MES Architect - IDAP Tech@Lilly

MES Architect – IDAP Tech@Lilly

Location: Indianapolis, IN – Lilly Tech Center South (IDAP) site
Employment Type: Full-time

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 38,000 employees worldwide work to discover and bring life‑changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

• Lead the MES transformation for IDAP, transitioning from legacy systems to Pharma Suite.
• Define and own the multi‑phase MES deployment roadmap in alignment with site expansion and product launches.
• Serve as the MES Solution Architect responsible for design, integration, and standardization of Pharma Suite at IDAP.
• Partner with global MES Program and system integrators to ensure strategy alignment, system compatibility, and reusability.
• Influence long‑term MES vision across IDAP and represent the site in cross‑site and enterprise‑level MES strategy discussions.
• Provide technical leadership in architecture, configuration, deployment, and optimization of Pharma Suite.
• Collaborate with the global MES team to align on data models, batch execution logic, and system interfaces with ERP (SAP), EWM, and Serialization systems.
• Lead the technical design reviews and participate in vendor evaluations and capability assessments.
• Ensure proper design for performance, scalability, and high availability in the MES environment.
• Drive implementation of Pharma Suite capabilities such as Review by Exception, Recipe Management, Equipment Management, and E  authoring.
• Support validation activities including authoring and reviewing design specs, test plans, and execution records per GMP requirements.
• Mentor and grow MES technical talent within IDAP, establishing a strong site knowledge base in Pharma Suite.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Operations, QA, and Digital Plant leaders to ensure MES supports evolving site needs.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, technical rigor, and knowledge sharing.
• Actively engage with peers across Lilly sites to align on technical standards and share lessons learned.
• Lead project planning, resource alignment, and status reporting for MES work streams.
• Track key milestones, risks, and dependencies to ensure timely and successful deployments.
• Ensure strong change control, configuration management, and audit trail compliance for all MES changes.
• Prepare and support site readiness for inspections, walkthroughs, and audits related to MES.

• Proven experience implementing and architecting MES solutions in GMP‑regulated manufacturing environments.
• Deep technical knowledge of Pharma Suite including architecture, configuration, and deployment.
• Experience with batch management, E  design, material traceability, and exception management.
• Familiarity with pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing processes, especially in packaging and assembly operations.
• Knowledge of integration strategies between MES, ERP (SAP), EWM, Serialization, and automation layers.
• Strong project leadership skills and the ability to manage cross‑functional stakeholders and vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems while aligning with broader business goals.

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, computer science, computer engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of MES experience, with at least 3 years directly in Pharma Suite deployments.
• 7+ years of experience in regulated pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading MES system design, implementation, and validation.
• Experience in stakeholder management and cross‑functional coordination.

• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with the ability to communicate at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities with the ability to motivate others.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Proven problem solving and decision‑making skills.
• Intermediate knowledge of…