• Partner closely with Development and CMC Regulatory on submission strategy, ensuring the manufacturing program supports regulatory timelines and requirements.

• Post-Launch Technical Agenda

• Lead Post-Launch Technical Agenda (PLTA) strategy for assigned products, influencing pre-submission deliverables and lifecycle management planning.
• Ensure the product’s long-term commercial and technical sustainability by driving proactive planning for process improvements, line extensions, and continuous manufacturing optimization.

Required Qualifications

• Education

• Advanced engineering, scientific degree (M.S., Ph.D., or MBA with strong technical foundation) required.

• Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressive pharmaceutical industry experience, with meaningful exposure to development, manufacturing, commercialization, and/or technical program leadership.
• Demonstrated experience leading or significantly contributing to cross-functional programs through key development and commercialization milestones (e.g., tech transfer, process validation, regulatory submission readiness, product launch).
• Proven ability to influence and lead without direct authority across complex, matrixed organizations.
• Track record of operating effectively at the senior leadership level — communicating with confidence, handling ambiguity, and making high-quality decisions under pressure.

• Functional Background

• TS/MS, CMC development, Operations, Supply Chain, or Mfg.

• Skills & Competencies

• Strategic Leadership: Shapes long-range manufacturing CMC commercialization strategy; translates vision into execution.
• Influence Without Authority: Drives alignment and decisions across powerful, matrixed stakeholders without formal reporting relationships.
• Executive Communication: Distills complex technical and operational information into clear, confident narratives for senior audiences.
• Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Balances competing functional and affiliate priorities with fairness, speed, and strategic judgment.
• Commercial Acumen: Understands the business implications of manufacturing decisions — including supply risk, launch readiness, and lifecycle value.
• Risk Management: Proactively identifies, surfaces, and resolves program risks before they become schedule or quality issues.
• Cross-Cultural & Global Collaboration: Effective working across global manufacturing sites, development organizations, and business units with varying priorities.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Comfortable operating in an evolving role structure; builds credibility and process from the ground up.