Sr. Principal - QC Technical Resource

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.

This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Lilly is currently constructing an advanced manufacturing facility for production of API molecules located in Houston, TX. This facility is intended to provide APIs for current and future products, including new modalities. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of the startup team for a greenfield manufacturing site, and the successful candidate will help to build the processes and facility to enable a successful startup into GMP manufacturing operations.

This role serves as a technical leader within the QC laboratory, driving advancement of analytical methods, systems, and overall testing capability while guiding complex scientific decisions. The position leads the site's Process Analytics Technology (PAT) and QC laboratory automation strategy, partnering closely with Manufacturing, Automation/Engineering, and Digital teams to integrate in‑line, on‑line, and at‑line analyzers and automated lab systems into a greenfield facility build‑out.

It partners cross‑functionally to solve challenging technical issues, influence broader quality and manufacturing strategies, and serves as a QC subject matter expert for site and global initiatives.

This position is a recognized expert who makes key technical decisions impacting multiple teams, leads the resolution of highly complex challenges, and influences technical strategy across functions. The role delivers innovations with cross‑functional impact, leads significant initiatives, mentors outside their own discipline, and serves as an effective supporter of culture change.

• Provide technical leadership for the QC laboratory by guiding the development and improvement of testing methods, quality systems, and analytical capabilities while serving as a technical authority in complex decision‑making forums.
• Serve as site lead for Process Analytics Technology (PAT), driving the selection, qualification, and lifecycle management of in‑line, on‑line, and at‑line analyzers, and defining the site's PAT roadmap in alignment with the overall QC and manufacturing control strategy.
• Lead QC laboratory automation initiatives, including LIMS/LES integration, automated sample handling and robotics, and data historian connectivity, to improve throughput, right‑first‑time performance, and data integrity across the QC organization.
• Lead the resolution of complex technical challenges by applying advanced scientific knowledge across multiple disciplines and designing novel solutions that enhance accuracy and efficiency across QC operations.
• Collaborate and influence across Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Technical Services, Regulatory, Product Development, Automation/Engineering, and Digital, as applicable, to integrate QC considerations into broader business decisions and serve as a subject matter expert during regulatory inspections and audits.
• Execute all Quality Control activities in a timely manner, in compliance with applicable SOPs, methods/protocols, good documentation practices, data integrity standards (ALCOA+), cGMPs, EHS requirements, chemical hygiene, and biosafety guidelines, maintaining an ongoing…