Senior Director

Role Overview

• Co-develop and continuously evolve LGL programs by defining the partnership model, operating cadence, and success metrics for resident biotechs.
• Lead external search, validation, and selection of high-synergy biotechs across assigned geographies, and connect companies to Catalyze360 services and Lilly SMEs to address scientific and technical needs from discovery through development.
• Demonstrate drug development leadership and apply deep mechanism-to-disease translation capability through hypothesis generation, study design, and rigorous data interpretation.
• Integrate multiple scientific disciplines and translate across functions by mobilising internal and external experts and an established industry network to progress biotech scientific plans.
• Provide end-to-end development guidance spanning preclinical through proof-of-concept, informed by experience advancing an asset into or toward the clinic in a biotech setting.
• Position and advocate Lilly Gateway Labs externally to attract and recruit top resident companies.
• Provide strategic oversight to the LGL portfolio to accelerate company progress, ensuring clear objectives, milestones, and decision-ready updates.
• Influence and build relationships across diverse internal and external stakeholders in a largely virtual model, demonstrating strong cultural sensitivity across countries and company cultures.
• Drive a unified Lilly face to external partners by maintaining a working view of regional efforts across Europe and beyond and aligning across geographies and LGL peers.
• Model Lilly values through high standards in science and people leadership by setting priorities, coaching and aligning teams, constructively managing conflict, and exercising sound business judgment to represent the enterprise portfolio view.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (PhD, MS, MBA)
• 10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or related drug development industry
• Strong preference for direct biotech experience, in particular taking assets through pre-clinical to clinical stage
• Experience with search and evaluate and business development
• Ability to make sound decisions on critical issues with minimum supervision
• Demonstrated ability to think and work creatively, exhibiting sound judgment and risk management practices to effectively make decisions
• Strong business acumen with an ability to apply internal and external business knowledge to execute the strategy
• Proven ability to capture support and influence of senior leadership on a consistent basis
• Ability to work across cultures—people, company and geographic
• Significant mediation skills across both group and individual interactions
• Legal acumen to understand contractual terms and proactively identify issues
• Advanced analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex information and analyses to a variety of scientific and non-scientific audiences.

Benefits

• Up to 40% international travel (dependent on location) and the ability to work in different time zones.